All-natural essential oils can help humans with various issues, but they can also be beneficial to your pet--dogs, cats, horses, and other animals. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that they are much more sensitive than we are, so you MUST be careful to use less, use a diluted solution, or make sure you place it in the correct area on the animal.
A few rules: A dilution rate of about 90% should be used on your small dog or cat, and essential oils should be applied only to their paws, and Wintergreen and high-phenol oils should not be used on cats (for example, oregano or thyme).
Amounts to use:
Small dogs and cats - use 3-5 drops of diluted essential oil (90% carrier oil) per application.
Larger dogs - use 3-5 drops of undiluted essential oil per application.
Horses - 20-30 drops of undiluted essential oil per application.
(Other animals can benefit as well, such as goats, cattle, sheep, et al.)
Here's a very brief list of essential oils and blends available from Heaven and Earth Essentials that can be used to treat your pet:
Tranquility Blend or Pure Lavender - for calming an animal down, if they've been hurt or traumatized in some way, or if you or the vet are going to perform a procedure on them.
Muscle Pain Blend - for hurt muscles, arthritis. Massage on sore area. (Do not apply to open wounds.)
Pure Peppermint - Put 1 drop on a cotton swab, apply to a wood tick that is on your animal. When it releases its head, remove it from the animal (works on humans too).
Cold & Flu Blend - helps with sinus and lung congestion. Add a few drops to a mister with water, then spray the area where the animal sleeps.
Rosemary and Sandalwood essential oils - help keep your pet's coat nice and shiny.
Pure Lavender - for scratches and burns. Helps with tissue regeneration.
All-Natural Flea Spray - contains essential oils of Lemongrass, Citronella, and Lemon Eucalyptus, and helps keep fleas and other parasites away.
All-Natural Mosquito Spray - contains Wintergreen essential oil and other natural ingredients to keep those pesky mosquitoes away. (Do not use on cats.)
These are just a few things you can do with essential oils. Make sure you are using all-natural essential oils, not fragrance oils. Our pets give us unconditional love and devotion, they deserve the same in return. So make sure you give them a big hug when you are done working with them. My dog, Windsor, shown above, will do just about anything for a hug from me.
