Therapeutic essential oils can be beneficial to humans and their pets. Essential oils offer a holistic approach to pet care. Pet’s like humans are sensitive to toxins and chemicals – even more so because of their small size. Read about identifying toxins in your home that might be causing harm to your little friends. There are books and websites devoted to using essential oils just for pets, check the resources page for more information.
Essential oils offer many of the same benefits to pets as they do to people. They can support the immune system, bring balance to the mind and body, help heal injuries and offer natural cleaning options. As with humans, it is imperative that only the purest essential oils are used on your pets. I have listed just a few of the many uses for pets taken from oils in the Everyday Oils Collection. These uses are recommendations from Dr. Mary Hess, DVM.
Lemon essential oil: Used to increase awareness in training or cognitive issues. It is an anti-parasitic and can be combined with others safely, excellent for skin conditions. Use topically, diffused or ingested.
Lavender essential oil: Use for injuries while hiking or riding. Gentle but anti-infectious. When combined with peppermint, healing is increased and infection and pain is decreased. Repels parasites and calms nervous system. May be helpful for masses and tumors.
Frankincense: Safer, gentle oil that is a favorite for smaller pets and birds. Used in every aspect of pet care: wounds, tumors, behavior, infections, bacteria and fungal control. Dilution recommended with lavender.
Peppermint: Use with PanAway for any injury. Most used oil for overheated horses and dogs, provides cooling quickly. Used on long hikes, placing a drop in water for internal cooling. Peppermint must be diluted for cats, 1 part oil to 4 parts vegetable oil
Purification: Use for parasites such as fleas, ticks and mosquitos for dog and horse. Dilute 75% for cats. For birds, mist the cage with oil instead of applying directly to the bird.
Valor: Useful for all pets for fear, behavior and training. Especially useful for pet rescue. Use for skin masses, itching, allergies and infections. Diffuse or apply topically. Place around collar or leash.
Peace & Calming: Main calming blend of this collection. Use for fear, anxiety, behavior problems, car rides, excitement. Builds confidence.
PanAway: Best oil blend for injury. Can be used with cats if diluted. Used for urinary issues, osteo-arthritis pain, dental extraction or post surgery. Use topically in warm compresss, in raindrop technique or vita-flex points on feet.
Thieves: Strongest anti-infectious blend in this collection. Can be used on all pets if diluted properly. Provides significant pain relief, particularly for dental problems. Has anti-parasitic properties, especially for ticks. Can be used topically to location of injury, vita-flex, raindrop, or internally. Diffuse
Using essential oils on pets is similar to people as there are precautions you should take. Because pets are much smaller, essential oils should be diluted more than for an adult person.
Dilution guidelines: when in doubt contact your DVM.
Horses require minimum to no dilution ( 1 drop essential oil in 1 tsp carrier oil to help disperse)
Dogs: 0-25lbs – 75% dilution (1 drop essential oil to 4 drops carrier oil)
26-45lbs -50-75%
46-75lbs – 50%
76-90lbs – 25-50%
90-150lbs-25%
+150lbs – 0-25%
Cats, ferrets, rabbits, reptiles – 75-90%
Birds & Amphibians – 90-95% or hydrosols (1 drop essential oil mixed with water in 8 ounce spray bottle)
Eight days before Christmas our hampster died. We found “Jiffy’s” body cold, his fur muddled, and he was so weak that he could barely raise his head. He had been a little lethargic the day before, and the following morning we found him in this sad condition. He died in my hand. After four months with our new hampster, “Hammy”, we noticed the same symptoms. He was cold, shivering, weak, and had muddled fur. My daughter cried anticipating the same outcome. This time we had our “special oils” that have worked so well for our family. Now it was time to try them on our pet. I diluted lavender oil by 90%. I rubbed the oil on my hands and held him close to my warm abdomen(skin to fur). I also diluted thieves oil; and using a q-tip, I swabbed his feet. Within minutes he was warmer and moving more. After an hour he was eating and scampering around. We were amazed.