aromatherapy

Animal Aromatherapy
Animal Aromatherapy or Essential Oil therapy is the use of essential oils to help enhance physical and emotional well-being. Essential oils are specially blended to suit your dog's needs and gently massaged into the coat to promote good health and well-being. It is believed that we all know on an instinctive, perhaps even cellular level just what it is that we need for our physical and emotional health and our animals are probably even better at this that we are. This is demonstrated so well when you offer an essential oil to a horse. Usually it will sniff it intently, first with one nostril and then, if interested, with the other.

The right side of the brain is connected to the left nostril and is responsible for "feel" and more emotional responses while the left side of the brain is connected to the right nostril and deals with "rational thought" and all things "cerebral". The sense of smell is linked directly to the Limbic system, which acts as a message relay to many of the body's vital systems, and so any information carried from the nose is passed on, processed and acted upon.

Smell is a very powerful sense and a single scent may instantly re-kindle memories of a particular event, place or person whether pleasant or otherwise and this ability too may be harnessed for our emotional well-being.

Due to the volatile nature of essential oils, a small amount of vapour will be inhaled and in the ideal conditions of the warm and moist nasal cavity, some of the active components of the oils will have a direct route into the bloodstream via capillaries very close to the surface. Essential Oil Therapy for animals is normally given either by inhalation of the oils, or by allowing the animal to ingest the oil orally whilst topical application is normally reserved for the treatment of physical problems such as wounds and disorders of the musculo-skeletal system.

Whatever method you use, the most important thing is that the animal, be it a cat, dog, horse or rat, has the choice to either accept or reject the oils and they should only be administered in the correct dilution and with care, respect and knowledge.

Oils also have purely physical properties. Many stimulate the immune system and can also be used to treat a variety of conditions such as mud fever, sweet itch, cuts, bruises, skin irritation etc but it should be emphasised that although careful use of oils is fine for minor first aid or treatment of previously diagnosed conditions, you must always get a veterinary diagnosis and permission to use oils if you feel your horse has a physical problem or that a behavioural one has a physical cause. It must also be remembered that although many oils are totally mild and safe in use, some have to be used with care as some, such as Nutmeg can build up to toxic levels in the body with prolonged use.

Before you start it is strongly advised that you consult a qualified Essential Oils Therapist for Animals and or human Aromatherapist and get yourself a good reference book to thoroughly inform yourself on oil safety, application, blending and contra-indications.

With careful, informed and responsible use, essential oils are a wonderful tool to enhance the well-being and health of both our animals and ourselves and brings yet another dimension into holistic animal-care.

What is Essential Oil Therapy?
Essential Oil Therapy (EOT) uses pure plant essential oils to help re-establish the balance of the body and so restore and maintain good health. These oils contain a number of properties. They can act as antibiotics, antiseptics, and antivirals. Oils act as a stimulator for the body to use its own healing abilities.

It can be used to help a variety of issues from emotional trauma, to physical injury to supporting behavioural re-training as well as palliative care for those animals nearing the end of their lives. The welfare and needs of the animal are always paramount and because the owner is directly involved in administering the treatment it also helps with feelings of helplessness and disempowerment that people often experience when their animals are ill or suffering emotionally.

How does it work?
When aromatherapy is used for the treatment or prevention of disease, a precise knowledge of the bioactivity and synergy of the essential oils used, knowledge of the dosage and duration of application, as well as, naturally, a medical diagnosis, are required.

Essential oils are very volatile and can evaporate through the nasal cavity of the animal when inhaled. The active parts of the oil pass easily into the blood stream via a rich supply of blood vessels in the nasal cavity and are transported around the body. The chemical constituents of the oil are also processed by the Limbic system which links the sense of smell to the brain and as a result messages are passed to the various parts of the body that are out of balance.

In nature, essential oils are messengers. They attract insects to pollinate the plant, repel potential attackers and even give out distress signals to warn other plants of impending attack and so when used therapeutically for humans and animals, essential oils are thought to behave in much the same way and act as messengers which encourage the body to switch on or off certain responses, e.g. switch on an anti-inflammatory response or switch off an allergic or pain response.

Animals are adept "self-medicators" and seem to know just what they need to maintain optimum health and so it is vital that they are given the choice to take the oils or not. By offering the oils to an animal to inhale and or lick if it wishes, and applying topically to areas of pain or injury if necessary, essential oils can gently encourage the body to trigger it's own healing systems.

You have to decide on the specific essential oil that is needed for your dog. There are too many oils and ailments to cover here. You should consult your veterinarian or published texts for further knowledge pertaining to the use of essential oils

Once you have decided on the oil that you will use, place ten drops of the oil into a cup of hot water and put it near your dog's head while she is sleeping. Try to keep it warm for about one half hour using a candle or coffee warmer.

Are there any conditions that can't be treated?
While many conditions and states respond positively to EOT, there are certain situations where it would not be possible to use oils straight away.

When working with emotional/behavioural issues and many physical ones it is important to find the underlying cause and rectify it to give your animal the best chance of reaching a state of balance once more.

It may be that during the consultation we identify some issues that need to be formally diagnosed and resolved by an appropriate professional before the use of essential oils is appropriate eg. back pain or saddle fit and dental problems in horses, potential pain issues in any type of animal or certain training, and handling and environmental issues. If this is something I am unable to help with then I will either refer you back to your vet or give you a list of recommended practitioners as appropriate but once the situation has been diagnosed then EOT can help support you and your animal through the changes.

Therapy for Animals must comply with a strict code of conduct and a copy of this is available on request or through the GEOTA website at www.geota.co.uk

Ailments that can gain some relief with the use of Aromatherapy
Peppermint for the treatment of gastritis

Rosemary for certain heart problems

Peppermint to suppress kennel cough

Peppermint relieves itching if your dog has mange

Geranium and Rosemary work well if your dog has pancreatitis

Eucalyptus helps if your dog has pneumonia. This is obviously a serious respiratory problem. Consult your vet. immediately if signs occur

Many oils are used for the treatment of emotional issues

Skin Relief;

Temperament Issues

Arthritic Ease

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Aromatherapy Dog Pillow

Canine Aromatherapy