Guess who else loves essential oils? Your pets! It’s true that pets can benefit from aromatherapy, especially dogs. Several essential oils help combat common pet ailments, such as fending off fleas and ticks, ear infections and mites, and dog anxiety. Let’s review a few ways you can include aromatherapy in your pet care regime.
In addition to separation anxiety, dogs can experience stress and anxiety from training, showing and thunderstorms. The stress and anxiety can affect their diet and appetite, leading to stomach problems and issues with overall well-being. Three dōTERRA® essential oils that can help combat stress, anxiety and depression in dogs include Rosemary, Citrus Bliss and Whisper. The Jasmine in Whisper is known to alleviate depression in dogs. Lavender and Ylang-ylang are also recommended.
For helping dogs in pain, particularly puppies that are teething, try oils that are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and analgesic (pain relieving). A few recommendations include Clove, Lavender and Tea Tree essential oils. For teething pain, dilute the essential oil to 30-90% of the human dose, depending on the size of the dog. A large dog (100 lbs +) can tolerate a dosage closer to human, but small dogs should be treated like a baby or toddler.
To discourage ticks, try blending 2 drops Geranium, 1 drop Myrrh, 4 drops Grapefruit and 1 drop Peppermint to 1 cup distilled water and 1 drop Castille soap. Blend well and pour into a spray bottle. Spray liberally on dog’s coat. The best part — the blend is safe for humans, too!