Animal Care

When animals are roaming outdoors, they are exposed to essential oils as they brush against flowers and leaves, dig amidst roots and leaf matter, and chew on plants. For some animals like koalas, their primary food source is aromatic plants (ie. eucalyptus leaves).

Even though most animals would have this exposure in the wild, it’s important to remember that essential oils are highly concentrated, so a good rule of thumb is to always start with small amounts and observe your animal. If they respond well, you can build up the amount used.

Always use the Young Living brand of oils. There have been many reported cases of animals being poisoned from the synthetic constituents in regular brands of essential oil, so don’t take the risk.

How to introduce your animal to essential oils

Wherever possible, use essential oils initially in a calm and loving environment, to assist your animal to create positive associations with the smell. Help them to associate the smell with good feelings and relaxation. Here are some ideas:

Place one drop on your palm, rub your palms together, and offer your hands to your animal. Invite them to be curious and take a sniff (rather than forcing it on them).
Stroke their fur or feathers. By this time, most of the oil will have absorbed into your palms, so they are receiving only the smallest amount of essential oil – enough to recognise the scent, but not enough to overpower them.
Massage up their spine and muscles, and play with their ears

With this introduction, many animals – especially dogs and horses – end up adoring oils, and will even “self select their preferred essential oils” (ie. Use their nose to point to the oils they want). And as with humans, they will have their own individual likes and dislikes for the different smells. Eg. You can have two animals of the same breed, and their attitude and preferences towards different essential oils can be markedly different.

What oils to choose, and how many drops?

If an oil works in a certain way on a person, it will work in that same way on an animal. This makes it easy to choose the oils to use on your animal. Then look at how many drops you’d use on a human, and adjust the drops according to the body weight of your animal. The one main exception is cats, who are extremely sensitive to essential oils, and need this amount reduced even further.

**Birds**

Birds are exposed to leaves, blossoms and fruit in the wild, so they like both the earthier smelling oils and the more florally and citrus oils.

There are 3 easy ways to use essential oils on your birds:

1. Diffuse oils near your bird. This is a great way for them to get the benefits of essential oil through inhalation. Some great oils to diffuse include:

For increasing happiness, use Citrus oils such as Orange, Lemon, Tangerine and Citrus Fresh oil

For uplifting and playfulness, use oils like Joy and Inner Child

For calming, use oils like Lavender and Stress-away

For other general use, select tree oils such as Idaho Balsam Fir, Frankincense, Black Spruce, Pine, R.C., Eucalyptus, Lemon Myrtle, Blue Cypress, Rosemary, etc.

2. Make up an essential oil spritzer, and mist the essential oil onto your bird, holding the spritzer about 20 to 30cm away from (or above) your bird. Two of my favourite recipes are as follows – make these up in a mist spray bottle:

20 drops each of Lavender, Lemon and Orange oil in 120ml filtered water – very uplifting, and great for birds that are scared or unhappy (eg. when you are introducing your bird to a new environment).
40 drops of Stress-away oil in 120ml filtered water – great for birds that are going through a stressful period
40 drops of Harmony oil in 120ml filtered water – great to use when birds (or children!) are squabbling, to bring harmony into the relationship dynamics
20 drops of Frankincense and 5 drops of Copaiba oil in 120ml filtered water – very calming and grounding, and great to use for birds that are out of sorts, cranky, or overly excited.

3. Place a drop of Valor and/or a drop of Frankincense onto your fingertips, and apply to the feet of your bird. Working in a similar vibrational way to the Bach flower “Rescue remedy”, this can be very emotionally grounding after any type of traumatic experience, such as when a bird flies into a window and is temporarily stunned.

**Cats**

A cat’s liver is deficient in a critical enzyme (glucuronyl transferase), which helps them metabolise terpenes and other chemicals. This means that cats take a long time to process and excrete chemicals (and especially phenols) from their body. If they are given too much at once, it can build up to toxic levels in their body, and it can indeed poison them. Because many essential oils have terpenes as one of their constituents, this means that essential oils need to be used very carefully on cats.

Only ever use *Young Living* brand of oils (because of its purity), and either dilute, or use minimal quantities (eg. 1 drop only), unless under guidance of a Vet.

There are 5 simple and safe ways to use Young Living oils for cats:

Diffuse oils in your home, so that your cat gets the benefits of essential oil through inhalation, much as it would in the wild. Make sure your cat has the space and ability to move away from the diffuser if it wishes.
Stroke – place one drop of essential oil in your palms, rub your palms together 3 times clockwise to activate the oils (and so that most of it is absorbed into your skin), then stroke your cat with your palms. This will transfer a very small amount of oil onto your cat’s fur. Generally cats respond better to the more earthy smelling oils, such as vetiver, patchouli and Idaho balsam fir, rather than floral or citrus oils.
Litteroma – this is a simple way of exposing your cat to minute quantities of essential oil as they use their litter tray. For example, add 1 drop each of Copaiba, Pine, Sacred Frankincense and Vetiver in 1 cup of Baking Soda (Bi Carb of Soda). Mix and sit overnight, then sprinkle through kitty litter. Though most cats are happy to use the Litteroma litter trays, it’s a good idea to initially offer unscented litter as well.
Dilute 1 drop of essential oil to 4 drops of Young Living V6 oil or other carrier oil, and apply to your cat
Kitty Raindrop – this is an excellent way to keep your cat healthy and strong, and to rejuvenate and energise an elderly cat. In a tablespoon of Young Living’s V6 oil, add 2 drops each of the Raindrop Technique oils. These are Valor, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Cypress, Wintergreen, Marjoram, AromaSiez and Peppermint. Place a teaspoon of this mix into your palms, and massage up kitty’s spine. This can be repeated daily.

Click here for more information on how to safely use essential oils on your cat.

**Dogs**

Dogs respond especially well to essential oils. Choose the same oils that you would use on a human for any particular situation, but adjust the quantity according to body weight. If they show any signs of discomfort or irritation from the essential oil, liberally apply *Young Living’s* V6 or other good quality carrier oil over the top.

Large dog – ¾ of the amount you’d use on an adult human

Mid-sized dog – ½ of the amount you’d use on an adult human

Small dog – ¼ of the amount you’d use on an adult human

There are a few preferred areas where you would apply the essential oils:

Under the paws
On the inner flaps of the ears; (Caution – never drip an essential oil directly into the ear canal!)
Dripped up the spine
Directly onto the area that is out of balance

If you are using a photosensitive oil on a light-coloured dog, applying it to the underside of the body would be preferable, where it won’t be exposed to sunlight or UV light for 24 hours. [link to photosensitive oil section under getting started section]

Introducing your dog to essential oils

Place a drop of Valor, Lavender, Peace and Calming, Cedarwood or Stress-away into your palm, rub your palms together, and offer your palms to your dog to smell. It’s not unusual for a dog to want to lick these oils out of your hands. This is safe to do, providing you are using the Young Living oils.

Perform a Doggy Valor Balance:

This is a wonderful and relaxing treat for any dog (or person) who has been through (or is about to go through) a difficult experience. Valor is our “rescue remedy” of essential oils, and it also has the same frequency as the skeleton, so it creates a beautiful sense of physical and emotional balance.

Apply 2-4 drops of Valor essential oil to your right palm, and rub under your dog’s right back paw. Then apply 2-4 drops of Valor oil to your left palm, and rub under your dog’s left back paw. If your dog will lie down or stand still, hold your right palm under your dog’s right paw, and your left palm under their left paw for 5 to 10 minutes. Many dogs (and people) are asleep by this time!

This technique can be further enhanced with a drop of 3 Wise Men oil blend placed on your dog’s crown. This beautiful oil blend amplifies the connection and bond between you and your dog. You can even add a drop of Joy, Harmony or Inner Child to your dog’s chest area, to create an emotionally uplifting experience.

Thunderstorms and other Scary Events:

Apply a drop of Valor, Stress-away, Peace and Calming, Lavender or Sacred Mountain oil blend to the inside of each ear flap. If additional calming is needed, add the same oil into your diffuser, and/or apply a few drops to the underneath of the paws or dripped up the spine.

Skin Rashes

Skin rashes in dogs are very often the result of what your dog is being fed, or an external allergen like pollen. Fortunately, they can also be very easy to clear up:

Switch your dog onto an unprocessed and raw food diet wherever possible.
Add 2 to 6 of Young Living’s Sulfurzyme caps in with their food each day. This is high in natural sulfur, which is an excellent mineral for promoting healthy skin, nails and fur.
Cleanse their skin of potential allergens by washing them in Thieves Household Cleaner. Simply wet the fur, and massage 1 to 3 caps (10-30ml) of Thieves Household Cleaner into the fur, then rinse off.
Add a few drops of Cedarwood, Lavender or Peppermint oil into the rinse water for an added soothing effect.

Enjoying the Great Outdoors!

Dogs love the great outdoors, but do the great outdoors love dogs? The answer is, “not always”. So make sure you sprinkle a few drops of Purification oil on the nape of the neck and down the spine before your dog heads out to play, and if they bring unwanted visitors with them on their return, give them a cleansing wash with Thieves Household Cleaner before they re-enter the home.

Doggy Raindrop

Raindrop Technique is a wonderful way to balance and pamper your pooch. If you’ve not learned this technique before, you can perform a simplified version called “Doggy Raindrop”. This is so gentle on your dog that it can be performed every 1 to 2 days if desired, or once a week for a general “tune up”.

In a tablespoon of Young Living’s V6 oil, add 2 to 4 drops of each of the Raindrop Technique oils. These are Valor, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Cypress, Wintergreen, Marjoram, AromaSiez and Peppermint. Put 1 to 2 teaspoons of this mix into your palms, and massage up your dog’s spine.

Learn more about Raindrop Technique.

**Horses**

As with dogs, horses and other hoofed animals respond especially well to essential oils. Choose the same oils that you would use on a human for any particular situation, and use the same number of drops that you’d use on an adult human. If your horse shows any sign of discomfort or irritation from the essential oil, liberally apply *Young Living’s* V6 or other good quality carrier oil over the top.

There are a few preferred areas where you would apply the essential oils:

On the top of the hoof and coronet band area

On the inner exposed part of the ears (Caution – never drip an essential oil directly into the ear canal!)

Dripped up the spine

Directly onto the area that is out of balance

If you are using a photosensitive oil on a light-coloured horse, applying it to the underside of the body would be preferable, where it won’t be exposed to sunlight or UV light for 24 hours.

Introducing your horse to essential oils

A very popular combination with horses is Geranium and Sacred (or regular) Frankincense oil. Place a drop of each into your palm, rub your palms together, and offer your palms to your horse to smell. It’s not unusual for a horse to want to lick these oils out of your hands. This is safe to do, providing you are using the Young Living oils.

Perform a Valor Balance on a horse:

If you ever want to watch a horse bliss out, this is the way to achieve it! This is the perfect trick for relaxing a stressed horse, or as a treat after a heavy workout. Valor is our “rescue remedy” of essential oils, and it also has the same frequency as the skeleton, so it creates a beautiful sense of physical and emotional balance. Your safety is paramount, so here are two alternative ways to perform this technique:

Performing on a calm horse: Apply 3-6 drops of Valor essential oil to your right palm, and rub onto the top of the rear right hoof. Then apply 3-6 drops of Valor oil to your left palm, and rub onto the top of the rear left hoof. Then from a crouched position to the side of the horse (ie. ensuring your safety first), hold your left palm on your horse’s left hoof, and your right palm on their right hoof, for 5 to 10 minutes.

Performing on a stressed horse: Apply 3-6 drops of Valor along the spine. Hold one palm on the horse’s sacrum, and another on their withers, for 5 to 10 minutes if possible. If a second person is present, hold the opened bottle of Valor a few centimetres under the horse’s nose, switching from left to right nostril.

As with dogs, this technique can be further enhanced with a drop of 3 Wise Men oil blend placed on your horse’s crown. This beautiful oil blend amplifies the connection and bond between you. You can even add a drop of Joy, Harmony or Inner Child to your horse’s chest area, to create an emotionally uplifting experience.

Floating, Transport and other Scary Events:

If your horse is a performance horse, drip some Lavender oil into the float or horse transport before your horse boards, but avoid putting essential oils onto your horse within a couple of days of the event, as oils can potentially test positive in a swab test.

For all other situations, apply a drop of Valor, Stress-away, Peace and Calming, Lavender or Sacred Mountain oil blend to the upper lip of your horse, or the inner side of each ear. If additional calming is needed, the same oil can be dripped up the spine.

Traumatic Experiences

Both animals and humans will at times encounter an experience that leaves them upset or temporarily traumatized. In these situations, horses respond particularly well to Geranium oil. Put a few drops in your palm and allow the horse to breathe in deeply, or simply apply a drop or two to their lower lip or heart area.

Skin Rashes

Skin rashes in horses are often the result of environmental triggers.

Open 4 to 10 of Young Living’s Sulfurzyme caps, and sprinkle the contents in with their food each day. This is high in natural sulfur, which is an excellent mineral for promoting healthy skin, hoofs and fur.
Add 1 to 2 caps of Young Living’s Longevity Softgels to your horse’s food, to boost your horse’s inner vitality.
Cleanse their skin of potential allergens by washing them in Thieves Household Cleaner. Simply wet the fur, and massage 3 to 5 caps (30-50ml) of Thieves Household Cleaner into the fur, then rinse off.
Add a few drops of Cedarwood, Lavender or Peppermint oil into the rinse water for an added soothing effect.

Keep those hoofs healthy!

Apply 2 to 3 drops of Panaway oil and 2 to 3 drops of Lemongrass oil to the underside of each hoof around the frog area twice a week.

Enjoying the Great Outdoors!

If you are going for a ride and want to enjoy the great outdoors, use your horse like an equine diffuser. Drip 5 to 10 drops of Purification oil over your horse’s back, legs and neck, avoiding areas that will be covered with a saddle or bridle.

Horsey Raindrop

Equine Raindrop Technique is a wonderful way to balance and pamper your horse. If you’ve not learned this technique before, you can perform a simplified version called “Horsey Raindrop”. This is so gentle on your horse that it can be performed every 1 to 2 days if desired, or once a week for a general “tune up”.

In a tablespoon of Young Living’s V6 oil, add 6 to 8 drops of each of the Raindrop Technique oils. These are Valor, Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Cypress, Wintergreen, Marjoram, AromaSiez and Peppermint. Take half of this mix, and massage up your horse’s spine.

Learn more about Raindrop Technique.

Transforming Emotions in Animals

Anyone who has owned an animal would know that animals experience emotions in a similar way to humans – they can be playful, fearful, angry/aggressive, resentful, joyful, jealous and/or grief-stricken. And whilst they will often move in and out of different emotions with ease, they will at times get stuck in an unhappy emotional state and need some assistance moving through it.

Essential oils are a wonderful tool for doing this. When we or our animal breathes in an essential oil, it triggers receptors in our nose. These receptors directly stimulate the limbic region of the brain, where memories and emotions are stored, allowing emotions to come to the surface to be resolved and released.

Working on an animal with essential oils is a wonderful validation of the power of oils on emotions. Animals have no agenda or attachment to an outcome – so when you see how effectively essential oils can help to transform the emotions of an animals, you know that this was not mind over matter! Animals simply enjoy or dislike the smells offered to them, and transform very quickly in response to these smells. The oil will go where it needs to go, and work how it needs to work, even if you or your animal are not a fan of its particular aroma.

Young Living has a wide range of essential oil blends specifically designed to support emotions, and in most instances the name of the oil blend tells you what that oil blend does. Click here to learn more about the emotional oil blends and what they do.

Simply choose one of those blends, and either diffuse or apply to your animal. If it’s a photosensitive oil, make sure it goes under the belly of your animal, where it won’t be exposed to extended sunlight or UV light for 24 hours.

For dogs, horses and other hoofed animals, the oils can be dripped directly onto the fur. For birds, make up a spritzer with 20 drops of the essential oil in 60ml of water, or apply one drop of essential oil to its feet. For cats and smaller mammals such as guinea pigs, rats and mice, apply the drop of oil to your hands, rub your hands together so that you absorb most of the oil, then stroke your cat’s fur.

Alternatively, you can perform a full Emotional Clearing Technique on your dog, horse or hoofed animal. This technique takes up to an hour to perform, and uses 14 different essential oil blends from Young Living.

Create a Chemical-Free home – for your pet’s sake!

We all want our animals and our children to live a long, healthy life, so it makes good sense to reduce their exposure to toxic chemicals around the home.

According to the EPA, 50% of all illness can be linked back to indoor pollution, as a direct result of the use of household cleaners. These cleaners not only contain a number of proven and suspected cancer-causing chemicals, they also contain “gender-benders”, which are chemicals like phthalates which disrupt hormone balance in both humans and animals.

Cleaning your home with products that contain bleach, ammonia, chlorine, propylene glycol, glycol ethers, phthalates and/or formaldehyde puts yourself, your children and your animals at risk of diseases such as cancer, anemia, liver and kidney damage.

Ammonia irritates mucous membranes, and is often found in oven and window cleaners.
Chlorine is a toxic respiratory irritant, and can damage or irritate eyes, skin and other membranes of your pets. It’s often found in all-purpose cleaners, dishwashing detergents, disinfectant wipes, laundry detergents and mold/mildew removers. Being heavier than air, chlorine lands on the floor, where it is easily absorbed into your animal’s body via its feet and skin.
If your animal chews on its bedding, it’s exposed to the residue of laundry detergents
If your animal drinks out of the toilet bowl, it’s exposed to the chemicals in the toilet bowl cleaners

Young Living has some great natural alternatives:

Thieves household cleaner – an all-purpose, plant-based, 100% biodegradable cleaner that is not only safe for you and your animals, it also saves you money over commercial household cleaners….and it can even be used to wash your pet! Wash cages, floors, toilets and bench tops with this cleaner.
Thieves Laundry Soap – wash clothes, rugs and animal bedding with this natural laundry liquid
AnimalScents Shampoo – an alternative to Thieves Household Cleaner as an all-natural pet wash

Click here to learn more.