What To Look For In An Essential Oil For Dogs

May 17, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Choosing an Essential Oil for Dogs

Essential oils are extremely popular lately, and now being used on family pets and in shelters. It’s important to know that using essential oils topically is not a new trend. It’s been used for thousands of years. As with anything, the moment a product becomes popular, everyone jumps on the bandwagon, which is why you’re seeing essential oils at discount prices.

Though the quality of the essential oil differs between brands. Put down that bottle you purchased on Amazon or at a superstore down and choose a high quality essential oil instead!

Be Picky

Essential oils can be applied on skin, ingested or inhaled, so consumers must be picky when selecting an essential oil for dogs. When choosing an essential oil, select one that is:

Made from plants and flowers
Void of added ingredients, such as water or alcohol
Single or blended
100% pure of the listed oil type

Beware of an essential oil that is always in stock because this means they’re not selective of which plants are used during the distillation process. Lastly, choose an essential oil for dogs that has been lab-tested to verify promised concentration (i.e. not diluted with water or carrier oils). Be super picky!

Where to Purchase Essential Oils

Stay away from Amazon and superstore essential oils for dogs. There’s no guarantee as to what’s in the bottle. By far, the best essential oils are made by Young Living and doTERRA. Both essential oil brands follow stringent regulations on growing, distilling, testing and selling their products. They also don’t sell their products in superstores, including Amazon. Plus, their oils contain 100% therapeutic oils, which means no water or alcohol. 🙂

Purchase a Starter Kit

Each single or essential oil blend has a purpose. Once you’ve chosen a reputable essential oil company, purchase their starter kit, which should contain multiple small bottles. Reputable essential oil companies label and carefully explain each oil’s purpose and recommendations.

Some oils are very calming for dogs while others will repel insects, soothe skin irritations, and disinfect bedding/surfaces. For reactive and anxious dogs, check out these recommended oils. Remember dogs have an incredible sense of smell, so learn how to appropriately use calming essential oils around them.

WATCH: Choosing An Essential Oil For Dogs

Calming Essential Oils For Dog Anxiety

May 15, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Calming Essential Oils

For thousands of years, we’ve used essential oils to ward off illnesses, repel insects and calm anxious minds. Now, calming essential oils are becoming popular within the dog world as pet owners seek out ways to help their anxious dogs. Learn which essential oils calm dogs plus how and when to use them.

Do Calming Oils Really Work?

Two decades ago, I attended a dog training conference where I sat in on a two-hour seminar discussing alternative therapies on a whim. While I was skeptical entering the packed conference room, my attitude quickly changed when I watched these modalities work their wonders.

I specifically remember the speaker, a noted integrative veterinarian, spraying lavender oil into the air to calm 250 attendees. It seemed a bit hipster at the moment, but the lavender silenced hundreds of dog trainers within seconds (seriously, that’s a miracle!). Hmm, I thought maybe essential oils did work!

Fast-forward two decades, and essential oils for dogs are still extremely popular today. I recently attended a two-day essential oil seminar with veterinary professionals, and it’s nice to see science catching up and showing promising results within humans and dogs alike.

As for the effectiveness of essential oils for calming animals, lavender is showing great results. In a study on Effect(s) of Lavender Aromatherapy on Acute-Stressed Horses, they found that lavender aromatherapy can significantly decrease heart rate after an acute stress response. Additionally, it can signal a shift from the sympathetic nervous control from the parasympathetic system. If lavender calms horses, then it can surely calm acute or chronically stressed dogs too!

Choosing a Calming Essential Oil for Dogs

High quality calming essential oils don’t contain water or alcohol. Choose 100% therapeutic blends that are lab-tested independently for quality. My favorite single or oil blends are: Young Living Lavender Peace & Calm and Stress Away. While Peace & Calm and Stress Away are blended oils, meaning several oils are combined for a specific purpose, lavender is included in both blended options.

When and How to Use Calming Oils

Use calming essential oils sooner rather than later. Diffuse calming oils in the background to start the day off on a stress-free and positive note. Diffuse a calming oil every day for two weeks, and note the difference in your anxious dog. You’ll likely notice you’re in a better mood, and diffusing calming oils at night will help you unwind too.

A typical diffuser will emit calming essential oils into the air for two to three hours, so place it in a large room for best results. Never crate or secure a dog in a small room with a diffuser brewing nearby. Dogs must have the option to leave a diffused room if they like.

Also, it’s best to diffuse oils into the air instead of applying oils directly onto a dog. Dogs have a powerful sense of smell and applying essential oils to your dog may be too strong for him. Dab a drop of lavender on your neck before bedtime (you become a diffuser), and everyone in the room (including your dog) will sleep much better.

WATCH: Calming Oils For Anxious Dogs

Dogs With Dry Skin

December 6, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Home Remedy Relief for Dry Skin

Does your dog have dry flaky skin? If you’re not sure, lightly rustle or part the fur along your dog’s spine. Don’t fret if a few flakes surface. We have great tried and true home remedy relief for dogs with dry skin right here!

Causes of Dry Skin on Dogs

Dogs naturally lose their undercoats in spring and fall to prepare for the upcoming season. During the spring, dogs shed their thick winter coats, which is logical. They need to prepare for hotter temps. It’s the fall shedding process, which leaves most pet owners scratching their heads. To prepare for winter, dogs must first shed their thinner shorter summer coats to make way for their longer and thicker winter coats. With all these coat changes, this can easily cause most dogs’ skin to dry excessively, which causes flakes. During the cooler months, the lack of humidity combined with home heating systems contributes to our dogs’ dry skin too.

Home Remedy Relief

Remove Undercoat

Removing excessive fur is the first step to ensure home remedy effectiveness for your dog’s dry skin. Using deshedding tools, begin brushing your dog in small sections and sectioning even smaller sections with your fingers. When you brush in small sections, you’re removing all of the dead hair, which means less hair on the sofa. 🙂

Weekly Bathing

Use a colloidal oatmeal-based shampoo, as you bathe your dog weekly, to remove dead skin. Plus, colloidal oatmeal will soothe dry and irritated skin left behind while cleaning the coat. I highly recommend Nature’s Specialties Colloidal Oatmeal Shampoo. This is some good stuff!

Oil Treatments

Oil treatment works really well for moisturizing dry flaky spots. Allow me to introduce you to Jojoba oil. This stuff is fabulous! Jojoba oil is an odorless and non-greasy oil that softens and smooths dry patches quickly. After bathing, warm the oil by applying a few drops to your finger tips. Massage warmed oil along dry areas, repeating the warming process before applying oil to larger areas. Trust me, a few drops go a long way. Too much will leave a greasy residue, which you want to prevent. Repeat after weekly baths until dry skin disappears.

Supplements

Supplements address dry skin from the inside out. Add fish oil to your dog’s daily meals, which provides much needed fatty acids. Before reaching for any fish oil, it’s vital to provide the right balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids for maximum power so I reach for wild salmon oil. Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil by Grizzly Pet Products is the best out there. Check out their website for benefits of their wild caught oil! When adding oil to your dog’s diet, add small amounts slowly to prevent gastric upset.

When to See the Vet

Contact your vet if your dog’s skin is inflamed, oozing, putrid smelling or covers a large portion of his body. When in doubt, rule it out with your vet. 🙂

What home remedies have you used for dogs with dry skin?

You may also like: How to Make Bath Time Fun for Dogs

What To Look For In An Essential Oil For Dogs

Choosing an Essential Oil for Dogs

Be Picky