Critter owners love essential oils for their pets! Here are a few techniques and safety tips.
Safety: Don’t rub oils on the pads of animal’s feet until you know they love the oils because they have most of their sweat glands on the pads of their feet and they tend to detox, which is unpleasant for them.
What about cats? Are essential oils safe for them? Yes… just be sure to use only YL oils since they are pure. Dilute the oils and use them in small amounts, especially until you see how your cat responds. For cats, avoid oils that are high in phenols such as clove and thyme. (Note: Purification® blend is okay for cats if diluted at a 1 to 3 ratio between the essential oil and carrier oil. It is very helpful to keep fleas away.)
Methods of using essential oils on animals:
- Put a drop of oil in your hand and rub hands together. Then pet your animal’s back and sides and massage in (stay away from their head because if they don’t like the oil they can’t get away from it if it’s on their head, too).
- You don’t have to part their fur to apply the oil. The oil will work its way to their skin (oil is too strong dropped directly on their skin and usually causes detoxing).
- If you feel you must drop an oil directly on their skin, at least change the location each time so their skin doesn’t get so raw.
- Dip a toothpick in an oil, then swirl in their water and watch to see if they drink it. Once they are accustomed to the oil and like it, you can gradually add more oil as they get used to it.
- Fill a 4 oz. glass spray bottle with 4-6 drops oil and distilled water. Mist this on your pet or spray it in your hand, rub hands together, and wipe down sides and back of pet (may make their coat shiny).
- For itching: can use Animal Scents shampoo and add Lavender in shampoo, or try Geranium and Lavender misting spray.
- Use the AnimalScents oils. These are specially-formulated for pets! Step 1: PuriClean. Step 2: Infect Away. Step 3: Mendwell. Paragize, T-Aroma, and RepelAway are three others in the animal collection.
- Raindrop technique oils in a bottle can be great for pets. (You may want to eliminate the thyme if using for cats.) Combine equal amounts of each of the Raindrop oils in an empty essential oils bottle and add some carrier oil. Add copaiba for extra benefit.
