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Jennifer McBride
Sharing Young Living

Young Living
Independent Distributor
#796292

Burnsville, NC

828-682-9977

Natural Pet Care with Young Living Essential Oils

The therapeutic benefits of essential oils are meant for every member of the family, including pets. Whether your best friend is in need of a bath, a mood boost, or suffering from minor skin irritation, Young Living has pet-friendly solutions. Please read carefully so you and your pet will have positive experiences - this article only refers to Young Living essential oils, do not expect to get the same results using other brands.

Young Living Essential Oils - only the best for your pet

We're willing to do most anything for them - especially when it comes to health care. But more and more pet owners are becoming dissatisfied conventional therapies. As a result, there has been a growing interest in alternative treatments - aromatherapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, Reiki, and energy healing all of which when used in conjunction with YL essential oils can enhance overall results significantly.

Additionally, to cater to the complimentary and alternative clientele, veterinarians are also turning to Young Living oils. Essential oils can be used on animals much the same way they are used with humans. It is recommended that you follow a veterinarian's care in diagnosing specific conditions.

Using YL Oils Safely with Pets

To gain a better understanding of how to use essential oils safely with pets let's take a look at 'how' they are used with humans. Typically it is recommended that an adult begin slowly when starting to use essential oils, this means starting with 1-3 drops of a YL essential oil diluted with one teaspoon to one tablespoon of V-6 Massage oil (a carrier oil).

Keeping that in mind, you will need to consider the size of the animal. For instance, a three pound dog will certainly need a much more diluted mixture - perhaps 1 drop of essential oil to 2 tablespoons of V-6. It is always best to start with a more diluted mixture and observe how the individual pet will respond, and never exceed 2 drops of YL essential oil unless advised by your veterinarian.

Important Note: it would not be acceptable to use more than 2 drops of YL essential oil on a 75 pound dog - more is NOT better! Young Living essential oils are extremely potent and must always be used mindfully and with care. See "Using Essential Oils Safely."

Cautions:

• Do NOT use Melaleuca (Tea Tree) on cats, dogs, or birds no matter how dilute. Especially, do NOT put other brands of Melaleuca oil on pets at all as they are quite toxic to pets.
  A cats' liver processes essential oils differently than a human or dog liver. Thus, it is wise to use extremely dilute mixtures with cats - avoiding Melaleuca and the citrus essential oils all together.
  
• Dogs, cats, and birds have a keen sense of smell - never leave an animal in an enclosed room with a diffuser running for longer than 10 minutes.
  
• Never put essential oils in a fish tank!
  
• Never put essential oils (even diluted) on or near eyes, nose, or into the ear!
  
• Never force an animal to allow you to put essential oils on them.
  
• Always dilute essential oils with a high quality carrier oil such as Young Living's V-6.
  
• Never try to dilute essential oils with water - always dilute with a carrier oil.
  

Creating an Emergency Pet Care Kit

For those interested in creating an essential oil emergency kit for pets here is a list of 11 essential oils that we have found quite useful for topical application:

Thieves blend - highly antibacterial, minor skin issues, cuts, wounds and dental concerns. This blend is safe for puppies and kittens, always dilute more for the wee one's.

Melrose blend - when used topically in conjunction with the blends R.C. and Raven Melrose provides respiratory support. It can also be used for minor skin issues if Thieves cannot be tolerated.

Di-Gize blend - the gastrointestinal system responds well to this blend. Nutmeg or Ginger can also be added to Di-Gize for additional support. Di-Gize has also been used successfully with colic in horses. Used topically.

Purification blend - useful for external parasites such as fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.

Raven blend - topically utilized for respiratory and urinary tract support. Raven is more powerful than R.C. and features essential oils not found in the latter. Combined, R.C. and Raven are highly effective.

M-Grain blend - provides topical relief from head discomfort resulting from sinus pressure.

R.C. blend - ideal for topical respiratory and urinary support. R.C. is practical for cats that require bladder fortification, which does not respond to conventional therapy (it can be combined with Raven for additional support).

PanAway blend - with osteoarthritis common in older pets, topically PanAway is valuable for relieving discomfort and relaxing muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This blend can be used alone or in conjunction with other YL essential oils that aid in general discomfort. Using a moist towel over the area increases the effectiveness of the essential oils.

Peace & Calming blend - topically for fear, anxiety, stress or other similar conditions, Peace & Calming can be used to calm a pet. If an injury is present, Peace & Calming can help relax a pet enough so that other treatments can be administered. This blend is also useful for cats who are resistant to other forms of treatment for urinary problems or excessive grooming resulting from stress.

Palo Santo - can provide topical relief from muscle and joint aches. Palo Santo also makes a terrific insect repellant, and can be used to dislodge an embedded tick (move hair back, apply one drop Palo Santo directly on the tick, wait a few minutes and the tick should either dislodge and/or be easily pulled off).

V-6 - always have on hand a carrier oil, such as V-6 for diluting your YL essential oils.

Making Your Own Insect Repellant Sprays

Whether for dogs, cats or horses YL oils can provide a natural insect repellant for both pets and owner's. To make a spray you will need the following:

one 14 oz. spray bottle (a 4oz. size is nice for traveling and hikes)
15-20 drops of either Purification or Palo Santo (use 4-8 drops in a 4oz. bottle)(Palo Santo may be too strong smelling for cats)

Fill spray bottle 7/8 the way full with distilled water (tap or spring water is also fine). Add essential oils, shake and spray - put your hand over the eye area, you don't want to get essential oils in the eyes! Tip: you will want to give your spray bottle a bit of a shake before using to disperse the essential oils in the water.

Always practice these tips with your pet...

• Dilute your YL essential oils with a carrier oil, such as V-6 when using them topically
• Consider the size of the animal, smaller ALWAYS means 'less'
• Consult a veterinarian whenever there is a health issue

Avoid with pets...

• Using products and supplements that contain xylitol (a sweetener) as it can cause low blood sugar and liver toxicity in pets, unlike with humans which is safe.
• Melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil is not recommended for dogs and cats.
• Do not use peppermint essential oil on open wounds (for humans and pets)

Additional Young Living Popular Products for Pets

• AnimalScentsª Shampoo: Cleans, conditions, and protects your pet's coat without harmful ingredients. Tip: add a few drops of Palo Santo for fleas and tick repellant.
• AnimalScentsª Ointment: A protective and soothing salve formulated for external use on animals (and people too!). This ointment is terrific for topical bites, stings, wounds, and to seal in an essential oil that has been used.

Did you know...

Animal Scents Ointment is excellent for human First Aid kits too! Young Living believes that what we use on our pets should be the same high quality that we use on humans - so keep a jar handy for yourself too! Excellent for wounds, cuts, bites and stings.

Many Young Living supplements can be used with pets too. You will have to break them down into smaller portions, and avoid using products and supplements that contain xylitol (a sweetener) as it can cause low blood sugar and liver toxicity in pets, unlike with humans which is safe.

Our Choices of Young Living Essential Oils for a Pet First Aid Kit

• Thieves essential oil blend
• Melrose essential oil blend
• Di-Gize essential oil blend
• Purification essential oil blend
• Raven essential oil blend
• M-Grain essential oil blend
• R.C. essential oil blend
• PanAway essential oil blend
• Peace & Calming essential oil blend
• Palo Santo essential oil blend
• AnimalScents Shampoo
• AnimalScents Pet Ointment