My Favourite Summer Essential Oils for Horses & Dogs
Essential oils and herbs can help you and your animals get through summer with your cool intact.
Dogs
10 Essential Oils for Winter
Winter is a time for rest and renewal and building inner strength for the re-birth of Spring, a necessary part of the cycle of life. It is a time for preserving energy and spending time quietly, allowing yourself to take things easy, for curling up in front of a fire with a cat or dog …
Essential Oils for Animals – The Basics
Essential oils for animals, what’s that about? This primer is a simple guide to why and how to use essential oils and animal self-selection.
Essential Oils & Animal Behavior
I have always had a special interest in animal behavior and helping animals adapt happily to domestication. Essential oils make my work a whole lot easier. But still it is important that we understand the root cause of behaviors that are problematic for the animal, and the humans that care for them. That root is stress.
How Animals Use Essential Oils Naturally
I live in Portugal, which is an aromatherapist’s delight. In my back yard (30 hectares/75 acres) aromatic plants grow wild. They include two types of lavender, helichrysum, cistus, rosemary, mint, thyme and chamomile. My horses and dogs are free to interact with theses plants whenever they like. What I have observed is that they hardly ever …
Essentials oils protect against Fleas, Ticks (and other unwelcome guests!)
Aromatic protection Aromatic essential oils and hydrosols are your best ally in the fight against fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. Not only do they actively repel bugs, but unlike chemical treatments they will improve your dog’s overall well-being at the same time. Bug protection starts inside Healthy dogs, fed fresh whole food, are more able to …
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Essential oils for a dog’s hormonal imbalance
It’s spring time. I guess it’s natural that things ‘hormonal’ should become an issue. First of all Dharma Dog’s mammary glands expanded, and she was gaining weight. I kept running her recent heat through my memory, checking if whether there had been ANY opportunity for her to have slipped away. Despite being 99.9% sure she couldnt …
Horses, dogs, essential oils, Damp Heat in Late Summer
I can tell Late Summer is here by the state of my hat (sweat-stained and a bit battered!) and the outbreak of Damp Heat. I don't just mean we are hot and sweaty, I am referring to the Chinese internal climate of Damp Heat, which leads to fungal infections, digestive problems and some types of itchy skin.
Caring for an older dog
Gipsy is an old dog now. As we walk meditatively around the block it is hard to remember the days when she would chase balls endlessly and run three miles for every one I rode. However, I still have a lot to learn from her, the end-of-life lessons can be powerful. Recently I had a lesson in simplicity and seeing what is in front of my nose without undue emotion. An oft repeated lesson I have to admit.
Horses and dogs self-medicate in the English hedgerows
It's May and I'm in England. The sun is shining brightly, the oak trees are out before the ash, which is hopeful (Oak before ash we're in for a splash, Ash before oak we're in for a soak), and the green fields here on my friend Pauhla's organic farm are full of healthy lambs. I am walking down the lane with Doug the Collie, who at 18 months old needs time out from his brother and sister and a little special attention to keep him on the track to being a good citizen.