What Are Essential Oils?
By Kristen Leigh Bell

Is it just about using personal care products and candles that smell nice? Is it "Bath and Bodyworks", Glade, "The Healing Garden" or "The Body Shop"??? And *why* would I care about using Aromatherapy for my dog?

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of essential oils.

Essential oils are extracted from the flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds and bark of many different plants, and while their most obvious property is that they are aromatic, it is these "oils" which act as the plant's immune system- fighting off bacteria, viruses, yeasts, molds, and other insects.

Essential oils are composed of hundreds of natural chemical compounds which impart their various effects.

Aromatherapy is NOT just about how something smells, and it definitely is not just about taking bubble baths or burning candles. It is not new-age hooey. It is a healing methodology which was officially termed "Aromatherapy" by the French chemist Renee Gattefosse- who wrote the first book on aromatherapy and did all of his initial testing of the essential oils on dogs and horses! Since then, there has been much scientific testing done on essential oils. While most of these studies are in French and German (as those 2 countries are very far ahead of the rest of the world in the use of essential oils- medical doctors there prescribe the oils! And medical insurance pays for it in parts of France...) they reveal the antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties of the oils, as well as how they exhibit their calming effects on the body.

If you put lavender EO on a burn, that's aromatherapy. If you use a blend of EOs to clean your dog's ears, that is aromatherapy too! If you apply a healing salve to your dog's cracked paws that contains EOs that is it too. If you use essential oils for flea control, tick control, breath freshening, motion sickness, calming, deodorizing or congestion-that is aromatherapy too!

So you see- there are many valid uses for aromatherapy and essential oils for our dogs. Many more than I mentioned, actually!

What safety issues are involved? There are many. The most important one is knowing the effects of the oils. The second is knowing whether or not you are using a unadulterated product. The fact is, that adulteration runs rampant in the essential oil industry, and the oils are often cut with synthetic chemicals to stretch yield. This is not therapeutic at all. This is very, very bad. Most of the essential oils in pet products are not therapeutic grade essential oils, but rather industrial grade oils which are hastily distilled, cut with chemicals and of poor quality. They are inexpensive- so they help the mass manufacturers to meet their profit margins. Sad but true.

How can you protect yourself from such oils? There are several ways. First of all, don't buy your oils from a health food or retail store. Purchase them mail order from a company recommended to you by someone you trust. The only really high quality brand in these stores is called Oshadi- and you pay dearly for that quality so the retailer can meet their profit margin. It is best however, to seek the help of an aromatherapist- a trained individual who knows all of the safety issues, carries high quality oils and is proficient at custom-blending.

I liken Aromatherapy to acupuncture. You wouldn't go out and buy needles to stick in yourself- would you? No. You would seek the service of a trained professional. Aromatherapy is no different. There are so many variables involved. A knowledge of aromatherapy involves a lot of organic chemistry, too. I never, ever recommend that anyone go out and buy oils and start mixing away. I always tell people to buy books, take classes or correspondence courses or to find an aromatherapist in their area who is a member of the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy.

Only after one has full command over the oils and safety issues involved should they use the oils on themselves or their dog.

Notice that I have not mentioned the word CAT in this post. Why is that?

It is very simple. Essential oils should not be used on cats- never, ever, never, ever. No ifs ands or buts! This is for several reasons. The main one is that cats are far more sensitive than dogs, horses or humans ( 3 species who highly benefit from aromatherapy and tolerate and metabolize the oils well). Cats cannot efficiently metabolize the oils, and they build up in their bodies, and can eventually lead to toxic levels causing death, or symptoms of toxicity. Cats also have thinner skin that has fewer layers than dogs so they are at much higher risk for fast absorption of the oils into their bodies.

Any product for cats that uses the word "herbal oil", "plant oil" or "essential oil" SHOULD NOT BE USED! There are a plethora of products out there for cats which use essential oils. I have been warned of several instances recently of certain companies recommending essential oils for cats. This is of great concern to me. One of these companies, Young Living Essential Oils (a megalithic MLM which sells essential oils) has been traveling all over the country and attending every holistic animal expo that they can. They recommend the use of essential oils UNDILUTED on both cats and dogs. And they also say that "cats and dogs are less sensitive to certain essential oil constituents which humans are sensitive to, therefore they can handle very powerful oils with no problems at all." Beware of these types of teachings.

In actuality, dogs are more sensitive to EOs than HUMAN BABIES are! Dogs require approx. 25% the dose that humans do. It is no wonder, as they metabolize things differently and have that awesome sense of smell-millions more olfactory receptors than humans have. We must be careful with scented products on dogs.

Aromatherapy is in an embryonic stage right now as far as it's uses by holistic vets are concerned. Many do not know about the many applications of aromatherapy and how it can benefit dogs. Many, like most of the American public, have been brainwashed by advertising and the toiletries industry to think of aromatherapy only as "pretty smells". The fact is that 90% or more of the so-called "Aromatherapy"products available commercially use synthetic fragrance oils, petroleum distillates, artificial colors, and a wide variety of other harsh chemical products. The names of the products and the packaging lead you to believe that you are buying an all-natural product! Check the back of your labels and you probably cannot pronounce half of what is on them- I sure can't!

Pet products are not required to list their ingredients, as human products are. Watch out for pet shampoos that do not list the ingredients- they most certainly contain harsh commercial ingredients. Watch out for pet shampoos that "look" natural, such as the "Canine Elements" line carried by PetSmart. These are pretty brown recycled labels, with cute design and brightly colored product, with scents like raspberry and baby powder. These products look very earth conscious but read the label. Synthetic fragrance, harsh chemical ingredients and preservatives may be in there.

Kristen Leigh Bell, PIA-Certified Aromatherapist,
Member National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy Featuring Aromaleigh natural products, remedies and grooming products for canines, felines and humans based on essential oils and
Aromatherapy: www.aromaleigh.com
Never mass-manufactured...only safe, natural, botanical ingredients