Oily Pets (Class)
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WELCOME
Hi, friends! We are so excited to teach this class tonight and hope that this information will be helpful for you! We love our pets — they are parts of our families -- and love that we can support them just as much as we can support ourselves with these natural products that we use! There is a lot of information out there on using essential oils around animals, and we hope that this class will help you feel more confident on using your Young Living favorites around your animals.
Just a quick disclaimer — we are not doctors (or veterinarians!) and are not making any claims that these products can heal, treat, or cure any diseases. Run all these things by your vet before administering, and let your animals guide you as well! They are great at communicating if something is for them or not. Also, please do not use this information with other brands of products as we cannot vouch for their safety and purity.
So, let’s get started — we have a ton of info about to come your way. But first, tell us — what kinds of animals do you have, and what are their names?!
OILY SAFETY AND ANIMALS
This the most important place that we can start — by talking about the safe use of oils around animals. We’re going to start with some general information, and then toward the latter end of the class we’ll be talking about specific animals and how to support them using Young Living oils and supplements.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when using oils around animals is that each animal (just like each person!) is an individual, and some have more need of support than others, and some animals will react to certain oils differently than others.
Here is some useful information from the Animal Desk Reference—
“The base foundation of use for all animals that you will note is to start light and increase the amounts used as tolerated.”
“This is wise with any regimen you wish to start. Just as you should not change a dog’s diet quickly, you should not “blast” an animal with twenty different essential oils and five supplements all on the first day. Starting with diluted oils and a light touch is wise when you are gaining experience in animal aromatherapy.”
“It is important that you use common sense and do not feel compelled to use full amounts or recommendations when an individual animal may show you clues that a light approach may be necessary. When you are new and just starting out in oil use, it is advisable to start lighter than recommended and gradually build up your amounts until you are confident in reading the signs from the animals you are working with.”
To sum it up — when you start using oils on animals, it is a lot like when you start using them yourself. Go slowly and pay attention to how the animal reacts. Remember that their sense of smell is so much stronger than ours, so we need to be paying attention to how they react and let them guide us in how to use oils around them. And, just like in humans, animals can experience detox reactions when using oils. For instance, if you rub some oil into your dog’s fur and he starts rubbing his face on the ground or is essentially trying to “rub it off” this is often a sign of a detox reaction and that you need to go a lot more slowly and dilute more as the animal grows accustomed to using oils.
Usually, as our pets become more accustomed to these natural approaches they will be able to tolerate larger amounts of oils and supplements, but always start small and always dilute as they get used to the oils.
SENSITIVITY TO OILS
Here is some great information from a holistic veterinarian on sensitivity to oils:
“It is important to recognize that an animal’s sense of smell is incredibly more sensitive than humans. This does not mean that they cannot be exposed to intense smells, it merely means that anything that may smell strongly to us, smells infinitely stronger to them. For example, a search and rescue dog sniffing from the bow of a boat can actually smell and detect a dead body underneath the water! A bloodhound can smell traces of your body cells that exfoliate and fall off of you as you walk!”
“It is no wonder that many people interpret an animal’s response to an essential oil as “dislike.” What I find in my work with hundreds of cases, is that animals that project a dislike of essential oils have usually been introduced to them in an overly aggressive way. Holding a bottle out for an animal to sniff, may well be like shoving your head into a rotten smelling garbage can. Surely you could smell the rotten garbage from across the room. But, burying your head inside the garbage can is a whole new level of intensity. And, likely if anyone came at you with a garbage can in the future, you would have an aversion to ever smelling it again. It didn’t hurt you, but it was an episode you won’t soon forget.”
“We also need to remember that recent studies have suggested that hair follicles enhance the transdermal absorption of essential oils. As animals are covered in hair follicles, this makes complete sense why some would appear more sensitive to oils than humans or even other animals. A cat has more hair follicles per square inch of skin, and a finer coat than a dog or a horse. And with an animal such as a chinchilla, with the densest amount of hair follicles of any land animal, one can see why exotic pets may be perceived as much more delicate. I have seen strong and clear responses to mere diffusion alone, convincing me that the hair follicles aid in the absorption of airborne essential oils.”
“It is likely that species such as chinchillas and rabbits can absorb therapeutic and systemic levels of essential oils, purely via diffusion.”
“This scenario also raises incredible insight into the dangers of exposure to household chemicals and toxins in an animal’s life. The cleaning chemicals on our floors, fabric softener on our sheets and blankets, odor eliminating sprays on our couches, and air fresheners in our homes; may also be exponentially absorbed by the hair follicles of our furry companions.”
Again, it is important to be reading our animals and their reactions to using oils. Often, simply lightly petting our animals is an effective way to get the oils into their systems and to give them the support that they need. Be patient and gentle, start slowly, and pay attention to their reactions. Every animal is different!
ESSENTIAL OIL AVERSIONS
Again, some great information from a holistic veterinarian:
“By far one of the most common concerns I hear is that an animal or pet does not like oils. What I usually find in these circumstances is that there has been some sort of event in the animal’s history of using essential oils too aggressively for that individual. For example, actions such as dripping peppermint onto the hips of a cat, dropping oils directly into the mouth, tipping the ears with oils, applying oils to the feet or foot pads, or applying oils near the face or nose of an animal, have resulted in certain aversions.”
“Although these applications can be well tolerated by many, sensitive animals seem to hold a grudge to certain experiences. This is very similar to traditional veterinary medicine where a cat will hide under the bed and not come near you after a few “pilling” episodes.”
“It is worthwhile when using essential oils for animals to note which methods are best tolerated. Once a mild method is used successfully, I find that amounts can be gradually increased and tolerance of the application easier and easier.”
“For example; I often don’t dilute my oils—and leave them neat on my hands to pet my animals. For certain cats, diluting these oils or waiting until they are basically absorbed completely into my hands, is tolerated just fine. However, if I were to have a heavier amount of essential oils present on my hands, or be holding the bottle while I approach them, they may move away from the situation. After a few very light applications—I find I can gradually expose them to more and more oils on my hands, because they have never had an over-experience.”
“Food aversions are well documented in the animal kingdom. A pet nauseated from kidney disease may avoid a food that was fed during that time frame. The pet relates the particular food to the feeling of illness. An aggressive exposure and bad experience with an essential oil can make an animal leery of all essential oil exposure.”
“Now, that is not to say it is dangerous to use these oils or that we can’t use the oils neat for animals. This is a common misconception. This technique of starting light is just about being respectful of what animals “like” and to make administration (and life) with an animal easier!”
DIFFUSING
Although we tend to think of using oils topically when it comes to animals, diffusing is actually an extremely effective way to support them, and there are so many different ways to diffuse oils around our animals — you’ll be surprised.
Of course, most of us are familiar with using water-based diffusers in our homes. These are wonderful to disperse oils into the air, and because we can control the concentration of oils being released. Remember — our animal’s sense of smell is so much stronger than ours, so it is important to be mindful of our animal companions when we are diffusing in our homes.
When first introducing animals to oils, it is important to start slowly with diffusing. 1-4 drops of essential oils for the first time using a diffuser in the home is a terrific way to gauge their reaction, and of course, increase from there depending on how they tolerate it. A good way to get a sense of how “strong” an oil is to actually smell it ourselves — to put our noses right into the vapor as it comes out of the diffuser. It may not seem that five drops of say, Purification, is strong to us, but when we get our noses right there in the vapor as it comes out, it gives us a pretty strong indication of what it is like for our animals as we diffuse in our homes.
You can also diffuse oils by mixing them in a spray bottle with water and spritzing them into the air. Of course, the size of the room and the size of the area that the diffuser is covering is also something to be mindful of. If you are in a small, closed room, it is important to use less oils than you would in more wide-open rooms. Again, just pay attention to their reaction and go from there!
Also, did you realize that if you are personally wearing oils on your skin that you are technically a walking diffuser? Your animals are coming into contact with oils simply by what you are wearing, which can be used to great advantage when offering support!! An animal may be sensitive to oils touching them to start but are fine when you are wearing them and they are near you and can smell you!
From the Animal Desk Reference—
“Can diffusion cause detoxification and discomfort? Certainly. What might an animal show if they are not tolerating the level of diffusion you are exposing them to? Lethargy, increased breathing rate, panting, drooling, change in breathing pattern, squinting eyes, or any other change you would consider to be “detrimental” or out of the ordinary.”
“If an animal exhibits signs of distress during diffusing, simply turn off the diffuser and increase access to plain fresh air.”
Do you diffuse around your animals?? My two dogs are always really upset whenever I leave, and I love leaving a diffuser on with some emotional support oils in them when I go! It has made a tremendous impact!
What do you diffuse around your animals?
ADDING OILS TO DRINKING WATER
Have you ever thought of adding oils to your animal’s drinking water? They, like us, may prefer water with oils mixed in them, plus it is a fantastic way to support specific areas of wellness. Of course, there are some things to consider when it comes to putting oils in water!
Just like with us, we should only be putting oils into water bowls/troughs that are made of glass, ceramic, or stainless steel. Caution should always be taken with using oils in plastic containers as the oils may degrade the plastic overtime, causing chemicals in the plastic to be taken internally.
And, of course, adding oils to water will be different from animal to animal. For example, when it comes to snakes and other reptiles, and even birds, who often enjoy soaking and bathing in water—considerations must be made to the strength, oil selection, and property of the oil added to the water. Peppermint is a nice oil to drink on a hot day, however a snake soaking in water with peppermint may be irritated from the icy/hot sensation.
Here is some great info from the ADR—
“One of the worst things we could do is to cause an animal to avoid drinking by making an essential oil solution too strong or by choosing an essential oil that the animal dislikes. Although many animals actually prefer water with essential oils — it is always wise to provide a plain water source while you offer the new water — until you are certain that the animal is drinking the essential oil water well, and in adequate amounts.”
“It is wise to start with small amounts of oil added to a high-quality water, and gradually increase the oils over the course of a week. A concentration that is often used for animals is one drop per liter of distilled, reverses osmosis, or good quality spring water. An empty Ningxia Red bottle is perfect for mixing and storing your essential oils water — and it happens to be one liter.”
When starting to add oils to water, even a toothpick dipped in the oil of choice is a great way to start slowing introducing oils to our animals. Various birds, chickens, and poultry generally have a poor sense of taste, so adding oils to their drinking water can actually be quite a great way to target support, as long as care is taken to avoid putting oils in bathing water. Cats are the least likely animal to consume essential oils within their water, however some may surprise you. Dogs tend to be much easier to work with, starting with small amounts and increasing as needed. In fact, this is how I target seasonal support with both my dogs. Spring and fall are challenging times for them just as they are for me and adding oils to their water during these seasons has been amazing! Horses, cattle, and large animals of course drink out of much larger troughs—start with five drops of oil and go from there (and PS—they really enjoy peppermint on a hot day!).
Do your animals like drinking oils in their water?
MIXING OILS INTO FOOD
Mixing essential oils into our animal’s food is another way that we can target support for them. Of course, being mindful of “hot” oils and their preferences is important, as well as starting slowly.
Birds, like we mentioned above, tend to have very little taste buds, so they tend to tolerate oils in their food, even hot oils, the best of all types of animal species. Start with a toothpick size of oil mixed into their favorite food and increase as needed/tolerated.
The biggest “name of the game” when it comes to mixing oils into food is to mix them into something that the animal already likes. For instance, with baby food, mashed banana, coconut oil, or another type of treat or food. Wet foods are easier when it comes to mixing oils into them.
When it comes to dogs, it really is a case by case basis. Some dogs will tolerate oils in their food really well while others will steer clear. Cats are generally not interested in eating oils in their food — the most success has been with copaiba mixed in wet, canned food. Horses, cattle, and other large animals generally do very well ingesting essential oils in their foods!
Also, if you diffuse oils in an area that is really close to food dishes, the oils can actually permeate the food so they may be ingesting the oils in small doses, which is another way of getting your animal used to consuming essential oils in their food!
Have you ever tried adding oils to your animal’s food?
ORAL ADMINISTRATION
When it comes to oral administration, this should only be done as a more last resort or when we really need to target an area of wellness quickly.
From the ADR—
“It is important to recognize that oral administration may create an aversion to essential oils in some animals. Animals will know when you open the cabinet or grab the oil bottle which was last associated with a very intense oral exposure to oil. The memory of a negative experience with oils will remain stronger than a positive experience, and may lead them to avoidance behavior to any essential oil application.”
“Via capsules: Oils can be added to empty veggie/gel capsules and given to dogs by mouth.”
“Via Buccal Route: The buccal route refers to absorption of the essential oil through the mucous membranes of the cheek or lip area of an animal. Horses do very well with oils dripped into the bottom lip. Dogs also tolerate drops inside the cheek area fairly well.”
“Via Oral Drops: Cats out of most animals tend to tolerate drops of oil right in the mouth. They may drool or salivate from the strong odor or taste, which is extremely normal.”
“Via Gums: This can be an effective way to get small amounts of essential oil into the oral cavity of dogs. Often a light coating of oil is placed on the fingers, then rubbed onto the gums. Oils can be neat or diluted for this application.”
“Via Sublingual Administration: While recovering from anesthesia, drops of essential oils are easily placed under the tongue of animals for easy and fast absorption.”
“Via Grooming: Cats (and other animals) will ingest small amounts of essential oils that have been “pet” onto their fur.”
“Via a Carrier: Essential oils can be mixed into agave, honey, coconut oil, NingXia Red, and other carriers and offered orally.” Follow the same guidelines that you would use for mixing oils into food.
TOPICAL APPLICATIONS
Using oils topically on our animals is also another great way to give them the support that they need! There are so many different ways to go about using oils topically on our animals.
Applying oils directly: This means literally tipping the bottle of oil directly onto their skin or fur, whether neat or diluted. Some animals tend to do better with this application than others, such as dogs, horses, cows, goats, and other large animals. Cats and smaller animals tend to do better with diluted oils and other types of topical applications.
One of the most common ways to use oils topically is by first putting the oils on our own hands, whether neat or diluted, and petting our animals. This is a great way to control the amount of oil being used, and also allows us to target specific body areas and systems too. This method is well tolerated by almost every form of animal.
Applying to the pads and feet—some may think that this is a great way to use oils on our animals, because as humans we talk about putting oils on our feet all the time. But for most animals, the pads of their feet are actually impermeable, meaning that it would be pretty useless to apply oils there. Putting oils on the skin between pads tends to be a source of irritation for most animals, and many don’t like people going after their feet to begin with.
Another consideration—animals are walking all over the place and on all types of surfaces, so their feet tend to be one of the dirtiest areas of their bodies. Applying oils to their feet may actually drive toxins further into their body. So using oils on their feet or pads is something that should be done with caution.
Another way to use oils topically on our animals is by misting them with oils in a spray bottle. This is great when targeting a specific location on their body, and can even be sprayed on toys and foods for animals to ingest. However, pay attention to their responses. Certain animals may not enjoy the experience of being spritzed, and it is important to let them do the leading when it comes to using oils. We don’t want oil application to become a traumatic experience for them.
Lastly, we can use oils topically on our animals by adding them to other products that we use — for instance shampoos and ointments. Plus, Young Living makes some great products that combine essential oils specifically for our furry friends!
What’s your favorite way to use oils topically? My dogs love a good oily massage when I put oils on my hands and give them a good pet!
EYES AND EARS
Here is some fun information that may surprise you. Generally, we talk about how it is important to be cautious using essential oils around the eyes, but when it comes to animals there can be some therapeutic benefits to creating an eye mister for our animals.
If they are experiencing any discomfort, combining 4 drops of Lavender in 4 ounces of distilled water in a little spray bottle, shaken well and spraying in and around the eye area has been shown to be a great support to lots of animals! Of course, always have some carrier oil on hand in case they show any irritation in order to flush the eye, but generally this has been a great way to support our animal’s eyes. The only exception is cats. Our feline friends are more picky about using oils!!
The same can be said for ears — generally we caution people to avoid getting oils too close to their ears, but there are times when this can actually be really great for our animals. Of course, you never want to apply oils directly into the ear canal or get them on the ear drum — this can be an extremely uncomfortable feeling for our animals. However, using oils around the ears may be a great way to provide support and cleansing as needed. You can do this by putting diluted oils on a cotton bowl and rubbing around their ears or by creating an ear spray with oils. Again, cats and smaller animals tend to dislike this, but larger animals do well with it!
Also, here is a great natural way to clean your animal’s ears. Plain coconut oil or coconut oil mixed with small amounts of essential oils can make a really great ear cleaning concoction. Placing a “glob” of coconut oil into the ear canal and allowing it to soften the wax and debris can create a gentle cleaning action. Gently wiping the ear clean with a cotton swab works wonderfully after the coconut oil has been instilled in the ear! A diluted solution of Thieves household cleaner or the Animal Scents shampoo can also be used as an ear cleaning solution. One teaspoon of either can be added to 4 cups of water. The solution can be made stronger or weaker if needed. If the ear becomes too sudsy or foamy, dilute the solution more!
Yay for support for ears and eyes!!
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Working with animals on an emotional level is something that cannot be overstated. Especially in this day and age of rescue animals, puppy mills, hoarders, and over-run rescues, many times the animals that we bring into our homes come to us with a past that we may not know much about and have faced trauma before ever entering our loving homes. And even if not, there are still a host of emotional needs that may be present in our animals. For instance — do you have any pets that get nervous when you leave? Or during a thunderstorm? Finding ways to support our animals emotionally is one of the best ways that we can love them!
Here are some recommendations from the ADR—
“It is always recommended to separate an animal from others when working on emotional clearing. This would mean separating a dog from other dogs or cats in the household, or separating a horse away from herd mates. Imagine yourself going through an emotional release. We usually are not very comfortable doing this in front of others. In the animal kingdom — the odd ball is often shunned, rejected, or even attacked for bringing attention to the pack, herd, or flock. We would not want to create this experience for any animal we are working with.”
And it makes sense when you think about it — think about times in your own life when you are experiencing intense emotions. Often, that is not something you want to go through in front of a large crowd of people. It makes our animals feel so much more comfortable when we are working with them intimately.
Also, something that is important to note when using oils on our animals for emotional support — we may use a specific oil anticipating a specific response in our animals, but it may not be what it actually ends up being. We as humans often project our feelings and desires onto our animals, but we must remember that they have their own unique personalities and dispositions, and as we use oils, we may see them become more of who they actually are instead of more of who we may wish them to be.
Here are some common methods for emotional support with animals:
Nightly diffusion — this is exactly what it sounds like — diffusing oils around our animals during the night as they (and we) sleep! Placing a diffuser in the space where the animals sleep and diffusing 1-4 drops of oil to start is a great way to target emotional support. In this instance, you generally want to have the diffuser going all night long. You can use the same oil every night or use different oils on a rotation.
Rotational diffusion — this method of diffusion around animals is to target immediate emotional support needs — for instance, right after a puppy is rescued from a puppy mill. It means that every hour to two hours, a new emotional support oil is placed in a diffuser, constantly rotating different scents (up to about seven different oils) to make sure to target all different areas of emotional support.
Petting application — this goes back to using oils topically on our animals, as already talked about earlier. You can do this nightly, hourly, daily, monthly — your choice based on your animals. This is a great way to not only be present with your animal, hopefully offering them more comfort, but of making it a calming time as you use oils around and on them.
Also, did you know that you can do the raindrop technique on your animals? There are different methods for doing so based on different types of animals, but this is a wonderful way to bring emotional release and support to our animals. As someone who has rescued animals from shelters who have beaten and abused before coming into my home, I cannot say enough about using oils for emotional support!
Especially when they first come home — it is scary for them. A brand-new environment, and they don’t know what they are going to get. It helps to support the adjustment and brings calming as they learn what it is like to be loved for the first time. And there is nothing so amazing as seeing an animal be changed because of love!!
Here are some favorites to use for emotional support on animals — Peace & Calming,
Believe, Valor, Grounding, Joy, Frankincense, Palo Santo (this is a favorite for our animals!!), Trauma Life, and SARA — and of course, there are so many more out there!!
Have you tried any oils to emotionally support your animals? What are your favorites?
ANIMAL SCENTS OILS
Did you know that Young Living has an entire line of essential oils that have been specifically formulated for our animals?! They are so amazing and target so many different areas of support — and to be really honest with you — they are great for us humans, too!!
Let’s look at some of these oils!
PuriClean — PuriClean is a unique blend of essential oils that work together in this powerful product. It cleanses, freshens, and supports the skin.
Mendwell — Supports healthy skin repair
Infect Away — Supports a healthy skin barrier
ParaGize — supports healthy digestion
T-Away — supports emotional freedom and joy in our animals
Have you tried any of the Animal Scents Oils yet?!
ANIMAL SCENTS OINTMENT AND SHAMPOO
These are some of my most favorite products!! They have been specifically formulated to be safe to use on our animals, but I have to be honest with you — they are great for humans as well!!
Let’s talk a little bit more about these products!
Animal Scents Shampoo cleans, conditions, and protects your pet’s coat without harmful ingredients. Formulated with five pure essential oils and other natural ingredients, this shampoo is safe and effective for animals. It contains Lavender, Lemon, Citronella, Vetiver, and Northern Lights Black Spruce for a soothing and clean scent! And y’all, one of my dogs got skunked three times this past summer, and let’s just say this shampoo was magical!!!
Animal Scents Ointment is a protective, soothing salve designed specifically for external use on animals. The gentle and safe formula is enhanced with pure Tea Tree (Melaleuca Alternifolia) and Myrrh, two of nature’s most powerful essential oils. This stuff truly is magic, and if you haven’t tried it on your animals (or yourself!!) you really should!!
Have you tried the shampoo or ointment yet?!!?!?!
SUPPLEMENTS
Do you have any Young Living supplements that you use and love?! Did you know that your animals can benefit from them as well?
Here is some great info from the ADR—
“It is important to recognize that the vast majority of supplements and products that are used for humans, can be used in animals. However, just like any dietary change or addition, this should be done slowly to avoid intestinal upset. Often times, we do not truly know what the correct dose will be for an animal. Some respond to seemingly tiny amounts, while others require huge amounts. There is certainly individual variation for all of the products, and it is always recommended to start with less than the recommended dose, and gradually build upwards. For example, if one capsule of MultiGreens is recommend for a cat per day, you would begin by opening the capsule and only sprinkling a pinch (a very slight dusting) of the contents into food. You would feed this for 3 or more days, before adjusting the amount upward again. Allowing the body to adjust slowly to the new addition, as well as getting the cat used to the new flavor “hidden” within their meal. You CAN go too fast, but you can never go too slow.”
Let’s talk about some specific supplements that may be beneficial for our animals!!
Digestive Enzymes — all animals benefit from the addition of digestive enzymes in their bodies, whether they are experiencing a time of stomach upset or not. Just as in humans, so much of their immune system reside in their gut, so targeting gut wellness is huge! Of course, you need to experience with dosing and start slowly. Essentialzymes-4, Allerzyme, and the KidScents MightyZyme are wonderful “general” enzymes to start with!
BLM Capsules — it is important to note that the capsules (and not the powder) should be used for our animals when they are in need of joint, ligament, and muscular support. Especially as they are aging, this could be a great supplement for them!
K&B Tincture — the K&B actually stands for Kidney and Bladder and can be a wonderful support to our animals when needed!
Life 9 — like mentioned earlier, digestive support is extremely important for our animals. This probiotic is a wonderful way to populate the digestive tract with healthy bacteria. Generally, a capsule a week is a great support to maintain optimal wellness!
Ningxia Red — do you love your daily Ningxia?? Your animals may love it too! Given all the antioxidants in this beloved red juice as well as the essential oils present in them, you can only imagine the support that this can bring to our animals!
OmegaGize3 — just like us, our animals need these important fatty acids for optimal wellness support!
Sulfurzyme — is a great way to target the overall wellness of our animals, as well as support their skin and fur!
Of course, like stated above, it is important to start slowly when it comes to using supplements with our animals. And this is just a tiny taste of what you can do with your Young Living supplements with your animals. I highly recommend getting your hands on a resource like an Animal Desk Reference to explore further what you can do with supplements with your animals (as well as oils!).
Are there any Young Living supplements that you use for your pets??
ESSENTIAL OILS AND BIRDS
Now we’re going to get a bit more specific on using oils with different types of animals/species!
When it comes to birds, it is important to note that using oils/aromatherapy techniques with all different species of birds/poultry is relatively new. Birds in general are extremely sensitive to all sorts of toxins, whether it be spraying an air freshener, burning a candle, or using toxic cleaning products around them. That makes using our Young Living oils a great alternative, but it should still be done with caution.
According to veterinarians, it is recommended to have bloodwork done on birds prior to using oils on them to establish any existing medical concerns that are present. Birds, more than any other animals, should really only be exposed to essential oils when actual support is needed, and not in a preventative measure as they are so extremely sensitive to oils.
That being said, here are some great ways to use oils around our birds!
Diffusing — whether for household birds or out in a coop. Start with 3 drops of oil in a water-based diffuser and diffuse for 5-10 minutes, monitoring their reaction. If they seem to be fine, you can increase the length of diffusion.
Water misting, particularly on the feathers, is a great way to support our birds’ immune systems and for emotional support. Here is a wonderful feather misting spray that you can try!
+ 20 drops lavender
+ 20 drops lemon
+ 20 drops orange
Add to a four-ounce glass spray bottle and fill with distilled water. Shake well and spray up to twice a day on your bird’s feathers! You can also add Frankincense for a little extra support.
Again, you can also experiment with adding oils to drinking water and food as mentioned earlier as well!!
Who has birds??!!?
ESSENTIAL OILS AND CATS
There seems to be a lot of controversy out there when it comes to using essential oils with cats. Some things you may come across say to absolutely avoid oils, while other articles will say that they are completely safe. It is extremely important to note that instances of reactions in cats have been due to the use of impure or adulterated essential oils around our feline friends, versus completely pure, premium quality oils. Therefore, we can feel confident using our Young Living oils around our cats! However, they definitely are some of the pickiest animals out there when it comes to oils!!
One of the best ways to start using essential oils with your cats is actually by putting them in their litter!! This has been studied by veterinarians as they observed cats outdoors usually preferring to use pine needles or other fragrant areas as their outdoor “litter box,” essentially naturally gravitating toward plants that we receive in many of the essential oils that we use.
Start with an unscented kitty litter. Add 1-3 drops of your chosen essential oil to 1 cup of baking soda — store the mixture in a glass jar and let it “marinate” overnight, shaking it a few times. Sprinkle a small portion in your kitty litter (eventually you will be able to use more baking soda and even more oils). This allows us to target wellness to our cats in a way that they are comfortable with. Of course, monitoring their response is important, as they may prefer certain oils more than others. Great ones to start with are Copaiba, Frankincense, or DiGize.
Diffusing is also generally tolerated well by most cats. They may have their own individual preferences — for instance, if the cat runs out the room the moment you start diffusing citrus oils, that is a pretty strong indication that they do not care for the smell of citrus oils. But again, this is an individual by individual basis. Petting our cats is also another great way to use oils, although keep in mind that they have many hair follicles and therefore may absorb oils more quickly and strongly than other types of animals. Less is more when it comes to using oils around cats!!
Also, did you know that Young Living now has treats just for our kitties?!?!?
Who has oily cats out there?!?!
ESSENTIAL OILS AND DOGS
As mentioned throughout this class, there are so many different ways to use oils around animals, and dogs tend to be very open to using oils in different ways. Whether adding oils to water or food or treats, to misting them with different sprays, diffusing around them, petting them, and using them topically, and even using them internally, our canine friends seem to do pretty well when it comes to using oils. Again, it is important to start slowly and to read the signals that they are giving us, but all of the different methods discussed throughout this class on using oils around animals are great starting points for using them with our dogs!!
Who has some oily dogs out there?!? My dogs’ favorite time of day is when I give them oily massages right before they go to bed!!
ESSENTIAL OILS AND HORSES
Horses and other large animals do really well with essential oils. As stated throughout the class, it is always important to start slowly when introducing oils, but it seems that the larger the animal, the better they do with essential oils, as well as larger amounts of oils.
Again, adding oils to water or food is a great way to support our horses or cattle (they really love to drink peppermint on a hot day!!), as well as using oils internally. Brushing horses out while topically applying oils can also be a great way to support them. Horses also do really well with the raindrop technique (similar to the raindrop technique on humans, but they do differ slightly from animal to animal) as well as applications to the hoof.
Who are our friends with horses and cattle out there?!
ESSENTIAL OILS AND HAMSTERS, RABBITS, AND OTHER SMALL ANIMALS
The smaller the animal, the more slowly and more caution should be taken when using oils with them. They can still use oils topically, through oral administration, as well as in their food and water. Just make sure to start slowly and to dilute and carefully watch their reactions. In many ways, they are similar to cats, who will give you indications from the start of what they like and what they don’t like!!
Who out there has some smaller critters in their family?!?!
FLEE FLEAS
I mean, let’s be real — just as we often love to use an outdoor spray when we are out and about, sometimes our animals can use the same type of support! Give this a try!
2 drops Citronella
4 drops Lemon
4 drops Clary Sage
6 drops Peppermint
Carrier oil
Apply a few drops of the oils blend to the neck, back, chest, legs, and tail. You can also add a few drops to your animal’s collar or place into your Animal Scents Shampoo!
WET DOG
This is a go-to in our house!! On the rare occasion that I can actually force my dogs outside the house when it is raining outside, this is a must for that unpleasant smell of their drying fur that seems to follow them back in!
10 drops Lavender
6 drops Orange
6 drops Peppermint
3 drops Eucalyptus
Combine with distilled water in a spray bottle. Use on a rainy day, and be careful to avoid spraying near the eyes!
CUDDLE TIME
We all love that cuddle time with our fur babies, right?! Here is a great recipe for all the peaceful, snuggly vibes!
3 drops Helichrysum
2 drops Ginger
2 Drops Valerian
Carrier oil
Massage onto your pet’s muscles and joints, and enjoy their happy cuddling!
PEACEFUL POWDER
This is a great powder that you can make for emotionally supporting your animals! Great to use when traveling or leaving your animal for a period of time or for overall calming and soothing! Start out super small, see how they react, and increase as tolerated!
It’s super easy to make!
5 drops Peace & Calming
4 drops Bergamot
4 drops Melissa
2 drops Ylang Ylang
1 cup baking soda or rice flour
Sprinkle powder on blankets, dog beds, inside kennels, or old clothes for emotional support!
THANK YOU
We are so glad that you were able to join us for this class tonight!! We love our animals so incredibly much — they truly are family! And we love being able to support them with these products that we love!
Are your animals oily animals?!