Each remedy is specific to the condition of the individual animal and may change over the course of the treatment as the oils take effect.

Why use Essential oils on Animals?

Life is all about choice more and more human beings are making the choice to view our lives in a more holistic way and look after health and well being in much the same way.

Modern medicine is now very much part of our lives, thankfully, it saves life’s and offers a better quality of life to millions. But of course there is a down side many conventional medicines have side effects, I’m sure we have all read the many listed on most prescription packets?

This leaves a place for more natural ingredients to help offset the unwanted side affects.

Plants and there fragrances have been used for thousands of years throughout the world for human therapy, more recently where animals are concerned. Having said that, animals have been self prescribing for most of there lives something that they have finely tuned over thousands of years . Most wild animals ability to know which plants will assist them is inherent. For example horses will openly look for a plant that will assist there body to stay in a state of healthy equilibrium.

In a similar way animals know instinctively what Essential oils to inhale to assist them feeling better and when they have had enough or require more of the oil. Animals have a far more innate sense and understanding of plants and there extracts that humans.

Essential oils can be used in conjunction with many other therapies  for instant Reiki, Acupuncture, etc . Essential oils have an amazing way of dealing with the problem presenting its self but at the same time combating something else totally different all at the same time.

How do essential oils work on animals?

They work on three main levels

pharmacological the chemical changes which take place when an essential oil enters the bloodstream and reacts with the hormones and enzymes etc;

physiological the way in which an essential oil affects the systems of the body, whether they are sedated or stimulated, etc;

psychological effect takes place when an essence is inhaled.

The animals will be given a selection ( up to 3 for dogs up to 5 for horses) of diluted (never force an oil onto an animal of offer an undiluted oil to an animal) essential oils. To be offered twice daily for the animals to inhale some animals choose to lick these oils from there cares hands too.

So how does Inhaling  an essential oil work?

Now that is a good question and an answer can be as long or as short  as the  respondent chooses. The way in which I explain  it is hopefully the latter of the too.

When essential oils are opened to the air the oil becomes volatile.  In turn releasing particles which the animal inhales.  The cilia (small hairs in the nasal cavity)  pass these particles alone to the Olfactory receptor cells. Each of the Olfactory cells has nerve fibre which leads from the main cell, along this nerve fibre a chemical message is sent  to the Olfactory bulb which is connected to the limbic system (this is situated in the frontal lobe of the brain). The inhalation process then passes the particles down the body through the  Pharynx, larynx and trachea to the lung where it is passed through the thin membrane of the lung into the bloodstream.