Just curious if anyone has used aromatherapy for their dogs? I was reading up on it and wanted to try the one for fleas and ticks. If anyone has used it, please let me know how it worked. Thanks. Shirl :D

A friend of mine uses tea tree and cedarwood oil in an ordinary (non-medicated) dog shampoo for her two yorkies - they don't have fleas but don't really get much opportunity to pick them up either! She also uses peppermint oil (as an inhalation) for their 'dodgy guts' (they're both very fussy eaters, and prone to throwing up at the drop of a hat), and it seems to settle them faster when she uses it than when she doesn't. Tea tree is supposed to be fab for head lice (biddies, as we used to call them, hehehe) in humans, not sure about dog fleas - maybe as a prevention, rather than a cure?

Thanks for the info Jenna. I appreciate it. I have a Yorkie as well. No problems with tender tummy though. She doesn't have fleas either at the moment, but thought I might should think about preventive measures when it gets warmer. I remember reading something about tea tree oil. I'll go back and re-read that again. Thanks again.
Shirl :D

Tea tree Oil should never be used undiluted as it can burn the skin and is toxic

That goes for all essential oils, they need to be well diluted (recommended dilutions for use on the skin in humans is 1-3%, but I'd go for 1% or less for dogs, 'yorkie shampoo' works out at one drop of each oil per tablespoon of shampoo, well mixed together), and keep the shampoo (or whatever you dilute your oil in) well away from the eyes and broken skin. I don't know if there's been any scientific research done on aromatherapy for animals, have to go and look now! I know that a lot of the 'human' stuff recommends that tea tree in particular is used as fresh as possible (within 3 months of opening), because it is the oxidation products that are the 'most responsible' for causing allergic contact dermatitis in humans.

Thanks Jenna for more info. Appreciate it! Shirl :D

Yes Satincollie, I'm aware of that. Thanks. :D Shirl

Is there a distinction between aromatherapy (which one associates with massages) and plain good old herbalism (ie use of essential oils amongst other things to treat specific ailments)? Whichever, I think that both are very interesting and certainly useful for treating humans ... problem is that often herbal treatments must be carefully used in precise measures in order to ensure that they are safe or effective. Thing that interests me is ... because dogs' sense of smell is so much greater than ours, mightn't it find some oils distressing?

Not that I don't find the smell of dog-who-has-just-rolled-in-cow-pat-fifteen-times distressing ...

Jo

Jo, Aromatherapy is the oils and herbs come in pill form or mixed with honey, in some cases. I was checking the herbs out, because I had heard about a calming herb you can give to your dog before going to the vet, or grooming, etc. My yorkie is so difficult to groom. Even to brush her takes an hour or more cause it's such a struggle. She hates it with a passion. So I thought I would check it out to use when I bath and groom her. But in looking for herbs, I ran across aromatherapy as well. Maybe some of you would like to check out this site aromatheraphygold Shirl :D

A good mix of oils for a flea repellant is lavender rosemary geraniam and eucalyptus mixed into a doggy shampoo i think the ecalyptus kills any fleas and the other oils act as a further detterent lavender is also very calming especially if a few drops are put on the inside of the collar etc and lavender is one of the only ones that is safe undiluted for such things as that

Hi all, I`m pretty sure you can find links for aromatherapy for dogs, carefully explained etc, on the links I`ve given for homeopathy for animals. HTH.
Christine, Spain.

Thanks Christine, it was a big help. Shirl :D