Essential Oil Guide for Pet Parents
During these stressful times its important to create some calm and comfort in your home. The way I do this is through the use of essential oils. But our homes are not ours alone; we share them with our fur babies as well. And it is good to know what essential oils provide healthy and healing effects in our dogs as well as to know which ones are toxic to stay away from. Here is your Pet Parent’s guide to safely use essential oils.
If you are anything like me, you want your home to be a place of calm and comfort, and one way to create that is through the use of essential oils. The ones I use in my home are Peppermint and Lavender. But our homes are not ours alone; we share them with our fur babies as well. And it is good to know what essential oils provide healthy and healing effects in our dogs as well as to know which ones are toxic to steer clear of. What’s great is that the oils that are safe for use with pets are found to have the same healing effects in pets as they do in humans. Meaning you could use essential oils as holistic alternatives in some situations with your pet. However, ALWAYS consult your Veterinarian before using anything as medicine.
My preferred way to disperse my oils is through the use of a diffuser. Add one to two drops of essential oil to a water-based diffuser. When we use a diffuser in our homes, we tend to just drop in the oil and go about our business. However, when using them as a pet aid, only run the diffuser for ten minutes. Then, let the air clear for about 30 minutes. Our dog’s nose is more powerful than ours is so for them to receive the desired healing effects of the oils, it takes a shorter time.
Another way you can use your essential oils is topically. If you prefer to apply oils directly onto the skin make sure that you use an oil that is diluted. Do not use undiluted oils, they will make your dog sick. To dilute your essential oil, aim for one drop of essential oil for every tablespoon and a half of coconut oil. Coconut oil is a great way to apply essential oils directly onto your pet’s skin. Make sure you always do a patch test first to ensure your pet won’t have a reaction to the oil.
Below are the essential oils that are safe to use around dogs along with the desired effect that oil can have on your pet.
Chamomile- reduces stress, and calms upset stomach.
Frankincense- immunity boost, and calms digestive tracts.
Ginger- reduces joint pain, clear respiratory tracts, and soothes stomach.
Lavender- reduces anxiety, calms carsickness, and insomnia.
Myrrh- soothes skin irritation.
Cardamom -normalizes appetite, colic, coughs, heartburn and nausea.
Fennel- Balances pituitary, thyroid and pineal glands
Peppermint- aids in joint pain, supports respiratory health.
Now we have come to the essential oils to NEVER use. The oils listened below are proven to be poisonous to your pet.
Citrus Oils- Lemon, etc.. Lots of household cleaning products use these essential oils in their formula so make sure you check your cleaning items ingredients.
Pine
Ylang Ylang
Tea Tree- According to a report published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, there have been hundreds of instances of tea tree oil toxicity in pets.
https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.244.1.95
Remember this is just a guide but ALWAYS discuss with your veterinarian before using essential oils as treatment. I hope you enjoyed this month’s blog! And let me know in the comments below with essential oils are your favorite. I consulted my essential oil expert Mary and you can email her too if you have any questions at watersrobbins@gmail.com.
Snuffle Mat Basics
There are many benefits to using a snuffle mat to feed your dog. In this article we explore these and explain how they can help your dog.
In our last blog post I listed all the dog products on Amazon that I recommend, which included a Snuffle Mat. After that post I received so many questions about what a snuffle mat was. So I decided to do a whole article dedicated to the wonders of this amazing tool.
A snuffle mat is a tool to feed your dog that activates their sense of smell, encourages their natural foraging instincts and stimulates their mind. It is essentially just a rubber mat with strips of material, but the benefits are huge for your dog.
Your dog’s sense of smell is one of their greatest super powers! And as dog owners we often times don’t encourage them to use their sense of smell enough. A snuffle mat is one way we can help do that. This means your dog will have to work to get their food. They have to use their nose to find every last bit of kibble. Nosework in dogs has been shown to improve a dog’s self-reliance and increase their positive judgment. (Science Direct)
Dogs have a natural drive to hunt or forge for their food. In making your dog work for their food through either training or enrichment tools like a snuffle mat, helps your dog feel as though they have earned their meal. Pairing a snuffle mat with training cues is a great way to engage their forging behavior and also helps teach your dog impulse control as well.
To introduce your dog to their new snuffle mat first sprinkle some treats on the top of the mat so your dog will get use to this new toy. Once they have successfully eaten all their treats from the top of the mat, place a higher value treat like cheese or chicken onto the mat and ruffle the mat to ensure the treats are deeper down. Then once your dog has gotten use to this new tool you can start to place their kibble onto the mat for each meal.
Let me know if you or anyone you know currently use a snuffle mat and what your thoughts are on how it effects your dogs behavior? I hope you found this article informative and helpful.
Top Tools and Recommended Products
As someone who has been in the professional pet space for over 5 years now, one of the most common questions I am asked is ”What products do you recommend?” So I have compiled a list of the top items that, over the years, I have found work the best with dogs and make pet ownership fun and rewarding.
As someone who has been in the professional pet space for over 5 years now, one of the most common questions I am asked is ”What products do you recommend?” So I have compiled a list of the top items that, over the years, I have found work the best with dogs and make pet ownership fun and rewarding. Below are the names and links for these products. To see our complete list on Amazon click here.
Collar
Harness
Kwik Klip Adjustable Nylon Dog Harness
Leash
Fairwin Braided Leather Dog Leash
Grate
MidWest Contour Double Door Dog Crate
Toys
Outward Hound - Interactive Puzzle Game
Treats
Travel Water/Bowl
Poop Bags
Pet Hair Remover
Thank you for checking out my latest post. I’d love to hear what some of your favorite products are in the comments below!
Dog Days of Summer
Summer is officially here! With temperatures rising safety is our top priority. Here is our list of top tips for keeping your dog safe this summer.
Summer is officially here! That means longer days filled with fun in the sun!! And that can include your dog as well. Here are our best practices for making this summer both safe and memorable for your whole family.
1) Find a dog friendly sunscreen:. Dogs with white or thin coats and dogs with light-pigmented noses are at more risk for sunburns during the summertime. This is why dogs need sun protection also, and you want to make sure that the sunscreen you choose is both safe and effective. Make sure it blocks both UVA and UVB rays, has an SPF of 15 or higher and doesn’t contain Zinc Oxide. Zinc Oxide is a common ingredient in sunscreen, but unfortunately it can be toxic to dogs if they eat it because of the zinc. Also keep in mind if your dog has sensitive skin to choose a fragrance-free sunscreen.
Once you have chosen a sunscreen do a spot test on your dog. Place a small amount on a patch of your dogs skin and let it sit for 24 hours. Make sure that your dog does not have a bad reaction to the new sunscreen.
Top Recommended Sunscreens:
Epi-Pet Sun Protector Spray for Pets https://www.amazon.com/Epi-Pet-Sun-Protector-Spray-Pets/dp/B002AI39QW/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2F3FTU2RLF9C&dchild=1&keywords=epi+sunscreen+for+dogs&qid=1588363569&sprefix=epi+sun%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-5
My Dog Nose It https://www.amazon.com/My-Dog-Nose-Moisturizing-Protection/dp/B015Z4M1XY/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3MGP27D913JVM&dchild=1&keywords=my+dog+nose+it+sunscreen&qid=1588363501&sprefix=my+dog+nose+it%2Caps%2C250&sr=8-6
Petkin Doggy Sunwipes https://www.petkin.com/Doggy-Sunwipes-4oz-p/5401.htm
2) Provide Shade: If you have a backyard, make sure there is enough shade for your dog. Put up canopies or umbrellas to help provide extra shade if you don’t have trees near your home.
3) Reduce Mid-day Outdoor time: The hottest part of the day is between 11am and 3pm. Make sure to reduce your dog’s sun exposure during this time. This helps limit the risk of them becoming overheated.
4) Never, ever ever! Leave your dog in a car unattended. Too many dogs have died from being left in cars during warmer temperatures. So make it a practice that you never take your dog in the car if you have to make multiple stops that your dog can’t accompany you to.
Our animal friends experience health problems and medical conditions just as much as we humans do. We, as pet owners, want only the best for them, which includes taking them to the vet regularly to make sure they’re in great health. It is highly recommended that pet owners get pet insurance coverage before taking a trip to the emergency room. The reasoning is that even the simplest of visits to an emergency room can turn out to be very costly and might force pet owners to make some tough decisions. To avoid being in this situation, it is utterly important to know what your premium covers and what it does not. So a little shopping around and research will help pet owners make a well-informed decision about the insurance coverage that is best suited for their budget.
We hope you have enjoyed our Summer Safety tips and let us know the ways you keep your dogs safe during summer time in the comments below. Thank you!
Is Quarantine affecting your pet?
We all started this year full of hope and goals. But the corona virus threw a wrench in our plans. No longer able to socialize with our friends, not able to leave our homes and everyone’s work life has changed in some way. What we are living through right now is not easy and while we are in the eye of the storm lets try to remember the positives in our lives. For me this always comes back to our pets. But we need to ask ourselves how are our pets coping with all this change as well?
The Corona Virus has completely taken over 2020. We all started this year full of hope and goals. But the corona virus threw a wrench in our plans. No longer able to socialize with our friends, not able to leave our homes and everyone’s work life has changed in some way. What we are living through right now is not easy and while we are in the eye of the storm lets try to remember the positives in our lives. For me this always comes back to our pets. They give us unconditional love, hundreds of cute pictures and now we have hours of funny stories about them to share. But we need to ask ourselves how are our pets coping with all this change as well?
Animals thrive on routine, and now their daily routine has been greatly altered. Jennifer Verdolin, an animal behavior expert and author, said “We tend to think of how lucky we are that we have pets and they’re helping us cope, but I think we need also flip it around and go, ‘How can we help them cope?’ ” (Slate). As pet owners we need to be sensitive to the fact that this might be a hard time for our pets as well.
Thousands of pet owners are reporting abnormal behavior from their pet during this quarantine. Some common threads in these stories are animals “acting out” going to the bathroom in the house when housebroken, not being as affectionate with their owners and being picky eaters. These actions are all ways in which your pet is trying to communicate with you that they aren’t entirely happy with this new change in schedule. Although it’s unknown yet the extent to which quarantine is triggering pet anxieties, a potential culprit of these sudden changes is what veterinary scientists call ‘displacement behaviors” Displacement behaviors are the tics that pets adopt to cope with new stressors. (Vox)
There are things you can do to help your pet through this time and manage their emotions better. Veterinarians recommend a scheduled feeding time and walk time. These schedules can help your pet feel more structure in their newly unstructured world. Behaviorists are suggesting that owners give their pet space. This is essential if you are working from home now. By giving your pet space and distance even while in the same house helps your pet feel their boundaries are being respected. For more ideas on how to make your dogs own space comfy check out this link. The use of interactive games and feeding methods is also another way to help your pet exert some of their pent up mental energy.
I hope you enjoyed this post and that you found it informative. And let me know in the comments below the ways you are helping your pet cope through quarantine.