Natural Body Guru

You can treat your cat’s arthritis and fleas the same way we discussed for dogs. Cats often get abscesses, usually after a night of tom catting around, as well as some other ailments you can treat with aromatherapy. Here is a list of treatments that cat owners will appreciate.

• To treat an abscess, put a drop of tea tree essential oil neat directly on the abscess to bring it to a head. The cat will lick the fur and swallow some of the oil which is fine because it will help clear up the abscess. After the abscess bursts and the pus has drained out, apply lavender oil neat to speed the healing.
• To treat coughs and bronchitis in cats (yes, they suffer from it too,) massage along their back and chest with 4 drops of eucalyptus oil once a day until the coughing stops.
• To treat a bacterial or viral infection use lavender, oregano, tea tree or thyme essential oil diluted with sweet almond oil and massage the cat’s chest, back and neck just like you would for a child.
• To treat hairballs, add two teaspoons of olive oil to the cat’s food until the hairball passes. To keep hairballs from forming, add a small amount of olive oil to your cat’s food on a regular basis.
• To treat a canker of the ear problem in your cat, try to keep your cat from scratching the ear so that no infection sets in. Clean the wax buildup in the cat’s ear if possible and to prevent a sore from forming from the scratching, warm a teaspoon of olive oil and add 1 drop each of chamomile and lavender essential oils. Insert a little of the mixture into your cat’s ear  and also rub it around the ear.
• To treat mange, which is highly contagious, first either treat or get rid of all your cat’s bedding. Cover the cat in warm water (my cat does not like baths) that has 3 drops each of lavender, tea tree oil and chamomile essential oils. Coat all of the cats skin with this essential oil treated water.

You have a cat? Then you know that each cat has its own personality and they can be quite aggravating when they are not being quite lovable. Cats make wonderful pets and they can also help our health. Studies by Dr. Erika Friedmann among others, show that stroking a cat has a calming effect on your nervous system and also lowers your blood pressure. Heart attack sufferers can prolong their chances of survival if they have a pet and cats love attention.

Ok, thats the lovable part, now on to the aggravating part. Cats can ruin your furniture and anything else that is made of wood in your home, including tables and doors. They do this when they are shedding their nails and clearing the way for new ones. This also is their way of adding their scent to yours in the home. To keep this from happening, make a scratching post from a piece of wood (any old piece will do) but add essential oil of valerian to the wood. The scent of this root sends cats into a state of pure rapture. Cats adore cat mint too and if you have a little growing in your garden, you will see them rolling in it with ecstacy.

My daughter’s dog is 18 years old which is pretty old for a dog and she has arthritis so bad that sometimes she can’t walk at all. My daughter asked me what essential oils I have for my “grand-dog” so that the next time she can’t walk or go up and down the stairs she can treat her without having to force  pet medicine down her throat. She’s a little Shih-poo and this is not the only ailment she has but let’s talk about the arthritis treatment today.

Just like with people, arthritis is painful for dogs and you must be careful when you are handling them but dogs do love to be massaged. If your pet has arthritis, they will love your touch as you massage them and the essential oils will be a beneficial treatment. The arthritis dog treatment I suggested to my daughter is 4 drops of rosemary, 2 drops of lavender, and 3 drops of ginger diluted in 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil like sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil.

Try to get the massage oil mixture onto the painful joints working it through the coat and into the skin. Start at your pet’s back  and massage the muscles in rhythmic movements working towards the haunches. Cover all of the legs and include the vertebrae. This may be a little messy but your pet will soon lick off most of the oil and enough will penetrate the skin to be effective.  Also, what they ingest will help their digestive system. An added bonus to this treatment is that fleas do not like lavender!

You know how you feel when you’re fresh from the shower and get all dressed up to go out? That’s a great feeling, right? Our pets feel great when they get all dolled up too. Take care of your animals the same way you take care of yourself, the natural way. Pet perfume can be used in the following ways:

1. As a pet massage oil when blended with a carrier oil like sweet almond oil
2. As a pet aromatherapy product
3. As a pet deodorizer
4. As an anti pest solution
5. As a general natural pet care product

Pet perfume contains natural essential oils designed to keep your pet smelling fresh and pest free. Your pet will thank you for your loving care.

Dogs sometimes have ear wax that becomes smelly and very offensive. This foul smelling material needs removing and the ear needs deodorizing and disinfecting. Lavender  is one of the best essential oils to use for this purpose. Dilute 3 drops lavender in a teaspoon of witch hazel and insert 4 drops into each of your pet’s ears. You can do this with a dropper or by soaking a cotton ball and squeezing drops into the ear. Massage the whole ear gently and continue this procedure daily to soften the wax. Once the wax is softened, it can be removed with a cotton ball.

If your dog has bad breath and dribbles a lot, he probably has dental problems. Have your dog’s teeth checked regularly and cleaned. Sodium bicarbonate or common baking soda and essential oils are a great way to keep your pet’s teeth clean and fresh as well as a natural way to remove tartar. Adding dried pet food to your dog’s diet also helps remove tartar.

You can make a toothpaste and breath deodorizer for your dog by mixing 2 tablespoons baking soda, 1 drop clove and 1 drop aniseed. Make and use this as needed. Apply the paste to your dog’s teeth by dampening a cotton ball, dipping it into the mixture and rubbing it on the teeth. When you finish, give your pet a drink of water. If this doesn’t freshen your dog’s breath, he probably has a stomach problem. Use peppermint essential oil in this case because it is an intestinal cleanser and helps digestion. Rub one drop neat peppermint in a line from beneath the ears and into the shoulders.