We know that animals have a stronger sense of smell then humans. What we are unsure of is does their sense of smell work in the same way as humans? At this time, we don’t have any scientific proof if scent works like it does with humans. Many non-aromatherapy related sources also view essential oils as generally toxic to animals.
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In humans scent works on our limbic system. The limbic system has a strong connection to our emotional state. The scent of a baking pie can trigger a positive memory of holidays at our grandparents. We can see that animals may prefer a certain scent, but exactly how that scent is affecting them we don’t know.
Animals Sense of Smell
To start working with your animals using aromatics like hydrosols or essential oils it is important to remember a few things.
- Dogs have a much larger nasal cavity than humans. There smell is 50-100 times stronger than ours.
- Dogs have an average of 300 million scent receptors
- Cats have 200 million scent receptors
- Horses have elongated noses full of millions of scent receptors
An important reminder, cats metabolic system is different making essential oils risker, consider using hydrosols instead!
Understanding an animals response
When working with animals many people work with a method known as kinesiology, looking for physical responses to the scents offered. Since your pet can’t tell you how they feel you need to pay attention to their reactions.
There are many aromatherapist in the UK that use kinesiology to interpret an animals response to an essential oil fragrance as their need for that scent. Some of this is based on the premise of self-medicating. While animals throughout history have been known to choose herbs to care for themselves, I would caution you from reading too much into this. Domesticated animals can show an intense interest in any fragrance they are offered.
The greatest level of interest will be if your pet tries to lick the bottle or your hand. They may sniff intensely in the direction of the fragrance. Or they may sniff and walk away or move away. These are two distinct indications of interest or non-interest. In some cases, the reaction may be more subtle, like moving just their eyes or shifting their body position.
Ailments you can use aromatherapy to support
- Allergies
- Anxiety
- Bad breath
- Burns
- Congestion
- Cracked paw pads
- Dirty ears
- Digestive issues
- Fatigue
- Fear
- Flatulence
- Flea and tick infestations
- General detoxification
- Grief
- Hyperactivity
- Hypersensitivity
- Incisions
- Infected ears
- Insect bites
- Insomnia
- Itchy skin
- Joint and muscle pain
- Loss of appetite
- Mange
- Skin infections
- Skin irritations, hot spots
- Teeth cleaning
- Teething pain
- Unhealthy fur and coats
- Weak immune system
You can work with your animals by using essential oils and hydrosols topically, diffused or inhaled. Hydrosols can also be ingested in certain situations.
Topical or inhalation are the most common methods used. Topical has the greatest benefit because it is being applied directly to an affected area. As an example, if you needed to treat an ear condition you can created a diluted blend and apply it directly to the ear. In the article about 5 top oils with dogs we explore how to use a cotton ball to gently apply an oil to the outer ear to work with a discomfort.
With Don Quixote I have created a blend and then used acupressure techniques to help relieve pain in sore muscles. The combination of the blend as well as the positive physical contact can provide good healing.
Working with animals at the rescue farm I saw many positive outcomes by using an oil that has calming or sedative effects and positive touch. Many of the animals got comfortable being around humans when they had been skittish and fearful.
Times to avoid Essential oils
- When an animal is fearful of fireworks, storms or crowds.
- When an animal is fearful of other animals, people or things.
- If an animal has had a shock or is in pain.
- When an animal has issues with grooming procedures.
To support an animal with these issues you want to introduce the essential oil or hydrosol when they are in a calm state of mind. Starting in a calm state of mind can help to condition the animal to recognize that scent as a calming thing.
Although we don’t understand the physiological aspects we do know that animals will learn to respond to things when conditioned by something. Ivan Pavlov taught us about how conditioning can work with an animal. Throughout an experiment Pavlov taught a dog that the sound of a bell signaled that food would be arriving. Using this learning it is important to always have a positive aspect of learning for the scents you are introducing to animals.
Cautions to watch for
With an animal you have to make sure you are paying attention to their body language to ensure an essential oil is safe. You must watch for reactions whenever you are using essential oils whether you are working directly with the animal or using a diffuser for ambient scent. Some reactions include:
- Pacing
- Panting
- Drooling, excessive salivation
- Whining, whimpering
- Sneezing, snorting and respiratory distress
- Frantically rolling or rubbing against something
While working with animals is something that is newer within the field of aromatherapy, animals have been using plants intuitively to heal for centuries. It is important to remember that although essential oils are made from a natural product that have been altered so there chemical constituents are stronger. Take your time and learn more about the products you want to work with before you start experimenting on your furry friend.
Please feel free to comment with questions or share a success you have experienced.
