If you’re a pet owner, you’re used to thinking about how the products you use in your home impact the health and well-being of your four-legged friends. You make decisions about what to safely feed your pet, as well as what kind of house and garden plants you keep, because you love them so much!
But many people don’t realize that certain dōTERRA® essential oils, sourced straight from the earth, can provide natural solutions for animals as well as humans. While there are some oils that are discouraged for use with dogs and cats, there are many others you can safely incorporate into their daily lives.
For a good-sized dog, you might use Cedarwood, Myrrh, or Frankincense to promote a healthy coat; let Clary Sage or Lavender calm an excitable or anxious personality; or use Peppermint to help keep tiny pests away.
It’s rather mind-blowing that our go-to oils for human applications, such as Ginger to aid digestion and Lavender to soothe the skin, can in many cases offer similar support to dogs!
Even someone who’s been oiling for years may have yet to try a recipe for homemade dōTERRA doggy treats. Hey, there’s a first time for everything!
To prepare Breath-Boost Biscuits for your best canine friend, you’ll need:
• 2 cups flour (coconut or gluten-free too)
• 1/2 cup organic rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 bananas or 2/3 cup Pumpkin purée (plain pumpkin, not pie filling)
• 3 eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure peanut, almond or sunflower seed butter (just one ingredient butters)
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 3-6 drops Peppermint oil, depending on size of dog (3-4 for small, 4-5 for medium, 5-6 for large)
• 1 drop Cinnamon Bark oil
Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, thoroughly mix bananas, eggs, peanut butter, and coconut oil. Add essential oils and mix.
Combine dry ingredients with banana mixture and stir until combined.
Using a spoon, scoop balls onto a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Or roll out to about 1/2-inch thickness on parchment paper and use a cookie cutter for the size and shape you want. Watch them so they don't burn and should be done around 10 minutes.
Recipe makes about 1 dozen large biscuits, 2 dozen small biscuits.
It’s quite satisfying to know exactly what your dog is consuming. You’ve put all the ingredients together yourself, you can tweak their consumption to include exactly what they need, and your pooch gains the benefit of a refreshing oil combo. If your pup is the kissing kind, you’ll enjoy sweeter kisses when they’re feeling up for cuddles!
The consensus is that cats are quite a bit more sensitive to essential oils than their canine counterparts. While some swear by things like essential oil kitty litter deodorizers and scratch deterrent sprays, other cat advocates are firm that cats and oils do not go together. It’s a delicate balance, so cat owners have a bit more research to do when it comes to safely using oils with their pets.
One thing true of both cats and dogs is that you should always be sensitive to your pet’s reaction to certain aromas, as they experience smells differently than we do. It’s wise to make sure your pet is free to leave the room whenever you’re diffusing or applying oils; the last thing you want is for them to feel trapped in a potentially toxic or just plain uncomfortable situation!
Be sure to do your research and be confident in your decision before choosing to use oils in and on your pets. Then follow those paw prints to discover natural solutions for the pets in your life!