Aromatherapy 101: Canine Wellness

I don’t see so well anymore, and some say I don‘t hear so well anymore either.  It‘s possibly a case of selective hearing.  One thing I still do quite well is smell.  Boy do I love to smell,  Almost anything. I love the salty scent of the Chesapeake Bay while  lounging on my private 2nd floor balcony, and the aroma of the fresh mountain air at my vacation getaway in Canaan Valley, WV.  In fact, my favorite hobby may well be the art of smell.  Which brings me to Aromatherapy.

 

Despite receiving massage therapy daily, my right shoulder had become somewhat bothersome, some times debilitating.  Walks were becoming very short and the stairs were cumbersome at best.  That’s no way for a proud Chow to live.  

 

My therapist suggested we experiment with Aromatherapy.   As enjoying as they are, the results of  massage therapy were diminishing.  He has a hook up with Bud Baker and acquired a canine specific salve along with some of his soon to be famous ‘Bud Baker’s Thieves’ diffuser to enhance my overall wellness.

 

He began by giving me a spritz of the diffuser daily and a brush out before my massage therapy session.   Being a keen sniffer, I found it to be a pleasant curiosity.  Additionally, it made me smell like a ‘Citrus Cinnamon Sugar Bear’.  It kills 99% of all airborne bacteria as well.  Being the hairy bitch that I am, I may occasionally carry a bit of bacteria.

 

Before you know it, my shoulder started feeling better, my limp receded, and I’m back to long walks.  

 

Like many other classy ladies, I also have vain side.  My therapist began using the salve on my nose which has become chronically dry over the years. By applying it once a week, it exfoliates and moisturizes the area.  I kind of like the taste, it makes my breath smell sweet, and of course I’m loving the scent. It seems to help regulate my digestion as well.

 

When hot spots began to appear on my hind legs, my therapist applied the salve first,  then spritzed the area with the diffuser, and  rubbed it in.  The minor abrasions healed quickly, I lost very little hair, and it never became a problem.  All the while, my shoulder just keeps feeling better.

 

2011 was a pretty rough year for me, but I'm now so optimistic about 2012 that I felt compelled to take a Paws for the Cause of Canine Wellness and share the recipes with my fellow four legged friends that may not be so fortunate.

 

I hear Aromatherapy is effective on humans as well, but I wouldn't know anything about that. As my therapist says, ‘Sustain!!!’

   

'Bud Baker's Thieves' diffuser recipe

1 part Clove essential oil

1 part Cinnamon essential oil

3 parts Rosemary essential oil

3 parts Eucalyptus essential oil

3 parts Orange essential oil

5 parts Grapefruit essential oil

Blend recipe with about twenty parts distilled water in a diffuser.  Shake well before spraying.

'Bud Baker's Canine Salve' recipe

1 part Clove essential oil

1 part Cinnamon essential oil

3 parts Tea Tree oil

3 parts Rosemary essential oil

3 parts Eucalyptus essential oil

3 parts Orange essential oil

3 parts Grapefruit essential oil

30 parts Grapeseed oil