Let's say you have a medicine cabinet filled with natural ingredients that you use to care for yourself and your family. You may have found yourself wondering whether or not this magic chest of herbs and oils could benefit your pets as well. With a little guidance, you certainly can use natural ingredients to enhance your pet's health and well being. You just need to know a few ground rules before getting started.
First of all, it's important to remember that though our pets may share similar spirits to us, their bodies are alltogether different. An ingredient that does one thing for a human could do something very different for a dog, or could even poison a cat! Make sure that you research any ingredient thoroughly before giving it to a pet.
Another thing to keep in mind is dosage. Pets are much smaller, and their systems process the active chemicals found in natural ingredients much differently. For instance, while certain essential oils are safe for use with dogs, their enhanced olfactory senses make it necessary to dilute them even further than you would for a human child. On top of that, dogs come in many sizes. The smaller the dog, the smaller the dosage.
There are some ingredients that can actually harm your pets. Cats are especially sensitive to essential oils. Their internal systems cannot metabolize most essential oils, making even the tiniest amount potentially poisonous. For this reason, many aromatherapists and holistic vets advise against ever using any essential oils with cats. Instead, hydrosols or herbal tonics are often used.
This may sound a little overwhelming, but with proper education and guidance, making natural pet care products for your furry family members can become a regular part of your routine. Look for well qualified authors when gathering recipes for your pets, and remember, it doesn't hurt to double check the safety of the ingredients in your recipe. It can be very helpful to keep some books on hand that cover some of the basics. One book that I really enjoy refferring to is Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals by Kristen Leigh Bell.
It's also important to choose only the highest quality ingredients when formulating for your pets. From Nature With Love makes that easy with our new Natural Pet Care Ingredients Section. You can be sure that the ingredients offered here are always as described, and you can contact us anytime if you have questions about the purity, origin, or nature of our ingredients.
Have you had experience creating natural products for your pets? We'd love to hear your stories!
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