Holistic therapies can help dogs and cats in different aspects. In addition to acupuncture, one of the best known, aromatherapy for animals is another complementary treatment based on the effects that the aroma of plants provoke in living beings. The muzzle of the dog and the cat have a structure that allows their sense of smell to be much more developed than the human sense of smell. Therefore, theAromatherapy for pets can help improve various health complications.

Caution is necessary for any type of treatment and with aromatherapy for animals it is no different. The first thing the guardian needs to ensure is that the essential oils are handled by specialists. To better understand how the use of the aroma of essential oils for pets works, we talked to veterinarian and holistic therapist Marcella Vianna. In addition,tutor Graziela Mariz told us about her experience with aromatherapy for cats.

How is aromatherapy for pets done?

In pet aromatherapy, the therapeutic actions come from essential oils, which are substances extracted from plants, flowers, fruits and roots. Despite the ease of finding products for treatment, guardians should take precautions. The use of essential oil for dogs and cats can bring harm if used incorrectly. Even if the guardian makes use of essential oils in a waypersonal, it must be borne in mind that the treatment in pets is done differently, mainly due to the power of the cat's or dog's snout in relation to the nose of humans. "Not all oils can be used and inhaled by cats and dogs," explains specialist Marcella Vianna. There are essential oils that can be toxic to animals and the use of aromatherapy is not recommended.It is very important to follow up with a veterinarian and holistic therapist.

The use of essential oils in animals is done by inhalation, aromatic bath and topical application. "In cats there is no recommendation for topical application, mainly because of the risk of licking, so we opt for environmental sprays in the places where the kitten passes", warns the veterinarian.

What are the benefits of essential oils for animals?

The benefits of aromatherapy for pets are varied. According to Marcella, essential oils for dogs and cats are used to complement the treatment of emotional, behavioral and even physical problems. "Aromatherapy is excellent for treating joint pain in pets, for example. Chronic pain brings certain anxiety, sadness and fatigue to those who live with it, so agood aromatic synergy aimed at analgesic, revitalizing and well-being functions has super positive effects in the treatment of this patient."

Tutor Graziela Mariz used the method to help a case of stressed cat. The kitten Flora was very stressed with the trips to the vet, which were constant due to the treatment of a chronic disease. "She was always very aggressive with the vets, who could not examine without sedation. She was very irritated by this to be always going to the clinic and came home very muchFaced with the situation, the guardian sought a professional and started using lavender oil, which made the kitten calmer when she returned from the vet.

Graziela is a fan and recommends complementary treatments: "I would certainly recommend aromatherapy to other owners and I would even recommend other complementary holistic treatments. I also had other cats that I treated with florals and I saw results." In addition to aromatherapy for pets, another complementary treatment widely used is veterinary acupuncture.

Aromatherapy for dogs and cats: treatment requires care!

Ideally, the owner should consult a specialist to find out how to use essential oils for dogs and cats. The specialist will define the need for the therapy in question and select the most suitable substances according to the specifics and conditions of the pet that needs this type of treatment.

The veterinarian explains more about the difference in the form of treatment between the two species. "Felines are more sensitive to essential oils than dogs. With cats, the ideal is that they are made with oils already diluted in the correct dosage or hydrosols, which are a more delicate part of the distillation of plants. With dogs, we can make the self-selection with the essential oil bottleseven semi-open", says Marcella.