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    • #14056
      Andrea Snow
      Student

        We use essential oils in our house! My favorite scents to use are from Plant Therapy- lavender is one of my favorites as well as my toddler’s as well. I put a dab of it on his feet to help him relax his way off to sleep! I cannot wait to learn more during this class!

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      • #14060
        Dr. Patrick Jones
        Homestead Instructor

          Essential oils can be useful.

          Don’t use them on cats or small dogs and don’t use aromatherapy/diffusers in homes with pets. Some of them are causing serious problems and deaths in animals when inhaled.

          Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

          Total of 15 users thanked author for this post. Here are last 10 listed.
          • #16224
            Ashley Cosby
            Student

              I have been using essential oils for several years but I feel like a deeper study of herbs will give me so many more options to care for my family and animals in more safe and effective way than essential oils alone. I am a new student and excited about learning more!

              4 users thanked author for this post.
            • #20866

              I recently purchased a  copper distiller to make my own essential oils. Can the fumes released during this process also affect my dog? So far I have distilled lavender, compher,  mint and eucalyptus and I noticed that she went outside when the smells became too strong. Are there particular herbs that one should take  note of and be extra cautious with?

              • #21440
                Dr. Patrick Jones
                Homestead Instructor

                  I wouldn’t distill oils in a house with a dog or cat. Dogs and cats should stay away from essential oils in general. They have very different livers than we have don’t have the metabolic pathways to process them.

                  Oils Toxic To Cats:

                  • Cinnamon oil
                  • Citrus oil
                  • Clove oil
                  • Eucalyptus oil
                  • Oil of Sweet Birch
                  • Pennyroyal oil
                  • Peppermint oil
                  • Pine oils
                  • Tea Tree oil
                  • Wintergreen
                  • Ylang Ylang

                  Oils Toxic to dogs:

                  • Pennyroyal oil
                  • Pine oil
                  • Tea tree oil
                  • Wintergreen oil
                  • Cinnamon oil
                  • Citrus oil
                  • Peppermint oil
                  • Sweet Birch oil
                  • Ylang Ylang

                  Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                  • #31599
                    Brenda Music
                    Student

                      What about possums? They keep eating my chickens. Any essential oils that are okay for my chickens that possums will avoid?

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                      • #31670
                        Liz Garant
                        Student

                          I’ve heard garlic spray helps keep pests away

                        • #39771
                          Dr. Patrick Jones
                          Homestead Instructor

                            A good remedy for possums or coyotes is to place a small droplet of essential oil on the end of a .22 cartridge and then administer it to the predator internally. :0)

                            Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

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                    • #31557

                      I’ve always used Lavender as well when my children were home. I don’t have babies in the house any more so I use it for cuts and scrapes I get out in the garden. I think it helps them heal quicker 🙂

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                  • #15394
                    Marjean Booms
                    Student

                      This is very good info to know.  Thanks

                    • #17968

                      I used to extensively use essential oils until I found out that they were dangerous to both my maltipoo and cats. I am thrilled to be able to learn how I can now use herbs in other forms without endangering my fur babies.

                    • #18681
                      Sue Dilling
                      Student

                        What equipment do you recommend for distilling my own essential oils?

                        • #18704
                          Teresa Hull
                          Student

                            This is where I purchased my steam distiller. I’ve distilled lavender, sagebrush, catnip, basil, geranium and yarrow.  Some were more successful than others. Lavender and sagebrush were my most successful distillations. (REDACTED By Auto-Moderator Robot)>

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                          • #21442
                            Dr. Patrick Jones
                            Homestead Instructor

                              You just need a still. They’re pretty simple. You can buy them online. All of mine are homemade.

                              Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                          • #18800
                            Dr. Patrick Jones
                            Homestead Instructor

                              We have several here. The best one is one my production guy made for me years ago. It’s stainless steel. I don’t like the glass ones due to the fragility. It’s really a pretty simple system.

                              Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                              • #21191
                                Annett
                                Student

                                  Doc,

                                  Are HGH essential oils homegrown made from the plants  you grow and harvest?

                                  • #22210
                                    Dr. Patrick Jones
                                    Homestead Instructor

                                      No. I buy them from a really reputable source.
                                      I have made them and may do so again someday but for now I have too many irons in the fire to do my own.

                                      Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                                • #21032
                                  Rosa Couture
                                  Student

                                    Would anyone know if Hydrosols are ok to diffuse, with pets around?  I have a dog & a cat, and want to be wise when it comes to their safety.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.

                                    • #22212
                                      Dr. Patrick Jones
                                      Homestead Instructor

                                        My understanding is that a hydrosol is just the water you separate from the oil at the end of the distillation process. So, it’s really the same process.  I wouldn’t distill oils around furry folks.

                                        Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                                    • #21213
                                      Paige
                                      Student

                                        I personally have never had any trouble with EO in diffusers and my dogs or foster dogs.  However, I do not use them very much.  My guess, like everything, is to be aware that it can cause problems, start slowly, and be observant if you use them around your animals.

                                        PMR

                                        • #22214
                                          Dr. Patrick Jones
                                          Homestead Instructor

                                            I’d recommend not to distilling oils around pets. Some oils are perfectly safe, some aren’t. And, just to make it more fun, sometimes a purportedly dangerous oil causes no problem and sometimes it’s devastating. So experimenting may not give your correct, repeatable data.

                                            As an example of the capricious nature of canine metabolic pathways; I have a client with a vineyard. One day he brought in his dog in a disastrous state from kidney failure. I said “He didn’t get into the grapes did he?” The guy looked at me like I was crazy and said “He eats grapes all the time. I’ve never seen a problem.”

                                            Grapes are known to be surpassingly toxic to dogs’ kidneys…sometimes. So apparently variations in the dogs systems and or variations in phytochemical levels of the grape at various days of its growth can have wildly varying effects. It’s very possible that one could experience the same thing with essential oils in dogs…one day they’re fine. The next day they’re lethal.

                                            By the way, I was able to completely resolve the kidney failure dog with herbs. :0)

                                             

                                            Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                                            • #27963
                                              ConCon62
                                              Student

                                                I learned about dogs and grapes the hard way. My husband was making wine and he took all the grapes out of it and gave it to the goats. Our 8month old blue heeler snuck out there and ate about a pound of fermented grapes. She was dog drunk! She spent the night at the animal hospital with an IV. Thankfully, no kidney failure.

                                          • #21491

                                            I wouldn’t distill oils in a house with a dog or cat. Dogs and cats should stay away from essential oils in general. They have very different livers than we have don’t have the metabolic pathways to process them.

                                            Oils Toxic To Cats:

                                            • Cinnamon oil
                                            • Citrus oil
                                            • Clove oil
                                            • Eucalyptus oil
                                            • Oil of Sweet Birch
                                            • Pennyroyal oil
                                            • Peppermint oil
                                            • Pine oils
                                            • Tea Tree oil
                                            • Wintergreen
                                            • Ylang Ylang

                                            Oils Toxic to dogs:

                                            • Pennyroyal oil
                                            • Pine oil
                                            • Tea tree oil
                                            • Wintergreen oil
                                            • Cinnamon oil
                                            • Citrus oil
                                            • Peppermint oil
                                            • Sweet Birch oil
                                            • Ylang Ylang

                                            (First post here) Doc, why do you not mention Oregano ? or maybe you do and I just haven’t seen them yet?

                                            I make capsules with 2 drops YL Oregano EO topped with coconut oil. Use it with my family like a round of antibiotics. seems to work. I guess I was just wondering, if its so great why I haven”t seen you mention it yet. Of course Im only a little way into the school, but i think Ive seen most of your youtube videos. I have so many questions for you…… lol.

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                                            • #28112
                                              Dr. Patrick Jones
                                              Homestead Instructor

                                                I haven’t talked much about it because I never use essential oils in any form. If I even touch most of them my flesh blisters enthusiastically, my lungs fill with fluid and my body asks me kindly “There are nicer ways to die. Is this really how you want to do it?”  As a result, I’m probably not the best resource on how to use them. LOL

                                                The good news is that my daughter Luci (who is also a naturopath and herbalist), knows lots of fun things about them. She’s the general manager of the company and also does lots of things in the background relating to the school. She keeps threatening to do a little school on oils. I think she should. :0)

                                                Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                                                2 users thanked author for this post.
                                                • #42773
                                                  Jackie Henson
                                                  Student

                                                    I’ve used EO for years and I LOVE them, but I’m starting to hear they are actually really bad for us, any thoughts?

                                              • #28315

                                                Essential oils can be useful.

                                                Don’t use them on cats or small dogs and don’t use aromatherapy/diffusers in homes with pets. Some of them are causing serious problems and deaths in animals when inhaled.

                                                I have stopped defusing oils because of my critters.  I was hoping to learn how to make my own pure oils so I can do it again. Will pure oils hurt animals?

                                                • #31474
                                                  Dr. Patrick Jones
                                                  Homestead Instructor

                                                    If you mean essential oils by pure oils, then yes many of them are very dangerous to pets.  Just use regular herbs with them. They are better, safer tools for dogs and cats.

                                                    Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

                                                • #40292

                                                  I heard that spraying peppermint EO around your garden would keep cats and insects away.

                                                  • #43195

                                                    I live in the piedmont of NC and have tried this in my garden, I have not really seen those results but have noticed that my peppermint patch doesn’t have any issues.

                                                    Billie Barnette

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