Thieves® Household Cleaner – one of Dr. Forsyth’s Favorite Things! January 30, 2013

For floors countertops and soooo much more.  Thieves® Household Cleaner is quickly becoming one of my favorite things that I use in my veterinary practice.

Thieves Household Cleaner and several other awesome products from the Thieves line.

 

This cleaner is a suspension of safe surfactants (wetting agents) and Thieves® essential oil (a proprietary blend of 100% pure Young Living Therapeutic Grade™ essential oils of clove [Syzygium aromaticum], lemon [Citrus limon], cinnamon bark [Cinnamomum verum], eucalyptus [E. radiata] and rosemary [Rosmarinus officinalis CT cineol].

 

The first time I used it was for fleas. This cleaner is great for bathing animals that have a flea problem.  It quickly kills any living fleas and does it all in a manner that is nontoxic – this stuff is so safe you can even drink it. If diluted, Thieves® Household Cleaner can even be used as a leave-on dip that will help to continue repelling fleas from a pet.

 

Chin acne in cats can also be treated with Thieves® Household Cleaner. I have mixed up a very dilute solution of the cleaner (about 1 capful of the cleaner mixed with distilled water in an 8 ounce spray bottle) combined with some other essential oils like Lavender and Copaiba to make a spray that can safely be used several times a day to help prevent those blackheads on the chin that cats are so prone to develop.

Can you find the scar? This wound healed much faster than usual with using the Thieves Household Cleaner – and there is barely a mark left after 3 weeks.

 

Most recently I used Thieves® Household Cleaner to treat a severe bite wound on a dog – my own dog, Seaweed. This wound was on his chest and there was a deep hole into his muscle accompanied by some skin that had been pulled away from his body wall. Now my chihuahua is a very sensitive guy and he screams with just the anticipation of pain so I was prepared for the worst the first time I used it.  I diluted the cleaner until it looked like weak lemonade and proceeded to flush his wound – not a peep – I was amazed.  Clove which is one of the ingredients in the cleaner has been used by dentists for ages to help control dental pain and it’s this ingredient that I think made the wound flushing tolerable.

 

It’s also important to note that this is an excellent household cleaner. So many of the products we use are toxic to us and even more toxic to our pets. This happens in part because they are essentially walking around in bare feet and constantly having there skin exposed to the chemicals we use in our everyday cleaning. Thieves® Household Cleaner can be used for degreasing, floors, walls, upholstery, fabrics, carpet spot cleaning, general carpet cleaning, glass, pots & pans, hand cleaner, etc … .  I even use it for my fruit and vegetable cleaning now.

 

To sum it all up, no home should be without Thieves® Household Cleaner. It’s good for keeping everything clean and good for your and your pet’s health.

Peace, love, and plenty of tail wags~

Jennifer Forsyth, VMD

How To Decrease Stress Naturally When Traveling With Your Pet July 25, 2012

By land or by sea or by air, traveling can be stressful!

Some great pet products that can help with relaxation during travel (NaturVet Naturals Calming Aid Chews, Rescue Remedy, Cat Nap, Chill-Out)

 

Summer is the time for vacationing and catching up on some much needed R & R.  However, traveling can cause some unwanted anxious behavior in dogs and cats should we decide to bring them along on our journeys.  There are a number of safe and natural ways to help our four-legged friends enjoy vacationing as much we do.

 

Aromatherapy

I personally don’t leave home without my Aromadog Chill Out spray.  My dog, Margaux, gets anxious on long car rides when I head back to Pittsburgh to visit with my folks (which incidentally is where I’ll be headed next week).  Aromadog’s Chill Out contains Chamomile, Lavender, and Marjoram and it really does the trick for helping Margaux to relax on a car ride.  These three herbs when used as aromatherapy can help with anxiety and make it easier for your pet to relax and catch some Zzzzz’s.  They can even help with the nausea that some pets get from motion sickness – win, win!  I spray the Chill Out about once every hour or as needed.  For cats, check out the Aromacat Cat Nap.

 

Water Therapy

I always take plenty of fresh water for my pooches when I travel.  Some dogs like to drink a lot of water when they are experiencing stress so limit their water to avoid increasing their chances of vomiting during travel.  When I fill up the bowl with water I add about 10 drops of Rescue Remedy.  Rescue Remedy is a Bach Flower Remedy.  Bach Flower Remedies are made from wild flowers and these remedies are particularly helpful in situations where there is an emotional imbalance – they can help to replace bad emotions with good.  Rescue Remedy is terrific for airplane travel where you won’t be able to give your dog or cat a spritz of Chill Out or Cat Nap periodically (it is a good idea to spray the crate before your pet has to enter).  The night before heading to the airport, add the water with Rescue Remedy  into one of the bowls for the crate and put it in the freezer.  This way they can have a longer time with access to the Rescue Remedy water.

Who doesn’t love to snack while traveling?

All of my dogs love NaturVet Natural’s Calming Aid soft chews.  They contain Chamomile, Passion Flower, Thiamine, Ginger, and L-Tryptophan.  Beyond travel, these treats are also great to use during thunderstorms and fireworks.  I give these to my dogs 30 minutes before a car ride to help them relax.

 

I hope that these tips can help you and your furry friends to enjoy all of life’s adventures to their fullest!

peace, love, and plenty of tail wags~