Essentials oils are becoming exceeding popular as a holistic way of managing our health, but can our pets benefit from them too? 

Essential oils can be a wonderful addition to supporting our pets emotional and physical wellbeing when used correctly.  They can support our pet’s skin, calm the emotions and give relief to our senior pet’s muscles and joints and so much more.

First off, know your pet’s health and talk to your veterinarian if in doubt.  It’s always good to know what you are dealing with first and some oils may not be advisable with certain conditions and medications.

There are many different oils brands on the market but not all oils are created equally. Choosing an oil that is certified pure grade is imperative. Many oils contain synthetics and we could end up doing our pet and ourselves more harm than good.

Knowledge is the key. Essential oils can play such a beneficial role in our pet’s well being and there are lots of wonderful resources and information out there. Take time to research the oil you are using for your pet, get advice or attend an essential oils workshop to learn more. 

We love using essential oils for our beautiful dogs Sunny and Grommy and we are passionate about sharing our knowledge and helping others. If you want to learn more about using essential oils for your pets stay tuned for more workshops and seminars at K9 Swim in the coming months.  You can contact us for more information by visiting us at www.facebook.com/twooilyems or call us on 0452 280 543.

With age in our dogs comes molecular and cellular level changes in the brain. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that cause aging and these can result in loss of brain function which is a natural part of aging.
Dogs can experience dementia or Alzheimer's like symptoms and this is called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome  (CDS). CDS can progress slowly. To further slow down this progression keeping the dog mentally stimulated and active is important. Antioxidants may help.
Our in house Veterinarian Dr Rob Willis has a great interest in our older dogs and has given us some signs and symptoms to look for and he has developed a treatment plan to assist in the aging process to help relieve some of these symptoms. Read on and Rob will be visiting us again in May so if you have concerns about your dog that may be showing some of these signs book in and see Rob.

By Dr Rob Willis

1. Toileting inside rather than outside
2. Lack of energy and loss of general interest in life and surroundings
3. Confusion, gets 'lost' in usual familiar surroundings
4. Random barking for no reason at inanimate objects such as plants, toys or walls and corners
5. Lack of interest in walks and other regular activities without another obvious cause eg. arthritis
6. Heat intolerance in the summer
7. Anxiety in older age - sudden onset without obvious cause nor prior anxiety problems as a younger dog OR sudden worsening of anxiety for no apparent reason

​These are just a few of the symptoms of brain ageing which is a deterioration of the brain tissue in dogs as they age. It is a normal change to ageing brains and most of these dogs are thought to be just 'old' by their owners.

​These signs are most common in dogs that are in their teens as this is when most owners notice the sudden onset changes however the problems generally are there pre-teens and this is especially true for large and giant breeds.

'Brain ageing' is thought to be caused by a number of processes with the main ones being:

1. Free radical damage directly to brain tissue as a part of cell death with age
2. Reduced circulation and blood flow to the brain
3. Natural process of time

The good news is there are things we can do for this condition, if you have a dog that is affected you don't have to resign yourself to the fact that they are just 'old'.

I have used a combination of treatments including acupuncture and veterinary prescriptions while those looking for a natural supplement perhaps Neurologinol would be worth a try for your dog. 'Neurologinol' is a purpose build veterinary naturopathic supplement to assist in the management of brain ageing in dogs.

For more information contact Dr Rob 0490 038 208 or email rvalternatives@gmail.com