Virus

Fighting Viruses

As the cold weather has started here in Sydney, some of you might be interested in how to use essential oils to help your stabled horses avoid the spread of the sort of viral issues that get passed around at this time of year.

These approaches can be used around the home, but if you decide to apply to your dog, cut the number of drops in the chest rubs to 1/3 the dilution used below. DO NOT APPLY to CATS, and don’t spray every day if you have a cat as their liver and kidney enzyme balance can be affected.

Essential oils support and strengthen the immune response by two different ways:
By directly opposing the threatening micro-organisms
By increasing the activity of the organs and cells that fight them.

Easily obtained essential oils that you can use to strengthen the immune system are:

Lavender
Lemon
Juniper
Bergamot
Eucalyptus
Tea Tree

Then we can look at supporting the adrenals and stimulating the lymphatic system with:

Geranium
Palmarosa
Rosemary
Black Pepper (more specific to the spleen)

Others I can look up later that could be handy would include
Cajeput
Niaouli
Sandalwood

Most Australian Native essential oils have a very strong antiviral and anti microbial actions, but as many of you are from other countries they can be difficult to access in other countries. However one I will list here is Lemon Eucalyptus, as it is an effective bug repellent for our Northern Hemisphere friends at this time of year as well as being great to keep away the winter nasties:

Eucalyptus leaves are a traditional Aboriginal herbal remedy. The essential oil found in the leaves is a powerful antiseptic and is used all over the world for relieving coughs and colds, sore throats and other infections The essential oil is a common ingredient in many over-the-counter cold remedies. An essential oil obtained from the leaves is antibacterial. The essential oil obtained from various species of eucalyptus is a very powerful antiseptic, especially when it is old, because ozone is formed in it on exposure to air. It has a decided disinfectant action, destroying the lower forms of life. The oil can be used externally, applied to cuts, skin infections etc, it can also be inhaled for treating blocked nasal passages, it can be gargled for sore throat and can also be taken internally for a wide range of complaints

The oil is colourless to pale yellow in colour and has a distinct citronella-like smell. The northern form has a higher cintronellal/citronellol ration than the southern form and a sweeter more rounded note. The oil is used in the perfume industry to manufacture other aroma chemicals, due to its rich cintronellal content which makes it a safer alternative to the controversial citronella.

Applications

First of all we can do up some sprays. Now essential oils are not water soluble but we can add essential oils to spring water and then add some white alcohol like gin or vodka and you shake before spraying, or you may be able to get some liquid lecithin or a solubulizer from a supplier over there. One other thing that can work is a couple of drops of shampoo or liquid soap, and you only need one or two drops just to help disperse the essential oils.

With all the applications we can use 2.5% dilution for keeping up a protective barrier, and if there is some of the virus in the area, then for peace of mind you may want to go up to 5% dilution. If they are stabled at night it is nice to spray the stable when they have just entered, if they are paddocked, you can spray over their body once or twice a day.

30ml is about a fluid ounce. I work in metric so to 30 ml of water I would add 30 drops of essential oils. You can do just one essential oil at a time, however I like to blend them to get a synergy of the essential oils working together. You can use the one formula up to 3 weeks and then it is an idea to change the blend slightly or use a different one. You can extropolate out to size bottle you have to spray with, if you use a plastic spray bottle try and make sure it is PET plastic, if it isn't just watch for it sucking in as essential oils can draw the filler out of plastic.

Spray Blend One
Morning Blend - stimulating

Lemon 20 drops
Rosemary 10 drops
In 30ml of water

Spray Blend Two
Balancing anytime blend

Juniper 8 drops
Geranium 8 drops
Bergamot 14 drops
In 30ml water

Spray Blend Three
Evening Blend - relaxing
Lavender 10 drops
Juniper 5 drops
Bergamot 15 drops
In 30ml water

We can juggle all these and then experiment with others:
what can be nice also is a using an aloe vera gel base, again same proportions:

Chest Rub One
Eucalyptus 5 drops
Lemon 15 drops
Lavender 10 drops
In 30ml
Horse dilution - reduce for dogs

Chest Rub Two
Juniper 8 drops
Geranium 4 drops
Sandalwood 6 drops
Bergamot 12 drops
In 30ml
Horse dilution - reduce for dogs

As you can see we can juggle these essential oils around:

For more information you can study the Equine Aromatherapy Correspondence Course or I can direct to one of the graduates close to you. www.happyhorses.com.au

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