Animal Aromatherapy Certification

In this first module, you will learn about the basic principles of aromatherapy: how aromatherapy was discovered, the origin of essential oils and how to choose them wisely, initial explanations of their chemical compositions, the different methods of administration, the precautions required for safe practice, and how aromatherapy should be integrated with respect for living things.

You will discover:

• How aromatherapy allows inaccessible plants to be reintroduced into the everyday environment of animals.
• The question of plant intelligence.
• The main families of aromatic components, the molecules in essential oils that explain their therapeutic effects and suggest ways in which they can be used.
• The need to respect nature and adopt a holistic approach.
• The specific olfactory abilities of animals: dogs, cats, horses, birds, rodents, and reptiles.
• What aromatherapy is.
• How to choose your oils and what information to look for.
• The dangers of essential oils for humans and animals.
• Applications (inhalation, skin application, and ingestion) and dilutions of essential oils.

Before discussing the choice of essential oils, it is necessary to study how we are able to smell them. You will therefore learn in detail about the mechanisms of human and animal olfaction.

You will then learn about the extraction of essential oils and see that each technique has its advantages. Hydrosol, a residue from the steam distillation of plants, is also used in aromatherapy, particularly for cats. You will study its benefits.

You will also learn that essential oils must always be diluted before being applied to the skin. To do this, an excipient is used, most often a vegetable oil. These carriers, as well as oily macerates, will be presented to you in detail.

You will complete this module with the first part of the study of aromatic components: an in-depth understanding of plant chemistry, enabling you to understand their effects and tailor treatments to the needs of animals.

The module presents:

• How olfaction works in humans and animals.
• Ways to optimize the olfactory environment.
• The extraction of essential oils and the different extraction methods.
• The importance of hydrosols.
• Excipients for diluting essential oils: vegetable oils such as olive, coconut, hazelnut, jojoba, sesame, sweet almond, avocado, and apricot kernel, as well as shea butter, aloe vera, clay, and a neutral base.
• The main families of aromatic components (descriptions, general information, therapeutic properties): monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, monoterpenols, sesquiterpenols.

In this third module, you will continue your theoretical study of oil chemistry before moving on to practical application. With safety always in mind, you will also receive a detailed reminder of the precautions to take when using essential oils on animals.

You will then learn other ways to choose essential oils, including offering self-medication—under supervision, of course—to animals, i.e., their intuitive ability to heal themselves by specifically choosing certain plants and natural remedies. This phenomenon has given rise to a scientific discipline: zoopharmacognosy.

Finally, you will learn about the essentials you need to get started: essential oils, hydrosols, and vegetable oils, the best way to store them, and a few aloe vera-based recipes that are highly valued for their versatility and ease of use.

The module covers:

• The rest of the aromatic components: phenols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, oxides, and ethers.
• A reminder of general precautions.
• An approach to choosing oils.
• Self-medication as a key approach to considering aromatherapy with animals (and humans).
• Zoopharmacognosy, or zoopharmacognition, by Caroline Ingraham.
• The holistic approach.
• Two ways of presenting remedies to animals so that they can make their own choice.
• An in-depth look at dilutions specific to animals.
• Some easy-to-use lotion recipes (infection, first aid, anti-stress, etc.).
•  Ingredients to gather to get started.
• Storage conditions.

Module 4 links molecules to the therapeutic properties of different parts of plants. You will also study the first part of the monograph on essential oils (and excipients), which focuses specifically on dogs, cats, and horses. The specific characteristics of birds, rodents, and reptiles will be covered later in the course.

You will learn:

• Some general information about oils and what makes each one unique.
• Some information about scents so that you can recognize the components by smelling the bottles.
• The relationship and deductions between the distilled parts and the therapeutic properties of seeds and buds, leaves and needles, bark, flowers, resins, roots, and rhizomes.
• The following monographs: aloe vera, angelica, arnica, bergamot, calendula, Atlas cedar, Roman chamomile, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, ginger, helichrysum , Italian.

In the fifth module, you will continue your detailed study of excipients and essential oils.

You will study the following monographs: cornflower, chamomile, juniper, true lavender, lemon, lemongrass, myrrh, sweet orange, grapefruit, jasmine, lime, lemon balm, marjoram, coconut, neem, neroli, patchouli, peppermint, Damask rose, verbenone rosemary, sandalwood, St. John's wort.

In the sixth module, you will complete your detailed study of excipients and essential oils.

You will see the following monographs: jojoba, fennel, eucalyptus globulus, eucalyptus radiata, sunflower oil, tea tree, valerian, vetiver, wintergreen, ylang-ylang, witch hazel, linalool thyme, thymol thyme, vanilla, violet.

This module provides a summary of the essential oils to use for each indication. Plants and essential oils are classified according to their properties, but also according to the imbalances they can help treat: disorders, affected systems (digestive, nervous, etc.), and targeted organs.

For each resource, you will find its main actions as well as an indication of the animal species for which it is suitable, identified by a letter: F for felines, C for dogs, H for horses and other herbivores.

The main categories in this module, detailed point by point in tables, are:

• Pain and inflammation.
• Wounds, burns, and nerve damage.
• Bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.
• The respiratory system.
• The urinary and renal systems.
• The liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.
• The skin.
• The reproductive, hormonal, and metabolic systems.
• Behavioral disorders.
• Ectoparasites and internal parasites.
• Tumors, lumps, sarcoids, and cancers.
• Some additional general advice on use and what to do in an emergency.

In the eighth and final module, you will find practical advice on offering remedies to different animals, with the right approach depending on the specific characteristics of their species. Indeed, depending on the animal, the aromatherapy solutions to be favored will not necessarily be the same.

A bibliography will allow you to further your learning and, if you wish, expand your research.

The module includes:

• Advice, the session, reactions to observe in cats, and methods for applying the appropriate essential oils based on these choices.
• The same elements applied to dogs.
• The same information based on the sensitivity and environment of horses.
• Advice on offering essential oils to other animals, based on their preferences, but also their diet, including birds, goats and sheep, rabbits, chinchillas, and hamsters.
• Bibliography.

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