Buster’s Blog

Buster is a 13 year old rescue Chihuahua/Doxie/Terrier pup with a spunky personality and a strong pack mentality.  He is the dog in my logo, my spirit animal/feather finder and has been my shadow ever since my kids moved into adulthood.

In April of 2021, a series of minor health issues led to a critical emergency where we were faced with either exploratory surgery to confirm and/or correct what they thought was a potentially fatal gallbladder or liver condition, or we could take him home and try to control his symptoms with medication.  Due to his age and the survival statistics we chose to take him home and try to treat him with medication and dietary changes.  After a few months of improvement and set-backs, a consultation with a vet practicing integrative medicine set us on the path to transition him to a fully home-cooked diet and recommended TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) supplements. Being the label reader that I am, I noticed one of the medications he was given to control nausea had quite a few essential oils in the formula.

I have found essential oils to be a godsend for me personally. Obviously that is what started this whole venture. I use them topically and orally – which totally freaks out some of my friends. It’s difficult to say for certain that they are working better than conventional medicine. I only take one of “those” pills per day for my thyroid which they are made from animal thyroid, so it’s basically natural and there is no one that interested in studying me on my protocols and no interest by the medical community to study essential oils. I must say, I don’t mind all that, even though I think it would super cool to have data, I feel like when you are tune with your body, then you know when things affect you in an adverse way. Our bodies spend every waking moment we are alive trying to “right the ship” and be in homeostasis.

Since my buddy can’t talk, at first I was definitely a little intimidated using oils both internally and externally on him. I had done it before but many times had read that essential oils were not safe for animals. Also, he seemed so fragile at times but I stuck with it and started to see the improvements over the long haul. I spent hours taking webinars and reading through studies and information posted by Dr. Janet Roark, aka the Essential Oils Vet. Dr. Roark made me feel at ease and gave me the confidence to use the oils, create some blends that worked well with my dog and I am so indebted to her and my local vet, Dr. Gold of All Vet Care in Camarillo, who also gave me the courage to seek alternative solutions for my pup.

The game changer for me was learning how to let my dog “self select”. This is just as simple as holding the oil or product to your dog’s nose. If they don’t reject it, ie. run away in my dog’s case, then it’s probably a good match. As you may already know, a dog’s sense of smell is WAY more powerful than ours, for every one scent receptor that we have, it’s been suggested that they have about 50. I have seen estimates of their overall sense of smell as being 100,000 times more than humans.

Buster’s nose is definitely his super power, so it made sense (pun intended) when I initially tried to use undiluted lavender oil he would run away from me. Then we would be on a walk and he would spend extra time smelling the lavender plants – it mystified me for years! I learned this by being a member of her Facebook group!! You can learn more about that here!

Currently, I have 3 products in the Buster’s Essentials line up:

Buster’s Balm, which I have been making for the past few years and my family also uses it on all their minor skin issues, dry nose/paws and flare-ups. I always joke that it’s human tested and safe for dogs. It comes in a 2 oz. glass jar. Apply a small amount on affected area. I infuse my own calendula oil.

Buster’s Calm the Bleep Down Roll-on, this guy has always been a little on the anxious side and just like humans, doggie conditions tend to intensify as they age. This diluted roll-on can be applied to your dog’s spine up to twice daily to help calm them down.

Buster’s Immune Buster Roll-on, based on a recipe from Dr. Roark with a few modifications that worked well for my pup, this also helps with the fatty lumps that older dogs seem to develop. You should always get them checked out by your vet of course, but this roll-on can really help minimize or even eliminate them! (I have had them go away in about a week!) Can be applied to a bump or lump (stay clear of the eyes, nose and don’t apply directly in the ear) or used on the spine for an immune boost.

Everything is diluted to a safe ratio per Dr. Roark’s materials and teachings. If you are interested in learning more about using essential oils with your dog or your other animals, here are some great (free) places to start!

Dr. Roark’s Essential Oil Safety Guide
Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs
Essential Oils for Aging Animals
Top 10 Essential Oils and Supplements to Support Your Dog Daily

Even though I am also a DoTerra rep, my focus has always been to explore the world of herbology and aromatherapy through the creation of products for myself, family and friends and to witness the results first hand. That said, if you find something you would like to try please let me know, I have all of the oils in my inventory and would welcome the opportunity to find the right combination for your dog or animal. Just send me an email!