lemon balm and your pet

How To Make lemon balm and your pet

• 1

  Lemon balm's essential oil, usually labeled melissa oil, is so expensive that it's often misrepresented. Much of what is sold as steam-distilled Melissa oil is really a blend of citronella and lemon grass. True Melissa oil costs up to $1 per drop. That's because it takes 3 to 5 tons of fresh lemon balm to produce a single pound of essential oil. Fortunately, Melissa hydrosol, the "flower water" byproduct of steam distillation, is far less expensive and has the same healing benefits.
• 2

  Spray full-strength Melissa hydrosol in the air and directly on your dog's coat to deodorize, disinfect, improve coat quality, reduce anxiety, and treat skin allergy problems, fungal infections, rashes, irritations, and hot spots.
• 3

  "For a health maintenance regimen, this works well," "You can treat chronic conditions with 2 drops per pound on a three-weeks-on, one-week-off cycle. This way the body has a week to assimilate the changes and healing process. Then the treatment can be adjusted as necessary. For acute conditions, give 2 drops per pound per day."
• 4

  For pet use, add 1/4 teaspoon hydrosol per cup of drinking water. Full-strength hydrosol can be added to food at the rate of 1 drop per pound of body weight per day, which is 1/2 teaspoon for a 30-pound dog and 1 teaspoon for a 60-pound dog. With their sensitive noses, dogs may at first avoid water to which Melissa hydrosol has been added. Introducing it in small amounts, starting with just a few drops in the water bowl, can make it more palatable. As noted earlier, if your dog is ill or dehydrated, serve plain water or water containing broth as a flavor enhancer to encourage drinking. Most dogs accept the addition of hydrosols to food without a problem, but if yours has a picky appetite, try starting with tiny amounts. Alternatively, use an eye dropper to fill an empty two-part gelatin capsule with hydrosol and hide it in a favorite food.
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