Our Fabled Nest

As a crunchy dog mama, I look to our natural world for solutions and remedies instead of running straight to the vets, doctor’s office or nearest pharmacy. While those do have their place, I, personally believe that the holistic options are just as good, if not better because we don’t have to worry with unnecessary side effects. Anyone that’s seen a new medication commercial on tv lately knows that at the bottom of the screen or the voice over runs through the list of side effect or when to call your doctor… most of the commercials mention cancer, heart attacks, strokes, suicidal thoughts and the scary list goes on. I’d rather avoid that at all cost.

First off, these are my opinions, my thoughts and what works for my crew. I am not a holistic practitioner nor herbalist. I am just sharing my views, what I’ve learned along my journey, what we do to treat issues, and how we try to live a more natural in touch with mama earth lifestyle. We are all different, what works for some, won’t for others. The things discussed below work amazing for my little family and hope they do the same for yours!

When it comes to general wellness, and bug prevention, I had the pleasure of working with an amazing holistic vet in New Boston, NH. She was a typical vet until she had her “aha” moment and started seeing things in a new light. A wealth of knowledge in Chinese Herbs, acupuncture, and all things holistic (both humans and animals), I truly enjoyed the vet visits and loved being able to bounce ideas to see what would work for my crew. We had a lot of the same ideas and values, so it was a lovely visit for everyone. Our wellness visits always ran over, but I am so grateful our paths crossed! I love to read and research; if, I found an idea I’d bring it to her. She not only inspired me, but it was some of the best insights and lessons!

When I first started going to her, it was for Kytana. In the past, a vet had recommended Chinese herbs; so, Kytana was on those in conjunction with Phenobarbital and Trazodone. Once we moved to New England, I needed a vet to help us get the herbs to successfully manage her seizures. When it was time for her appointment, I drove the 45 minutes to the middle of nowhere to a tiny town where she was located in a tiny two room suite. Not a typical doctor’s office but a cozy, warm inviting space. Imagine lit candles, aromatherapy, cozy couches, warm lighting – cozy perfection! Goodness, this is what we’ve been looking for! Kytana went to her immediately. A normal exam wasn’t really on the menu but a lot of intricate questions regarding Kytana. Does she sleep on cold floors or in the bed? Does she like hot or cold foods? Any similarities in when seizures occur? The strangest things to ask but she was building Kytana’s ayurvedic profile. After her acupuncture, treats and picking up the herbs, she slept soundly without an ounce of anxiety. It was pretty profound in my own naturopathic journey.

The next trip was for Atticus. Same thing, same questions but she saw his Seresto Collar. Immediately, she is like that needs to go. It’s toxic for you and him. Hmm, I knew this was coming for some reason, but it just resonated. I agreed but hesitantly asked what do I do now? Fast forward a few years and four huskies later, I am finding more herbal remedies to add to our arsenal.

Amber Collars

Raw Baltic Amber Collars are so fascinating with how they work. This collar creates static or friction with the fur when worn. The beads are also safe if ingested – that’s always a bonus! When it creates this friction, unwanted bugs, ticks and fleas can’t cling to their fur. These collars last about a year give or take. Amber Collars are recommended to be washed weekly, if worn all the time- personally, we never have had that issue nor do we wash ours. Atticus did roll in a muddy creek once and him and his collar were washed in the creek if that counts. We put them on the day before the hike so the friction can start building, then they wear the collars during the hike, and we usually take them off right before we go to sleep the night of getting back from the trip. You’ll know the collar has expired when the beads become polished. We’ve bought ours from Amber Crown, but Amazon has them too!

Homemade Bug Spray

This is my go-to! Now that we have our four fur kiddos, I make two small 8-ounce bottles at a time and pack both for hiking trips. Hubs and I use it too! All the ingredients serve a purpose- that’s what I love about how we’ve tailor made our spray! Geranium interferes with the olfactory system of bugs to where they can’t smell their “victim”. Lavender is calming, one of my favorite herbs and I love adding it to the spray because it creates linalool. Similar to Eucalyptus, both deter because of their strong smell. Lemongrass has a compound called citral which damages nervous systems of bugs. Grapefruit has citronellal as a compound as do all citrus fruits and can dry out insects. Our carrier oil of choice is Sweet Almond Oil. Originally, I was using fractionated coconut oil but switched after researching and talking with the holistic vet. I love how it makes my skin feel, it’s nontoxic and fun fact, it’s a bee deterrent! No wonder bugs leave us alone and why it works so well for us! Safe, nontoxic, no side effects and we can reapply if we think we need it… which is a rarity unless you’re from the south and you know how those humid deep midsummer southern hikes can be.

This Recipe makes one 8-ounce bottle:

• 2 Tablespoons Sweet Almond Oil
• 1 drop of lavender essential oil
• 1 drop grapefruit essential oil
• 1 drop of eucalyptus essential oil
• 1 drop of lemongrass essential oil
• 1 drop of geranium essential oil

Simply, add all to your glass bottle then fill the rest of the way with water. Put the lid on first (yep, I’ve thrown the mixture all over my kitchen a few times now) then shake lightly. I also shake before use.

Lemon Rosemary Spray

I, initially, was worried about lemon spray since I’ve heard it can burn skin in the sunlight. I have noticed with thick fur it doesn’t bother them and I have never noticed myself getting sunburn any quicker. This one is easy to make and there are 2 ways to make it – both work well but I prefer the “tincture” type of method.

• First option is to cut up 5 or 6 lemons lay in a Tupperware (we use glass because it’s nontoxic) add 4 or 5 sprigs of rosemary, cover with water and let sit for three or four days. Strain into a bottle (those spray ones you can find at dollar tree). Mist lightly over you, and your pet. Bonus add a drop of geranium oil for additional coverage.
• Second option: Cut up the lemons, add the sprig of rosemary cover with water and let simmer for an hour. Once cooled, strain into your spray bottle.

Nontoxic Flea and Tick Collars

All-Natural Flea and Tick Collars are an easy, quick and efficient option. We do have one for each kiddo, these are lightly scented and made with mostly all natural ingredients like peppermint oil, thyme, geranium and almond oil. Deep woods hikes, I usually put these on the kids in addition to everything else… might seem excessive but I don’t want to make a husky angry with pulling ticks off. Nope, and we have a good track record to boot! In New England, we were fortunate bugs didn’t bother us like they do here in Virginia. There, we had a system of putting the collars on each kiddo the day before and they wear them until the night after the hike. Then I would bag each collar with the respective name for storing away until the next adventure. Here not so much. Early March, I order the collars and make sure everyone has it on all the time through late October. I change them every four months and usually don’t purchase through the winter months. Check these out here!

Marigold

Marigold Spray is probably the best pretty smelling “bug spray” I’ve ever used! Not getting too scientific but research shows that the compounds in Marigolds can disrupt life cycles of several bugs including mosquitos. Mosquitos and I have been fighting for many years and I finally have a solution or a combination of remedies that keep them at bay! Easy to use and yes, I know it is for “horses”, but it works well for dogs too and keeps their coats shiny! Check it out here!

Keeping our furry kids bug free and safe on hikes is my top priority. I love figuring out what works and tailoring our tricks for maximum efficiency!

Cheers to our next adventure!