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 More information on Dogs and Smell
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Since prehistoric times, Man has had one faithful
companion – his dog. Sometimes a pet, sometimes a working or hunting
dog, but nearly always inseparable, Man has relied on his canine
companion for many things – particularly his sense of smell. It
is a dog’s most highly developed sense - their wet noses dissolve
the scent molecules and help them detect smells that mere humans
cannot perceive. Just as a human brain is able to learn language,
so a large part of a dog’s brain is devoted to interpreting their
senses. Smell is the dog’s most advanced sense and is so keen that
it is estimated to be a
million times greater than a human’s. Why ? A dog’s nose has four
times the volume of ours, and whilst a human nose has about 5 million
ethmoidal cells (olfactory) cells, dogs have an average of 200 million
!
All you have to do is look at how a dog’s sense of smell is employed
by humans to see how exceptional that ability is, for canine noses
have been hired to investigate all kinds of mysterious and dangerous
situations – they have successfully sniffed out bombs and explosives,
contraband drugs and tobacco and have been key players in arson
investigations. They have tracked down escaped criminals, illegal
immigrants and lost children and have helped rescue victims of earthquakes
and other disasters. A dogs sense of smell is so finely tuned that
you can train it to pick up a particular human’s footprints even
if the prints were left several weeks earlier and have been trampled
upon.
More recently dogs have been trained to detect human skin cancer,
identifying the illness before it has been diagnosed by doctors.
In a recent study, two dogs given the command ‘seek’ would sniff
a human body and ‘sit’ when they had detected cancerous skin cells.
Scientists are now attempting to use dogs to identify schizophrenia
by training them to detect the pheromones associated with the disorder.
Many dog experts believe that the canine sense of smell helps dogs
‘talk’ to each other and help define their relationship. Dogs use
their olfactory senses to interpret other dog’s pheromones (external
chemical messengers) and learn important information regarding gender
and receptivity to mating, also detecting physiological and emotional
changes and like many other animals, dogs can also detect changes
in weather.
When it comes to food, as we know – there’s nothing like a dog for
appearing as if by magic as soon as their human companion starts
to investigate the contents of the fridge. Wishful thinking ? Olympic
medal standard hearing ? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it’s that nose
again – whilst we know that a certain mix of smells means pizza
– dogs work in the other direction – when they smell pizza, they
are able to identify the individual components of tomato sauce,
cheese and pepperoni. Moving on from those soulful, pleading eyes
accusing their Human of starving them apart, the canine nose can
also recognise emotions such as fear and anxiety – how many time
has a pet owner been feeling unhappy and the dog comes along to
thrust a wet muzzle forward, to offer love, sympathy and an affectionate
lick ? There’s little that escapes that observant nose !
How does a dog smell ?
No, the answer to this isn’t the old joke – terrible ! We’re talking
science here. Dogs’ noses are designed to pick up scents – they
are large and wet which collects and dissolves scent particles far
more easily than ours. These moist noses cause airborne molecules
to stick to and dissolve into the nasal cavity, which is tremendously
rich in blood vessels, nerve endings, and sensory receptive cells.
The information in these molecules is analysed by sensory cells
packed within the nasal membrane, which then convert the scent to
chemical messages which are then in turn transmitted to the olfactory
region of the brain where they are interpreted.
In general the larger or longer the nose of the dog, the more receptor
cells they have and therefore the greater ability to smell. A daschund
for example has 125 million receptor cells, a fox terrier 147 million
and a German Shepherd a whopping 225 million. Human beings on the
other hand, only have a mere 5 million receptor cells. As well as
this highly efficient nose, dogs possess scenting glands along the
roof of the mouth that also capture and transmit additional smells,
so when a dog finds a scent it starts salivating – the wet tongue
helps to pick up and dissolve more scent particles. And you thought
your dog was just dribbling !
Dogs and Essential Oils
In the USA it’s said that Americans use aromatherapy as much as
conventional medicine when it comes to treating their animals, but
it’s only just coming into use in the UK. Just as with humans, essential
oils can be used alongside more conventional treatment – for example
if your pet is receiving pain killing drugs from the vet, there’s
no harm in allowing the animal to breathe a pain relieving oil such
as Lavender at the same time.
As with their human counterparts, certain precautions must be taken
- if in doubt at all, consult your professional veterinary surgeon
before commencing treatment, and pet owners should be warned that
the use of complementary medicine is at their own risk.
The main difference between using Aromatherapy on animals and humans
is in the dosage and application – much smaller doses are used for
animals. Most recommended doses mentioned in books and on bottles,
etc are for a 10 stone human – so the dose must be reduced proportionally
for your dog – e.g. if your dog weighs two stone, then the dose
to use is one fifth of that recommended for humans. The most beneficial
application for dogs is usually via inhalation - for their fur makes
access to skin (and so absorption) limited, and most dogs dislike
bathing to the extent that this method is also discounted.
What ailments can essential oils help with ?
The uses of Aromatherapy are as wide as for humans. Essential oils
can be used for fleas, ticks and other
minute parasites, to keep the coat in good condition, for cuts and
grazes, bites, stings, irritated skin, allergies, coughs, colds
and flu, killing bacteria and viruses on any bedding or blankets,
arthritis, in dog toothpaste and as a breath deodoriser. They can
eliminate those fragrant doggie smells, stop pets from biting wounds,
stop them chewing and scratching, help with toilet training, and
keep bothersome flies away. Interestingly enough it can also prevent
fights and bullying.
Finding the right oil can be a matter of experimentation, requiring
time and much patience, but you will find that the dog will help
you in choosing the right oil for them. Most animals will not lick
material they do not like the taste of and this is what prevents
them from poisoning themselves. One of the best ways of discovering
which oils a dog likes is to hold an open bottle 6” below the nose
and then watch for aversion, indifference or interest. Dogs have
a very good instinct for the essential oils and even seem to know
what is good for them. If you put an oil that is a digestive on
one hand and a pesticide oil on the other, offering him both – a
dog with a stomach upset will invariably come forward to lick the
hand that will do him the most good.
If you are at all worried about the dog ingesting essential oils,
remember that they will have to ingest at least 5ml of any oil to
cause any problems and since you’re only going to be using a few
drops at a time, poisoning is unlikely – but as always, check with
the aromatherapy textbooks, vets or aromatherapist if you are unsure
which oils to use.
When using aromatherapy on animals, you can rarely do harm and their
behaviour will be able to tell you whether or not the oil is having
the desired effect. Experiment, blending and patience are the key
to success. As with humans though, dogs can build up a ‘resistance’
to the properties of the oil being used, so try to treat for short
bursts of time. Alternatively, vary the treatments. Essential oils
can perform a variety of functions and if you are looking for a
relaxing oil, for example, there will be several to choose from,
so if you feel your dog is ‘resisting’ just move on to another oil.
In the final stages of treatment, just like in humans, the attraction
to a particular oil can disappear, and an oil that was once thought
of as being pleasant now takes on unpleasant undertones. Don’t worry
– as with humans, it’s the body’s way of telling you that you no
longer have a need for that oil, it’s completed it’s mission, and
it’s time to stop.
Calming the Canine - Soothing the Over Excited
There are a number of oils you can use that have a calming or relaxing
effect on your dog, and as always, they will help you discover the
right one. Clary Sage, Bergamot, Lavender and Chamomile seem to
be particularly beneficial, and are good to use for calming an animal
prior to travel or moving house. The best way is to test and choose
the oil up to two weeks before you need to use it, which will counteract
any immunity building up.
Soothing the Lonesome or Pining Pooch
Aromatherapy can be very effective if you are leaving your precious
pooch to go on holiday. For up to two weeks before you go on holiday,
introduce an essential oil – it’s best to use a calming, relaxing
oil that the animal likes. Just mix with sweet almond oil or other
carrier oil and rub into the skin, which in turn will impregnate
your clothes or pop a few drops into the final rinse in your washing
machine. The easiest method (particularly if you don’t like the
same oil your pooch does!) is to pop a few drops onto an old T-shirt
that you wear during your time spent with your dog and then when
you go away, leave the T-shirt behind with the dog and a bottle
of the oil with the Dogsitter so they can sprinkle more oil on the
clothing if necessary.
Livening the Lethargic Canine
If your pooch is lethargic or even dog tired (bad joke, I know)
try some stimulating oils to liven him up. Choose oils such as Rosemary,
Basil, Peppermint, any of the citruses or maybe Green Mandarin or
Spearmint as they are also gently uplifting.
One word of advice though – make sure that your dog is lethargic
due to tiredness and not to anything more serious. It is important
to remember that animals can’t tell you when they are in pain and
so can become quiet, lethargic and reluctant to move – visit the
vet first if you are at all unsure.
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