Best Pet Articles
Search

Essential Oils and MRSA

Web Search

Natural preventative pet care isn't a new thing but it certainly isn't fully mainstream yet. One of the challenges is being able to re-educate the public to think outside of the box. For so many years we've been told over and over again by traditional care providers that our pets need yearly vaccinations, prevention medicines for heartworm, fleas, and ticks, and feeding premium kibble. We've been told these will all lead to ultimate wellness in our pets. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While we continue to struggle with conquering the mountain of "alternative care is for new age, crystal toting, chanting hippies", our pets are getting sicker rather than healthier. One of the most challenging problems on the rise is super resistant bacteria that are increasingly resistant to the traditional use of antibiotics. Most notably is the rise of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). This is a staph infection that the antibiotic methicillin can no longer kill. MRSA is passed from humans to pets and it is still mutating into strains in different species animals. Horses have developed their own strain and antibiotics are not the answer! In fact, the overuse of antibiotics is part of the main reason that these bacteria have mutated and evolved.

This staph infection is deadly and can and does kill humans and animals. In fact, this very thing happened to Jill Moss' most beloved white Samoyed, Bella. Jill lost Bella to this staph infection a little over a year ago. It prompted Jill to take serious action and bring the knowledge of this deadly strain of bacteria to the world so that other pet owners and people would not have to suffer the loss she has. Jill has instituted the Bella Moss Foundation (http://www.TheBellaMossFoundation.com ) and Pets-MRSA (http://www.Pets-MRSA.com ) to help bring not only knowledge about MRSA, but hope, help and healing.

Research has already begun on finding ways to stop these virulent bacteria. Scientists at the University of Manchester in England have found that three essential oils destroyed MRSA! Dr. Peter Warn, who was involved in the research, told the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) back in December of 2004 that when he tested the oils in the lab, "absolutely nothing grew. Rather than stimulating bacteria and fungi, the oils killed them off."

One diligent product formulator for a therapeutic essential oils company discovered that two of the oils used were Melaleuca alternafolia and geranium.

So why are essential oils proving so effective at killing even the most virulent bacteria such as MRSA? According to Jacqui Stringer, the Clinical Lead of Complementary Therapies at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, England which treats cancer patients, the reason that essential oils are so effective is because they are made up of a complex mixture of chemical compounds which super bugs such as MRSA find difficult to resist. I would add that because these compounds are naturally occurring and derived from plants -the "blood" of plants - no two oils are exactly alike ever, which is the perfect complex compound to combat a mutating super bug! Current treatments, according to Stringer, are made up of single compounds (like antibiotics) so the MRSA becomes resistant very quickly and leaving only 50% success in the cases of MRSA. Think about that: only a 50/50 chance of survival. Those are not good odds. The hope comes with this new alternative approach to battling these superbugs.

Another added benefit of using essential oils to combat and help prevent (prevention is the goal in stopping MRSA) the spread of MRSA is the application: inhaled either directly or by diffusing them. MRSA is often carried inside the nose so inhaling the essential oils is all that is needed to prevent patients being at risk. This makes them very easy to administer to both humans and pets.

The biggest deterrent to progressing further in the research with the essential oils and combating these superbugs has been funding. In January 2005, the Manchester researchers were having problems obtaining the £30,000 needed for their research to continue. Shortly after finding out about this, Jimmy Savile the former host of the British television program 'Jim'll Fix It", has donated £40,000 for the research to continue! The problem with the funding was that since essential oils are naturally occurring as I stated above, drug companies are really not interested in helping this type of work because they can't profit from a product that is naturally occurring since they can't be patented.

This is really reprehensible since this kind of research could potentially help save thousands of lives and completely stamp out MRSA.

I for one am very excited to see more and more research being done in bringing healing and hope to many, using what God created for us to use in the first place!

News article references:

http://www.irishhealth.com/?level=4&id=6820
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4116053.stm
http://www.innovations-report.de/html/berichte/medizin_gesundheit/bericht-38150.html
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=6975
http://nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=56962&n=dh357&c=GICenlwpeazyefa
http://tahilla.typepad.com/mrsawatch/mrsa_wounds_essential_oils/
http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=56957-essential-oils-in
http://www.media52.net/archives/000199.html
http://www.courant.com/classified/custom/pets/petworld/hc-cl-pets-0608,0,3927853.story
http://quikonnex.com/channel/item/14556

About the Author:

Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator helping pet owners learn alternative and natural ways to care for their pets. To learn more about the essential oils visit her pet care & supply website at Aspenbloom Pet Care. Visit her dog's blog to learn more about caring for pets naturally from a canine perspective at A Dog's View

Kim is now a USA Representative for the Bella Moss Foundation.


MORE RESOURCES:

The Associated Press

Settlement to be argued in big pet food case
The Associated Press - 2 hours ago
MOUNT LAUREL, NJ (AP) — Thousands of pet owners whose dogs and cats died last year after eating contaminated pet food traced to China could be close to a ...
Settlement to be argued in big pet food case BusinessWeek
Settlement To Be Argued In Big Pet Food Case MyFox Philadelphia
Settlement To Be Argued In Pet Food Recall Case WCBS-TV New York
all 92 news articles


System designed to help reduce unwanted pets
USA Today - 7 hours ago
San Antonio has joined a growing number of communities mandating pet owners pay for licenses when their pets give birth if they intend to sell the offspring ...
Animal communication for skeptics San Francisco Chronicle
all 2 news articles


Pets Drive Gift Giving Trends This Holiday Season
MarketWatch - 14 hours ago
GREENWICH, Conn., Oct 13, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- More than half of all dog and cat owners will be buying gifts for their pets this holiday season- about 83 ...


BBC News

Call for ban on primates as pets
BBC News, UK - 14 hours ago
By Mark Kinver A loophole in animal welfare laws that allows primates to be kept as household pets should be closed, an MP has urged. ...


California Animal Rehabilitation program helps dogs, cats and ...
Daily Breeze, CA - 13 hours ago
Waldman, who worked as a doctor at several traditional animal hospitals before founding CARE, said she couldn't stand seeing otherwise healthy pets be ...
Tips to help with your pet's mobility Pasadena Star-News
all 3 news articles


Pets Lose Homes As Owners Face Hard Times
WAAY, AL - 12 hours ago
And for some, that means giving up their family pet. The Decatur Animal Shelter houses just a few of the hundreds of dogs and cats waiting for someone to ...
Decatur Animals Affected by Struggling Economy WHNT
all 2 news articles


BBC News

Fires & High Winds mean evacuate people, pets and livestock now.
NewsReleaseWire.com (press release) - 12 hours ago
Hanson Dam and North Valley Evacuation Center- (Horses and pets.) San Fernando HS and Sylmar HS for human evacuees. (Humans) Red Cross for human needs. ...
Video: Wildfires Send Thousands Running From Homes AssociatedPress
Fire in Little Tujunga Canyon Area Forces Evacuations MyFox Los Angeles
Fire in Little Tujunga Canyon Area Forces Evacuations MyFox Los Angeles
all 3,871 news articles


Pudgy pets pose problems
Tri Valley Herald, CA - 13 hours ago
So, should your pet start an Atkins Diet? Ramsey is a "cheese-aholic." At 6 years old and 156 pounds, this bull mastiff listens for his owner to unwrap the ...


Day care centers, cremation services now offered for your pets
ABS CBN News, Philippines - Oct 12, 2008
With their busy schedules and nobody to watch over their dogs and cats, pet owners can now leave their "babies" at Pooch Park Doggie Day Care . ...


Exotic pets not the best choice for families
TheNewsTribune.com, WA - 4 hours ago
LINDSEY TANNER; AP American Veterinary Medical Association: www.avma.org CHICAGO – Warning: Young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets – or hamsters, ...

Pets - Google News

home | site map | SubArticle
© 2008