How I found zoopharmacognosy by Carol Fieldhouse

I’ve had Caroline Ingraham’s book ‘Help your dog heal itself’ for some time but never got started using it. By pure chance, a friend told me about a canine course being run locally to me. In the end, the friend didn’t go and I did. Perhaps it was meant to be! Before attending there were various recorded webinars to watch and those inspired me so much that I ordered my own kit of oils, waters and nutrients to get me started properly!

The workshop I attended

Everyone on the two-day course had watched the online canine webinars as homework beforehand so the course was a refresher and very practical. We were from a wide variety of dog-related backgrounds – a vet, veterinary nurses, dog trainers/walkers, holistic dog groomers, dog massage therapists and pet owners. A number of different dogs visited so we could learn how to apply the Zoopharmacognosy.

One great teacher was a gorgeous Working Cocker Spaniel. He was hyperactive, eating socks and other things. His owner said he never relaxed. Gradually, as the different oils were selected it became apparent which he wanted and we could deduce possible reasons. He’d been long docked as a puppy (apparently a Vet in America says all dogs have pain along the spine after being docked) and Caroline has found it is quite common for docked dogs to indicate they need remedies such as St John’s Wort and birch applied to their spine. This little fella clearly indicated he wanted it there. Once this, and other selected oils, had been sniffed and/or applied, the little dog lay down and snoozed. The energy in the whole room changed from frantic to calm and relaxed. It was wonderful, his owner said it was unheard of for him to relax! What an amazing gift this is. He must have been in pain all the time.