How to Make Herbal Heating Pad
People use heating pads to relax muscles and ease pain. A heating pad is an effective natural pain reliever for pets as well, particularly older pets with arthritis or rheumatism. A heating pad in your pet's bed will make a puppy or kitten feel safe and help an older animal keep warm. While aromatherapy is not recommended for cats, some scented oils like lavender or chamomile have the same calming effects on dogs as they do on people.
Things You'll Need
- Durable cotton fabric like denim or canvas
- Scissors
- Needle
- Strong thread
- Flax seed (about ½ pound)
- Dried lavender or chamomile flowers
- Scented oil (chamomile or lavender)
- Microwave oven
Instructions
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1
Make sure your dog likes the smell of the scented oil or dried flower you plan to use. Put it near the dog's nose and see how he reacts. If he pulls away or appears uninterested, do not use the flower or oil in the heating pad.
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2
Mix the dried flowers or several drops of the scented oil into the flax seed.
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3
Cut the fabric into a rectangle, about 12" x 24".
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4
Fold the fabric inside out.
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Sew the long side and one of the short sides closed. Use very tight stitches or the flax will come out. The heating pad should be oblong, like a sock.
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Turn the heating pad right side out and fill it about halfway full with the flax seed.
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Sew the open end closed, again using very tight stitches.
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Heat the pad in the microwave for about two minutes. Test the pad before putting in your pet's bed, and let it cool if it is too hot. Mix the flax seed around by squeezing the pad to distribute the heat evenly.
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Place the heating pad in your pet's bed at bedtime, or during the day if your pet wants a warm place to sleep.
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Tips & Warnings
When the herbal scent has faded away, replenish it with a few drops of scented oil on the outside of the heating pad.
Do not use pure essential oils for pets. The odors are much too strong for their sensitive noses, and can cause irritation in the nose, eyes and skin. Never use aromatherapy or scented oils on cats. These can be lethal and can cause liver failure because cats' livers are not able to process the chemical compounds contained in the oils.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
