How to Keep Cats Out of the Christmas Tree

2014, Furry Friday, home remedies

Nov 192014

How to Keep Cats Out of the Christmas Tree

So, you’re looking to find a way on how to keep cats out of the Christmas Tree? I was too a few years ago. You see, we had a litter of very mischievous kittens that year and in fear that I would awake to a tree tipped over, broken ornaments and water everywhere, I opted to set up an artificial tree despite always having a real tree.

So we set up our new-to-us (I got it off of freecycle) artificial tree, but of course, not without help. All the fur babies had to get in on the task. Them helping was a feat in itself. Finally after getting it standing, fixing the branches, and getting it completely decorated – I thought it really looked nice – for a fake tree.

Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil Review

2014, Beauty, Content, home remedies, Medical Monday

Aug 222014

If you’re not familiar with Tea Tree Oil you might just want to take the time to familiarize yourself with this wonderful organic home remedy.

Tea Tree Oil comes from the Melaleuca tree. The leaves of the tree are put through a process to extract the oil. In turn, this oil, which has antimicrobial properties (anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral) – is a fabulous natural medicinal alternative.

Tea Tree Oil has so many uses. I’ve personally cured ringworm, cleared up cold sores, healed a huge burn on my arm from bacon fat (no I’m not going to tell you that the burn didn’t hurt when putting the oil on – but once that hurt went away a short few minutes later – I couldn’t feel that burn unless I pressed hard on the area).

Other uses for Tea Tree oil are (many more not listed):

Skin care – acne, facial toner, moisturizing face wash, body scrub, deodorant, eczema
First Aid – ringworm, staphylococcus, MRSA4
Household cleaning – from soaps to cleaning the bathroom
Hair care -shampoo, dry scalp, cradle cap
Aromatherapy – air fresheners, massage oils, reed diffusers
Dental care -toothpaste, mouthwash

Is all Tea Tree Oil the same?

The answer to that is no. Some companies add additives that can reduce the oil’s properties. A pharmaceutical grade is always your best option. You’ll also want to make sure that the tea tree oil is a dark colored bottled that is air-tight. It needs to be stored away from sunlight and air as much as possible, so that its effectiveness isn’t compromised.

Here’s the back label of Apothecary Extract Tea Tree Oil:

Do you see where it says – “Gas chromatography tested?” That’s an important piece of information if you’re wondering about the quality of the tea tree oil you’re looking to purchase.

If you don’t see this on the packaging – you can ask the company/supplier you’re buying from for their gas chromatography report and to compare it to the ISO standards found at http://www.teatree.org.au/standards.php. Don‘t be surprised if you can’t be provided with these test results though. It’s said that these tests are expensive to perform and some companies would rather you not know what is in their product.

That said, you know you’re getting a quality product when you purchase Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil.

Side Effects of Tea Tree Oil

One can be allergic to tea tree oil just as with anything else. The best way to determine if you’ll experience any side effects – do a skin test on your arm or leg by rubbing the oil on an area no bigger than the size of a nickel. If you don‘t experience any skin irritation or other side effects, you should feel confident that you are not allergic to tea tree oil and can begin using it. If you find yourself having a slight reaction after testing it – you’ll want to stop using right away, or try mixing it with a carrier oil such as coconut oil or almond oil to dilute it. Whatever you do – do not ingest any tea tree oil.

How does the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil Rate?

I’ve written about the use of tea tree oil in the past (read that post here); and although the brand I used was not this one – you’ll find this one to be equivalent to the one that I was using. The scent of Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil is that of what I’m used to using. The oil has the consistency of what I’ve used in the past. The smell is the same. It arrived in a dark colored bottle (the one you see above), which is mandatory for keeping its potency.

Shortly after receiving the bottle, which couldn’t’ have come at a better time since we had just finished our last bottle, I came down with a cold sore. These are common for daughter and myself. I immediately went to the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil and began putting it on the sore. Within just a couple of days – the sore began to dry up. The itching went away shortly after applying the oil. So I can tell you that the Apothecary brand works the way I would expect it to.

Our home always has a supply of tea tree oil and black salve on hand – that’s not an option, but is mandatory. We believe in these products 110%. The Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil will be a staple in our house from now on. There are just so many brands out there it’s hard knowing which brand you can trust. That said, in reviewing this particular brand, I learned a lot and have much confidence in the product.

The Perks of Purchasing the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil

When you purchase this brand’s tea tree oil – you will receive an eBook with many recipes on ways to use the oil. The eBook also touches base on the history of tea tree oil. The bottle I received was a 4-oz. bottle and this will last us a very long time. Not only that – the price of the 4-oz bottle of Apothecary Extracts brand – is one of where you’ll be getting more for your money.

You’ll find the Apothecary Extracts Australian Tea Tree Oil at Amazon.com

Are you a tea tree oil user? What do you like best about the oil?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Home Remedy for Dog and Cat’s Crusted, Runny, or Infected Eyes

Daily Meme's, Furry Friday, home remedies, Pets

Oct 182013

Great Home Remedy for Cat’s and Dog’s Eyes

I want to share with you a home remedy for dogs and cats that have crusted eyes, runny eyes, or appear to possibly have an eye infection. This method has worked for me on many occasions and is super simple and cheap.

Meet Gracie – the latest to receive this eye remedy:

Black Salve, Ichthammol Ointment, Drawing Salve – all the same!

Furry Friday, home remedies, Medical Monday

Feb 182011

BLACK SALVE….aka…Drawing Salve, Ichthammol, Black Drawing Salve not to be confused with the black drawing salve made with bloodroot also referred to as black drawing salve and is used for skin cancer.

UPDATE 6/22/14: The salve I’ve been using (below) has either gotten extremely hard to find or extremely EXPENSIVE. That said, I’ve ordered this Squire Drawing Salve at Amazon.com (NOTE: the image below shows that the label is blue – it is NOT. The product I have is the red label you see when clicking on the link):

drawing salve

Now, I can’t tell you how well it works compared to what I had been using, but can tell you that it contains the same ingredients as the Perrigo brand and is a drawing salve like Perrigo’s. The other important piece that I have noticed once I received this, is that the scent of this brand’s isn’t as strong as Perrigo’s….whether that be good or bad – I don’t know yet.

I do know that it smells exactly like the Prid brand drawing salve, which I know has worked on healing other issues on humans. That said, I’m COUNTING on it working as well as Perrigo’s and will update you after I’ve tried it out on a cat’s abscess (it’s only a matter of time before one of the 13 cats gets another).

****ORIGINAL POST****

I have been dying to tell you about my encounters with Black Salve. So, for you who don’t know what it is, or would like to read what black salve is all about….here you go. This stuff has saved me so much money in vet bills you can’t even begin to imagine! Plus, I have saved countless trips to the doctors using Black Salve….read on!

For purposes of this writing, I am going to use the ingredients you’d find in Ichthammol ointment. It is made from sulfonated shale oil and combined with other ingredients, like lanolin or petroleum, to treat skin problems. It comes in different strength concentrations. Ichthammol ointment, well-known for its drawing effect, also has antibacterial, antimycotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Ichthammol ointment can be useful to treat different types of skin conditions in both humans and animals.* And…don’t say I didn’t warn you…it stinks!

This is the same exact product (below) I use to treat…boils, ingrown hairs, pimple like lesions that don’t come to a head (sorry…don’t know how to describe them otherwise), slivers, and the countless abscesses my cats have encountered (as they aren’t too smart and have to fight thinking they each own the home). I recommended this to a friend when she had no health insurance as she had an issue with a toe nail…she told me it worked like a charm! One can find it online at Amazon.com and many other online retailers as well as in pharmacies. I would not hesitate in buying the product below either – it’s the same as the one below – just by a different company. If you don’t have the need for the larger tub above, try this.

So here’s what you do with it:

Boils:

When you have a boil manifesting apply the black salve to the area and cover with a bandaid. Continue this treatment…usually about 3 days until the boil or pimple like lesion erupts and begins to drain. Once this happens, you need to stop using it right away. Next, I use a triple anti-biotic ointment on the wound to help keep the area from getting infected (not always necessary…but I like to be on the cautious side…you know…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…kinda thing). That’s it!

The lesions I refer to are very common for my son who has multiple handicaps. He gets them on his back and on one shoulder. Just recently, he had one on his lower back…it looked so sore! So I applied the ointment at bedtime, and come morning…yes…the very next morning, the lesion opened and drained. It’s was completely healed in two days. He has fabulous skin otherwise. I am actually thinking these lesions may be a result of the fabric softener I insist on using in my laundry (they contain oils I recently discovered). I am going to try the Purex Crystals to see if these lesions disappear as the Crystals don’t contain oils.

Cat Abscesses

On my cats abscesses I use the ointment the very same way, except of course, no bandaids. As I write this, I am in the processing of nursing Ollie Ollie (cat) back to normal as over the past week he had developed a lump on his hind quarter. It was getting huge, and as it did, I could tell it was an abscess (it ended up being the size of a golf ball by the time it erupted). So three days ago, I began applying the black salve to a good portion of the lump…I couldn’t find the wound that caused it. I also applied a warm wash cloth (only because he let me) to the area. Last night, I went to check it to see how it was as he was lying on it. Well…it had erupted and was draining real well. I am thinking he knew it needed to drain, and it more than likely felt good to relieve the pressure, so he laid on that side which he had been avoiding for the past week. Today, I began using the triple anti-biotic ointment to the area and will continue to do so for a few days. I am sure he’ll be as good as new…he’s already giving me loves again. I did have to clean my couch as that’s where he was lying when it drained…but that’s a small price to pay considering what the vet bill would’ve been!

I have treated MANY abscesses on my cats like this and only once did I have to take one to the vet. Mr. Mu had one near his ear and I just couldn’t get it to go away. No matter what I had done, he would have needed that abscess surgically drained as it was in his ear as well. That’s what he gets for thinking he’s all that and more!

Cost

A tube of black salve costs all of $4 – $8 depending on where you purchase it. I would venture to say I have saved over $2000 over the years treating the cats’ abscesses this way…never mind the doctor visits I would have had to attend for us humans. Below is the very exact product I use. I always keep a tube in the house whether it’s needed at the time or not, as I have run into having to have the pharmacist order it. Of course…when it has to be ordered, this means I have to wait for it to come in…delaying treatment!

Slivers

For slivers, the smalls one that aren’t too deep, I find it works well on. However, when I get a sliver…I want the thing out NOW. I am a baby when it comes to pain so I will get myself some ice, a needle, and a pair of tweezers and get rid of it the old fashion way! That being said, I found my daughter would much rather deal with the sliver and wait for the salve to work…no needles for her. If after reading this you have any questions…feel free to ask. I know sometimes it’s hard to digest whether you can trust an article that’s been written, or wonder if…can I safely use it for? …So please, don’t hesitate to ask…anything! *Taken from the product description of: Ichthammol 20% Draw Out Drawing Salve Ointment

Skin Cancer – black drawing salve made with bloodroot – Do your homework before using this.

The black drawing salve that one needs to be very aware of is the one made with bloodroot. It is often used to treat skin cancer. Some people claim this ointment is a lifesaver for skin cancers. I would have to really, and I mean really, read up on reviews before I would use it for that.

TEA TREE OIL…have you ever tried it?? It’s fabulous!

home remedies

Feb 122011

Since I have discovered Tea Tree Oil (thanks to my MIL) a few years ago, I use it all the time now. It’s a great fungicide and antiseptic. My first encounter with Tea Tree Oil, was when my son (who’s severely disabled at that) had ringworm. No idea where he got it other than thinking it had to be person to person contact from support staff at school. I was having a hard time getting rid of it so my MIL suggested trying the Tea Tree Oil. Within a few days…the ringworm was gone….I was thrilled.So then, my MIL was saying how it was good for cold sores which are related to the herpes virus. Well…I had my days when I went through my divorce (stress and sun are the most common causes of the sores erupting) where my face looked like I had a severe case of acne around my mouth and the doctor gave me some cream and pills for it.

That’s how I treated these sores for many years until…Tea Tree Oil became my best friend. I put this on several times a day when I get one, and within just a few days, they are drying right up. Well…I burned my forefinger on a cookie sheet and it hurt like crazy….worse than when I burnt my arm on pan drippings of bacon fat a few months ago. The burn last night started to immediately bubble. I put ice on the burn and Bactine w/pain reliever, but neither helped. I was not a happy camper.

So, my MIL calls and I tell her what I did. She told me to get out the Tea Tree Oil. I said, “Are you sure? That’s an oil and they tell you not to use oils.” She says…”Look it up on the Internet.” So, I did and sure enough, treating burns with it was right there amongst a ton of other uses. I got the bottle of oil… put some on my burn and it hurt…massively hurt but within a few minutes I couldn’t feel it any longer…only if I pressed real hard on the area. The next morning when I got up…still no pain. I was amazed.

Well, if you knew me…you know how much I like to pick things :-(, and I decided to pop that blister. We all know how popping blisters can be just as irritating as the burn. So I put the oil on it…thought it couldn’t hurt. Doing so made it burn at first, but when I did dishes not two hours later, I had no idea I even had a burn on that finger!

Tea Tree Oil can be used in the following ways: To treat acne, athlete’s feet, eczema, various yeast infections, on cuts and burns, in a vaporizer to loosen chest congestion, in shampoo to destroy head lice, added to bath water for persistent body odor, sinus infections, dandruff and dry scalp, as an all purpose cleaner, mixed w/kosher salt to scrub the bathroom tub and tiles, to the dishwasher dispenser, laundry, removing musty odors, insect repellent, on sunburns, ear mites in cats and dogs, fungus nails, ear aches, cankers (mouth ulcers), boils, ticks and leeches, to keep germs at bay on baby items (high chair, car seat, etc), and more.

Two things to keep in mind…1. When purchasing, make sure it’s in a dark bottle like you see in the picture above (that’s oil I use). The dark bottle keeps it from light shining through, which in turn will destroy the oil’s potency. And, 2. Do NOT ingest it orally.

Am I a believer of Tea Tree Oil…you betcha!

Soon I will write about my experiences with Black Salve…another fabulous find that I recommend to many….especially if you’re a pet owner of animals who get abscesses.

Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar

Daily Meme's, home remedies, Medical Monday, Thursday Thriftiness

Jan 212011

THE MANY USES FOR APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

For all the mommies who use cloth diapers…when you launder then add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to the final rinse water. This will make them softer and help prevent diaper rash.

Anti-inflammatory/antibacterial agent: When mixing sea salt with apple cider vinegar and applying it to sprains, Ringworm, nail fungus, bunions, corns, calluses, warts, shingles, boil, ant black fly, mosquito bites, wasp, bee stings and even poison ivy it acts as a powerful antibacterial agent and anti-inflammatory.

For a bloody nose: apply a compress of 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar and 1 cup water to the base of the neck to the top of the nose- this helps constrict blood vessels.

Bugs: Repel lice and bed bugs with a combination of the essential oils of tea tree, rosemary, lavender, and peppermint. Make them into a spray and spray on hair and bedding.

Digestive: It is to be believed that apple cider vinegar improves digestive ailments, correcting constipation, improving digestion and increasing one’s metabolic rate. One cup of warm water mixed with one tbsp apple cider vinegar will help heartburn when sipped slowly.

Indigestion, nausea, and motion sickness is claimed to improve when you drink a mix of 2 tsp. of apple cider vinegar and raw honey in a glass of warm water daily.

Congested anyone? This is a good one….mix 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar and honey in a cup of hot water and drink 3 times a day. It breaks up mucus congestion and cough. Honey, in itself, is known to calm the airways of asthmatics.

Fabulous Home Remedies

home remedies

Jan 012011

The home remedies I write about are remedies I use time and time again. I save a LOT of money with these remedies and reap the benefits in my bank account.

On this page are entries regarding:

1. Tea Tree Oil

2. Black Salve

BLACK SALVE OINTMENT….aka…Drawing Salve, Ichthammol, Black Drawing Salve

What is this salve? Well…if you go to a store you would more than likely find…Ichthammol ointment on the shelf, or many times you need to ask the pharmacist for it, as it’s kept in the pharmacy. I have asked some pharmacists for Black Salve, and have them not have a clue what I was talking about, as most only know it by Ichthammol ointment. You can purchase alternative products made with herbs online and possibly in health food stores. For purposes of this writing, I am going to use the ingredients you’d find in Ichthammol ointment. It is made from sulfonated shale oil and combined with other ingredients, like lanolin or petroleum, to treat skin problems. It comes in different strength concentrations. Ichthammol ointment, well-known for its drawing effect, also has antibacterial, antimycotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Ichthammol ointment can be useful to treat different types of skin conditions in both humans and animals.* And…don’t say I didn’t warn you…it stinks! The smell is nothing to write home about!

This is the same exact product I use to treat…boils, ingrown hairs, pimple like lesions that don’t come to a head (sorry…don’t know how to describe them otherwise), slivers, and the countless abscesses my cats have encountered (as they aren’t too smart and have to fight thinking they each own the home). I recommended this to a friend when she had no health insurance as she had an issue with a toe nail…she told me it worked like a charm!

So here’s what you do with it. When you have a boil manefestering apply the black salve to the area and cover with a bandaid. Continue this treatment…usually about 3 days until the boil or pimple like lesion erupts and begins to drain. Once this happens, you need to stop using it right away. Next, I use a triple anti-biotic ointment on the wound to help keep the area from getting infected (not always necessary…but I like to be on the cautious side…you know…an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure…kinda thing). That’s it!

Last night, I went to check it to see how it was as he was lying on it. Well…it had erupted and was draining real well. I am thinking he knew it needed to drain, and it more than likely felt good to relieve the pressure, so he laid on that side which he had been avoiding for the past week. Today, I began using the triple anti-biotic ointment to the area and will continue to do so for a few days. I am sure he’ll be as good as new…he’s already giving me loves again. I did have to clean my couch as that’s where he was lying when it drained…but that’s a small price to pay considering what the vet bill would’ve been!

I have treated MANY abscesses on my cats like this and only once did I have to take one to the vet. Mr. Mu had one near his ear and I just couldn’t get it to go away. Needless to say, no matter what I had done, he would have needed that abscess surgically drained as it was in his ear as well. That’s what he gets for thinking he’s all that and more!

A tube of black salve costs all of $4 – $8 depending on where you purchase it. I would venture to say I have saved over $2000 over the years treating the cats’ abscesses this way…Never mind the doctor visits I would have had to attend for us humans. Below is the very exact product I use. I always keep a tube in the house, whether it’s needed at the time or not, as I have run into having to have the pharmacist order it. Of course…when it has to be ordered, this means I have to wait for it to come in…delaying treatment!

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=onfisayomo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B003IXI2GK
Oh…and ya know…some people claim this stuff is a lifesaver for skin cancers. I would have to really, and I mean really, read up on reviews before I would use it for that. For slivers, the smalls one that aren’t too deep, I find it works well on. However, when I get a sliver…I want the thing out NOW. I am a baby when it comes to pain so I will get myself some ice, a needle, and a pair of tweezers and get rid of it the old fashion way! That being said, I found my daughter would much rather deal with the sliver and wait for the salve to work…no needles for her!

If after reading this you have any questions…feel free to ask. I know sometimes it’s hard to digest whether you can trust an article that’s been written, or wonder if…can I safely use it for? …So please, don’t hesitate to ask…anything!

*Taken from the product description of: Ichthammol 20% Draw Out Drawing Salve Ointment

*******************************************************************************************

TEA TREE OIL…have you ever tried it?? It’s fabulous!

Since I have discovered Tea Tree Oil (thanks to my MIL) a few years ago, I use it all the time now. It’s a great fungicide and antiseptic. My first encounter with TTO, was when my son (who’s severely disabled at that) had ringworm. No idea where he got it other than thinking it had to be person to person contact from support staff at school. I was having a hard time getting rid of it so my MIL suggested trying the Tea Tree Oil. Within a few days…the ringworm was gone….I was thrilled.

So then, my MIL was saying how it was good for cold sores which are related to the herpes virus. Well…I had my days when I went through my divorce (stress and sun are the most common causes of the sores erupting) where my face looked like I had a severe case of acne around my mouth and the doctor gave me some cream and pills for it. That’s how I treated these sores for many years until…Tea Tree Oil became my best friend. I put this on several times a day when I get one, and within just a few days, they are drying right up.

Well…last night I burned my forefinger on a cookie sheet and it hurt like crazy….worse than when I burnt my arm on pan drippings of bacon fat a few months ago. The burn last night started to immediately bubble. I put ice on it and Bactine w/pain reliever but it wasn’t helping. I was not a happy camper. So, my MIL calls and I tell her what I did. She told me to get out the Tea Tree Oil. I said, “Are you sure? That’s an oil and they tell you not to use oils.” She says…”Look it up on the Internet, Sue.” So I did, and sure enough, treating burns with it was right there amongst a ton of other uses. I got the bottle of oil… put some on my burn and it hurt…massively hurt but within a few minutes…I couldn’t feel it any longer…only if I pressed real hard on the area. This morning (Friday) when I got up…still no pain…I was amazed. Well, if you know me…you know how much I like to pick things :-(, and I decided to pop that blister. We all know how popping blisters can be just as irritating as the burn. So I put the oil on it…thought it couldn’t hurt. Doing so made it burn at first, but when I did dishes not two hours later, I had no idea I even had a burn on that finger!

Two things to keep in mind…1. When purchasing, make sure it’s in a dark bottle. The dark bottle keeps it from light shining through which in turn destroys the oil’s potency. And, 2. Do NOT ingest it orally.

Am I a believer of Tea Tree Oil…you betcha!

Soon I will write about my experiences with Black Salve…another fabulous find that I recommend to many….especially if you’re a pet owner of animals who get abscesses.