Essential Oils and our Dogs

Judea and her bed are on the floor where substances accumulate.

I love using fragrances in my home but must admit that I never gave much thought about the effects that these smells might be having on my precious dogs.

While surfing the internet, an article popped up and caused me great alarm. The candles, home fragrances, and essential oils that I have been using may be harming my beloved dogs who I want to take the very best care of and protect them. To think that I could be doing something that would hurt them was - is- completely unacceptable.

Because of this concern, I did some additional reading and came across some lists. In addition to the lists, I came to realize just how much more my pups are exposed to these scents and possible toxins more than we humans the caretakers.

Dogs have an amazing ability to smell things many times more than we do. They are also lower to the floor where the scents drop They are also on the floor where the residue of the sprays, diffusion, and burnings collect and then get on our pets coats. As our animals lick themselves, they actually ingest these possibly dangerous, even toxic, substances.

I found the following list on a link provided by iHeartDogs.com

“Some oils that are generally considered safe for dogs when used correctly are:

• Cardamom - Diuretic, anti-bacterial, normalizes appetite, colic, coughs, heartburn and nausea

• Cedarwood - helps to repel fleas, ticks, and dog lice

• Chamomille - promotes relaxation and calming

• Frankincense - has helped in some cases of cancer. Works on the immune system. Has reduced tumors and external ulcers. Increases blood supply to the brain (although it can worsen hypertension so use caution)

• Lavender - can help with relaxation and motion sickness

• Spearmint - helps to reduce weight. Good for colic, diarrhea, nausea. Helps balance metabolism, stimulates gallbladder.

Essential oils that can be safely used with cats in the correct dosage

Remember that cats are much more sensitive to essential oils than other animals. Oils used with cats must be highly diluted and some oils should be avoided altogether. Use therapeutic-grade oils. Do not use essential oils designed for aromatherapy. Do not use oils on cats daily. Use them sparingly and only on an as-needed basis. Always give a cat an escape if you're using a diffuser for yourself.

Some oils that are generally considered safe for cats when used correctly are:

• Cardamom

• Cedarwood

• Frankincense

• Geranium

• Helichrysum

• Lavender

• Myrrh

Essential oils that can be toxic to pets (especially undiluted)

For cats, avoid using:

• Citrus Oils

• Clove

• Basil

• Birch

• Cassia

• Cinnamon

• Clove

• Fennel

• Melaleuca (tea tree)

• Oregano

• Peppermint

• Thyme

• Wintergreen

For dogs, avoid using:

• Anise

• Clove

• Horseradish

• Juniper

• Thyme

• Wintergreen

• Yarrow”

I hope that this gives you a better awareness of something we might be doing that could potentially harm our wonderful pets.

Hogan's Hope Receives Benjamin Franklin Silver

IBPA Announces Finalists in the

31st Annual IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ Program

2019 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards #uPub2019

(Manhattan Beach, CA – April 6, 2019) -- The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) – www.ibpa-online.org – officially announced finalists in its prestigious IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ program, recognizing excellence and innovation in independent publishing.

Connie Bombaci, Killingworth author of Hogan’s Hope: A Deaf Dog, A Courageous Journey, and A Christian’s Faith received the Silver in the category of Inspiration. All finalists were recognized during an awards ceremony on April 5, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois where silver and gold recipients received their award in each of fifty-four categories.

Connie Bombaci was also the recipient of a full scholarship to this year’s IBPA Publishing University. Additionally, for two years in a row, different editions of her book both won the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award, which is quite a distinction.

The full list of finalists in all fifty-four categories is available at the IBPA WEBSITE. Over 1500 entrants were judged in this year's award program.

Hogan’s Hope is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and local bookstores.

"The mission of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ is simple: to recognize excellence and innovation in independent publishing," said IBPA CEO Angela Bole. "Unlike many other award programs, the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards™ demand both editorial and design excellence and entrants are judged independently on both."

This year, over 160 librarians, booksellers, and design and editorial experts – most of whom have decades of book industry experience – judged the books submitted to the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ program. The judging process took seven months, beginning in September 2018 and continuing into March 2019. At the end of the process, over 1,500 unique entrants will receive a written critique from each of the three judges who reviewed their book. The critiques include constructive feedback to help each publisher understand how their book is being perceived by industry professionals, upholding part of IBPA’s mission to serve the independent publishing community through education.

This level of detail has helped the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award™ program remain one of the highest national honors for independent publishers for over 30 years. "When our awards program started,” said IBPA COO Terry Nathan, "we were one of the only ones around. Since then, many other programs have come and gone, but we are proud that our awards continue to do what they did when IBPA started, and that is to help our members improve their publishing programs."

IBPA members and friends were invited to help celebrate the finalists during the April 5, 2019 awards ceremony, a gala dinner programmed at the end of the first day of IBPA Publishing University. Both the ceremony and the conference took place at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Illinois.

"I am truly honored to receive this outstanding award. Hogan’s legacy provided the inspiration to hope no matter what the challenge. IBPA’s recognition and spirit help support the mission of spreading his message that all God’s creatures are worthy of love and acceptance.”