Frankincense/essential oil expertise?

[cate1124]

Has anyone used the essential oil Frankincense topically for a chicken? My 10-year-old buff orpington Tess is failing; I don't know for sure why (apart from being vulnerable in the way of old things), but she has symptoms I interpret as neurological, including circling, not cuing off the flock, no longer roosting, possible visual impairment. But it could also be cancer. She has quit eating and is light and weak.

My poultry vet says another of her clients used one drop of Frankincense on their neurological chicken's head for three days, and she got entirely better, after all her veterinary approaches failed. This sounds like hokum to me, but if I should try it, my question is how to dilute it. I have seen essential oils should not be used undiluted, and read in an online chart 6 drops to an ounce of carrier oil (I would use olive oil). Then I guess I would rub a drop of that on her comb. Anyone with expertise: Is that roughly correct?

I think Tess is just old and dying, and if whatever is killing her now doesn't finish the job, something else soon will. So even if I do "save" her, I can't say I'd be doing her any favors. Still, I wonder if anyone who has expertise with essential oils could advise me if I decide to try Frankincense. It's hard to just stand by (and admittedly can be harder on our hens when we don't do exactly that, and just let them go). Kind of breaks my heart to lose her, after more than a decade together, and her the flock leader.

 

[nuthatched]

Frankincense is good for bruises but I don't think it's going to help neurological problems.
10 is fairly geriatric.
What's her diet? Have you tried vitamin therapy?

 

[cate1124]

16 percent Layena crumbles. Nutri-Drench in one waterer, Rooster Booster in another, so getting vitamins and electrolytes that way. (She was drinking until recently.) I tried pilling her with Vit. E yesterday, but she squawked and struggled much more than she has previously when I've had occasion to pill her. I think it now hurts and/or scares her to be handled -- she seemed worse after -- and I am loathe to hurt or scare her. Nor am I seeing classic signs of Vit. E deficiency.

 

[Eggcessive]

I agree that she is just elderly and may be shutting down. However, a chicken vitamin, such as Poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell or others may help her appetite. Is she pooping, and what does it look like? Pictures may be helpful.

 

[cate1124]

I agree that she is just elderly and may be shutting down. However, a chicken vitamin, such as Poultry NutriDrench or Poultry Cell or others may help her appetite. Is she pooping, and what does it look like? Pictures may be helpful.

Her poop is unformed, essentially liquid, and she is not pooping much as she is not eating. A couple days ago, I got her out on dirt in sunshine, and she ate a fair amount of scattered treats -- egg, raw hamburger, seed, grapes, tomatoes -- which made me wonder about her vision, assuming the contrast between the food and the dirt (rather than a feeder) made it easier to see. She also drank a lot of the NutriDrench water. She did not have the same response yesterday, though, and weather is not amenable to having her out today.

I do not see evidence of cataracts in her eyes, but I could be missing it, or any visual impairment could be due to neurological issues.

 

[ManueB]

beta-caryophyllene is the only component in frankincense essential oil that could potentially help neurological issues. It's a terpen similar to that found in cannabis, and for humans frankincense EO is used to help with anxiety, and for palliative relief with end of life. So it's not completely crazy.

I've only used it on a wound for a chicken and I used one EO drop for 9 drops of carrier oil. I think your ratio is more diluted. Should you decide to use it, I would suggest beginning with even less EO because it will be relatively close to her nostril and inhaling it would make it a lot more potent.

 

[cate1124]

beta-caryophyllene is the only component in frankincense essential oil that could potentially help neurological issues. It's a terpen similar to that found in cannabis, and for humans frankincense EO is used to help with anxiety, and for palliative relief with end of life. So it's not completely crazy.

I've only used it on a wound for a chicken and I used one EO drop for 9 drops of carrier oil. I think your ratio is more diluted. Should you decide to use it, I would suggest beginning with even less EO because it will be relatively close to her nostril and inhaling it would make it a lot more potent.

Thanks so much; I appreciate your knowledge, as I am ignorant about essential oils. Do you think, then, that 6 drops to an ounce of carrier would be at least not harmful? The chart I found gave options for a 1% or 2% final solution; 6 drops to an ounce is the former, weaker option. (1 drop to 9 drops would be around 11 percent, much stronger.) I'm assuming it would just be a drop of that, then, rubbed on her comb, as putting it on head feathers seems pointless. (Maybe I should take some, too, for anxiety. )

 

[Eggcessive]

Since she was eating hamburger, seeds, grapes, tomatoes, and grasses or bugs, she would need to be getting some granite poultry grit to help her gizzard grind those foods. I put it out in a separate container for them to take as needed. A bit of cottage cheese or plain yogurt with lice cultures might be helpful, and could be mixed into a small portion of food.

 

[cate1124]

Since she was eating hamburger, seeds, grapes, tomatoes, and grasses or bugs, she would need to be getting some granite poultry grit to help her gizzard grind those foods. I put it out in a separate container for them to take as needed. A bit of cottage cheese or plain yogurt with lice cultures might be helpful, and could be mixed into a small portion of food.

Thanks. I'd made sure a few days ago that granite grit was spread on boards and sill plates in the coop, as weather has kept them inside for long stretches. They're all ignoring it. I've heard of and fed plain yogurt, but lice cultures?! Would that be in the dairy aisle?

No grass or bugs here now, though she probably got some grit just pecking around in the dirt, which has some small stones.

She is just not wanting to eat anything now, so whatever I offer may be irrelevant unless that changes.

 

[ManueB]

Thanks so much; I appreciate your knowledge, as I am ignorant about essential oils. Do you think, then, that 6 drops to an ounce of carrier would be at least not harmful? The chart I found gave options for a 1% or 2% final solution; 6 drops to an ounce is the former, weaker option. (1 drop to 9 drops would be around 11 percent, much stronger.) I'm assuming it would just be a drop of that, then, rubbed on her comb, as putting it on head feathers seems pointless. (Maybe I should take some, too, for anxiety. )

1% would be absolutely safe topically on paper. Sorry, I'm not familiar with US weight and volume units, so I didn't realise exactly how much this made.
I would still say..use your nose, frankincense EO smells extremely strong. If you feel the mix still smells very strong, you might want to dilute it even more. The comb is your best option, wattles are too near her beak and nostril.

You could certainly apply some of that dilution on your wrist, but it's a love it or hate it smell .

In all honesty, while I think it may possibly soothe her, I can't really believe it will miraculously cure her. It seems more likely the hen who recovered did so by herself.