Farm Horizons • April 3, 2017 • Page 15
Submitted photo
Dr. Melissa Shelton of rural Howard Lake creates and sells high-quality essential oil blends to help animals.
“ Of course, you can use anything the wrong way,” she said.
Shelton, who opened Crow River Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic in Howard Lake in 2001, said her practice has always been“ holistically minded,” incorporating many methods of treatment.
At first, essential oils served as simply another veterinary tool. As her passion grew, Shelton started doing essential oil consultations for clients in various countries throughout the world.
Today, Shelton is focused on teaching, writing, and researching, instead of consulting and traditional veterinary work.
“ I had to limit my practice, in order to do one thing well,” she explained.
Oils online
In April 2014, Shelton released her own line of essential oil products for animals, called animalEO, which is available online. Shelton personally tests each blend, and has used oils on parrots, dogs, cats, fish, and an assortment of other animals.“ We’ ve even had hermit crabs,” she said. Many commercial products now contain essential oils, but Shelton said they are often synthetic or“ perfume quality,” rather than medical-grade. Shelton has tested thousands of oils, and said they can
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Submitted photo
Dr. Melissa Shelton moved her essential oils business into a newly constructed building on her property north of Howard Lake this past fall.
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