Local Man Treats Animal Ailments With Plant Oils

He's a self-proclaimed jack-of-all-trades. In addition to fixing farm machinery, raising horses and beef cattle and doing ornamental steel work, Christianson dabbles in repairing his ailing animals, although he chooses an unconventional method: essential oils.
Through a distillation process that forces steam through raw plant materials, massage therapy degree the essence of plants like lavender, basil and oregano can be captured in vapor, flavored massage oils then condensed into liquid. Commonly used in cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, perfumes and massage oils, essential oils in their purest forms are used in some countries to heal people.
Once an accepted medical practice, the use of oils extracted from plants has regained popularity in recent years. Aromatherapy, for example, relies on the curative properties of an oil's aroma. On Christianson's farm, oils are given topically or orally to treat infections, fevers, wounds, distemper and professional massage chair other illnesses in horses, cats and any creature that needs medicating.
Christianson says he prefers alternative veterinary medicine over mainstream because he prizes the natural over the manufactured. His farm, for example, is completely organic.
'It hasn't been sprayed in 50 years,' he says.
Likewise, his horses have never been vaccinated or treated with antibiotics, nor does he use conventional wormers.
'We call this alternative medicine, but to me, that's the alternative,' Christianson remarks.