Dogs have a considerably more acute sense of smell than do humans. If you intend to utilize or diffuse essential oils in your house, this is a very crucial factor to take into account. Adding a few drops of lavender oil to your pet’s bedding could either calm them down or increase their stress levels. Incorrect use of oils can also result in behavioral changes, negative effects on the central nervous system, and respiratory issues.
Essential oil-based natural flea and tick remedies might be challenging. Pet owners may be putting their pets at danger for diseases spread by fleas and ticks since there isn’t enough evidence to prove the effectiveness of these products.
A simple method to utilize essential oils safely on or with your dog is to speak with our veterinary staff. They will tell you of which oils may be hazardous and give you instructions on how to use them in your house securely.
- Always keep all essential oils out of the reach of observant pets. Never leave essential oils alone and keep your dog away from fragrant-smelling substances.
- Never give your dog pure essential oils externally or internally without first talking to your vet. Tea tree oil in particular can be harmful, and there is little proof that it works.
- Before letting your dog back inside after using an active diffuser, check sure the oil you’re using is safe for that specific animal (more on this below).
- In general, passive diffusers are safer, provided your pet doesn’t knock them over. In general, the oil is safer the more diluted it is, but always check with our vets first!
Toxic essential oils for our canine buddies include:
- Oil of pennyroyal
- Pine tar
- Oil of tea tree
- oil of wintergreen
- Oil of cinnamon
- Citrus juice
- oil of peppermint
- Oil of sweet birch
- Yiang Yi
What kind of essential oils are toxic to dogs?
It’s simple to conflate safety with naturalness. But things actually work out a little differently. When utilized incorrectly, essential oils, which are strong compounds, can pose major hazards. If you have ever used essential oils yourself, you are aware of the profound impact only a few drops can have.
Your skin and your dog’s skin may get irritated when oils are applied topically. This can make your dog feel worse and is ineffective for addressing skin disorders. It is therefore advised to refrain from applying essential oils topically or directly to your dog without the appropriate professional assistance. Instead, search for goods with professional formulations that include essential oils suitable for dogs.
Whether ingested or applied topically, the compounds in essential oils are quickly absorbed into the body and processed by the liver. Therefore, administering essential oils to pups, young dogs, dogs with liver illness, or old dogs could be troublesome.
It could cause digestive trouble if your dog can get to the essential oil you applied to him and licks it off. Never leave essential oil containers or bottles where your dog, other animals, or kids could access them. If your dog does consume essential oils, call poison control and your veterinarian right away.
If you utilize or diffuse essential oils in your home, keep in mind that dogs have considerably more powerful noses than humans do. Adding a few drops of lavender oil to a dog’s bedding could either calm them down or increase their tension levels. Inappropriate use of oils can also result in behavioral changes, negative effects on the central nervous system, and major respiratory issues. Certain essential oils are toxic to dogs. This includes oils of wintergreen, ylang ylang, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, citrus, pennyroyal, tea tree (melaleuca), pine, and sweet birch. These oils should not be applied topically or consumed orally.
Veterinarians warn against the use of essential oil-based natural flea and tick preventives. These goods are excluded from the majority of laws because the Environmental Protection Agency views them as low-risk pesticides. Although most incidents of toxicity occurred from product misuse, some negative reactions were documented when owners used them as directed to their dog’s skin to prevent fleas and ticks. Ask your veterinarian for guidance on the best way to incorporate essential oil-based flea and tick control into your dog’s treatment plan since there isn’t enough evidence to support the effectiveness of these products, putting owners who use them at risk of having their dogs contract diseases carried by fleas and ticks.
Is it safe to use oil diffusers around dogs?
You might have recently noticed postings or articles on social media about essential oils, oil diffusers, and the risk they could cause to your dogs. For a very long time, essential oils have been a well-liked at-home treatment for a variety of illnesses, such as nasal congestion, anxiety, painful muscles, and skin disorders. There has been an increase in concern about how these oils may harm indoor animals as a result of the growing popularity of oil diffusers, a convenient way to introduce these oils into your house. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) therefore seeks to clarify this hot topic.
Are essential oils potentially harmful for your pets? And if so, what precautions should pet parents be taking?
As we frequently see, there is a little more to the response than a straightforward “yes” or “no.”
Essential oils can definitely pose a risk to pets when they are 100% concentrated. Health issues can arise in dogs and cats who have come into contact with oils, walked through them, had some on their coats, or had oils applied directly to them.
These signs include:
- shakiness when walking
- Depression
- decreased body temperature (in severe cases)
If a pet consumes concentrated essential oils, you can also notice sadness, diarrhea, and vomiting in the animal.
Are some oils/scents more dangerous than others?
It’s possible that some oils are more dangerous than others. However, a number of things, like the product’s mix-ins and concentration level, have an impact on this. For instance, whereas another oil may require more or less, concentrated types of tea tree oil (also known as melaleuca oil) may harm your dogs with just seven or eight drops. It is preferable to absolutely avoid applying essential oils to your pet directly due to the wide range in concentration, formulation, and potential quality of these substances. To avoid possible ingestion, you should also keep any oils up and out of the reach of paws.
So, does that mean you should return your diffuser?
The APCC says no, not always. It shouldn’t be a problem to use an oil diffuser for a brief length of time in a safe location that neither your dog nor cat can access.
However, it might be advisable to completely avoid using one if your pet has a history of breathing issues. Remember that your pets’ sense of smell is far more acute than ours, so something that seems light to us could be overwhelming to them.
If you decide to maintain your diffuser, make sure it is placed in a location where your pet cannot knock it over and perhaps come into contact with the oils. Always err on the side of caution and “pet-proof your space” to prevent exposing your pets to harmful toxins.
It is advised to avoid using an essential oil diffuser in your home if you have birds, even though the same issues with essential oils apply to other pets including rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Because birds’ respiratory systems are so delicate, using a diffuser could cause them to have more severe issues.
Contact your veterinarian or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 right once if you suspect your pet has consumed or been exposed to a potentially hazardous substance. Download the APCC Mobile App or browse our comprehensive list of hazardous household goods to learn more about protecting your pets from toxins.
Which essential oils, when diffused, are harmful to dogs?
The effects of essential oils used in diffusers on pets have been the subject of numerous news stories over the past few weeks.
The concentrated liquids found in plants are called essential oils. They are widely used in house air fresheners, alternative medicine, cleaning goods, personal care items, and aromatherapy.
Diffusers for essential oils are widely used by people to enhance their health. While eucalyptus and peppermint oils help to clear a stuffy nose when you have a cold, lavender is supposed to aid in relaxation and sleep.
When essential oils come into close contact with the skin, they can cause chemical burns in both people and pets. Pets that lick up spills of these oils risk getting severe burns and other side effects. Many essential oils are highly irritating to cats, and even a few licks can be dangerous.
Numerous essential oils are poisonous to animals, including eucalyptus, tea tree, cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, wintergreen, and ylang ylang. These are harmful whether you apply them to your skin or use them in diffusers.
Since diffusers employ water vapor to disperse minute oil droplets into the air, oil from them can still be dangerous. If the diffuser is utilized in a small area or if it is used for an extended period of time, aspiration pneumonia can result from inhaling diffused oils, in addition to other hazardous effects.
The best course of action if you’re using a diffuser at home is to keep it out of reach of your pet and ask your vet what kinds of oils are safe to use. However, using a diffuser anyplace in the house is not a smart idea if you have a pet with breathing difficulties.
If you have curious cats, pet birds, or kittens in your home, you might want to think twice about using an oil diffuser. Due to their delicate respiratory systems, birds are adversely impacted by toxins breathed. Curious cats and kittens may unintentionally tip the diffuser over, spilling the oil. There may be dangerous side effects if the oil licks the cat or gets on the cat’s fur (which the cat may then swallow during grooming).
Remember that dogs and cats are considerably more sensitive to smells than humans are—a dog’s sense of smell is 1,000–10,000 times better than ours! A dog or cat may find a scent overpowering that humans might consider to be modest. Therefore, even while the essential oil you’re using might not be hazardous to pets, it might be too much for them.
If your pet receives oil on its skin or fur, wash it off with hand dishwashing soap as soon as you can. Take your pet to the vet immediately away if you suspect they may have taken essential oils or are reacting to being around essential oil fumes.
Always keep curious dogs away from all essential oils. Never leave essential oils alone since your pet can be tempted by sweet-smelling liquids. Never administer essential oils to your pet without first seeking advice from a veterinarian. Consult your veterinarian to determine whether the oil you are using in your diffuser could hurt your pet.
Note: This practice has a license to utilize this content, which was published by LifeLearn Animal Health (LifeLearn Inc.), for our clients’ individual use. Without Lifelearn’s prior written consent, no copies may be made, printed, or distributed further. Please be aware that the news material provided here is NOT a replacement for a veterinarian’s professional consultation and/or clinical evaluation of your pet.
Are dogs poisonous to lavender oil?
- A trace amount of linalool, which is poisonous to dogs and cats, is present in lavender.
- Lavender exposure is generally not toxic and may reduce stress, anxiety, and sadness.
- It is possible to become ill from lavender poisoning, which can result in nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms.
- Instead of giving your dog lavender essential oil to eat, try aromatherapy.
Even if you haven’t fully embraced the essential oils craze, you may already be aware of lavender’s sedative and relaxing effects on individuals. These assertions have been the subject of numerous scientific investigations, including this one, which found proof of the “calming impact of breathing lavender oil. Humans can safely consume lavender oil and the plant itself to have comparable relaxing effects.
Today’s topic is if giving lavender to our canine friends in any form is safe and whether the same health advantages might be experienced. What you should know is as follows.
Are dogs okay to use a lavender diffuser?
Essential oils are now widely available, unlike in the past when they could only be bought at specialist stores and natural food stores. Due in large part to their appealing scents and the advantages associated with them, the popularity of these natural plant-derived oils has soared in recent years. Not only do essential oils make our houses smell wonderful, but supporters say the calming aromas may also be able to boost our health and make us feel more focused.
But are our pets safe from these products? The use of essential oils to enhance pet health is still debatable. While some holistic veterinarians and practitioners of alternative medicine may advise using particular essential oils, the majority of veterinary specialists advise pet parents to avoid them. The advantages of essential oils for dogs are, at best, untested. Some essential oils have the potential to seriously jeopardize your pet’s health.
Unfortunately, because our pets frequently can’t metabolize things the way we do, products that are labeled “all natural” or “organic” are not necessarily suitable for dogs and cats. They find it challenging to get rid of some essential oils and other contaminants from their body as a result. If consumed, inhaled, or administered topically to pets, especially in forms that are very concentrated, they can be extremely harmful.
Pet owners should use caution while utilizing essential oils near their animals. Make sure you are aware of safe essential oil usage techniques and which essential oils should never be used. Pets other than dogs and cats are also susceptible to injury from essential oils, including rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other small animals. Particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of inhaled oils are birds.
How Essential Oils Affect Dogs and Cats
It’s crucial to understand the fundamentals of how essential oils function in order to keep your pet safe around them. The fatty aromatic chemicals known as essential oils are taken from numerous plants. These substances are extracted through distillation into a variety of concentrations, ranging from 100% pure essential oils to concentrations as low as 1-2%, which are then diluted with a non-aromatic carrier oil. The risk to pets increases as the oil’s concentration increases.
Due to their lipophilic nature, essential oils are easily absorbed through the skin and mucous membranes (including the lining of the mouth and nose), which then transport the oils into the bloodstream where the liver metabolizes and excretes the majority of them.
Essential oils can also be inhaled as fragrances, which can then travel through the nose to the olfactory nerves and the amygdala, where they cause a reaction in the brain’s emotional center. For instance, the aromas of peppermint and lavender might generate feelings of strength and enthusiasm respectively. Numerous individuals utilize essential oils for a variety of potential health advantages, such as regulating sleep, lowering anxiety, and relieving muscle aches and nasal congestion. Some essential oils may also serve as insect repellents in addition to aromatherapy, keeping mosquitoes and other bugs away.
Pure essential oils, air fresheners, room sprays, flavorings, herbal remedies, perfumes, aromatherapy jewelry, bath and personal products, home cleaning products (like Pine-Sol), candles, liquid potpourri, as well as passive or active diffusers are just a few of the many forms that essential oils can take.
Reed diffusers, warmers, and plug-in diffusers are examples of passive diffusers. Essential oil aromas from these diffusers might irritate dogs’ and cats’ respiratory systems. In contrast, active diffusers, such nebulizers or ultrasonic diffusers, release microdroplets of oil that stick to adjacent objects in addition to a scent. Using active diffusers can actually put your pet at risk for an even bigger danger when they consume the oil on their fur while being groomed, in addition to respiratory irritation.
Pet-safe Essential Oils
Most essential oils should be avoided by pet owners, however a handful can be used on animals safely. For instance, the safest essential oil for both dogs and cats is probably lavender (when used sparingly and in the right proportion). Other oils, nevertheless, which are healthy for dogs might not be suitable for cats due to species differences.
When using an oil, it must be properly diluted and applied. Since essential oils’ toxicity is dose-dependent, a product’s potential risk increases as it becomes more concentrated.
Your veterinarian can provide guidance on the proper carrier oils to use for your pet as well as dose and dilution recommendations for various oils (such as coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, and grapeseed oil). For adequate dilution of pet-friendly oils, it is typically necessary to use at least 1 drop of pure essential oil to 50 drops of a pure carrier oil.
Remember that even safe essential oils can irritate the airways when breathed. Before using an essential oil product advertised for pets, such as shampoos, sprays, or relaxing treats, it is always a good idea to consult your veterinarian about its safety.
Additionally, just because an oil is safe for a dog or cat doesn’t mean it will automatically make them healthier. For instance, citrus oils, such as citronella and lemon, can potentially help lessen the severity of flea and tick infestations as well as the prevalence of mosquitoes when applied to repel pests. However, no scientific study has established that these essential oils are completely successful at avoiding mosquito bites or disease-carrying external parasites, particularly not at a level that is safe and non-toxic. As a result, essential oils should never take the place of year-round, monthly flea, tick, and heartworm prevention methods that have been approved by a veterinarian.
Dogs can safely use essential oils:
- works as an insect repellent Cedarwood oil
- Chamomile oil: induces a calming effect and aids in calming the digestive system
- Citrus oils, such as lemon oil and orange oil, serve as a deodorizer and a mosquito repellent.
- Oil of eucalyptus
- Flaxseed oil
- Frankincense oil is currently being studied as a treatment for canine and human bladder cancer.
- A member of the sunflower family called helichrysum oil may be able to treat bleeding issues.
- Dog parents may also want to think about the relaxing line of Adaptil canine appeasing pheromone products, such as collars, sprays, and diffusers. Lavender oil: has a calming effect.
- oil of lemongrass
- Some mint oils (peppermint, spearmint) can soothe gastrointestinal distress.
- rosé oil
Suitable Essential Oils for Cats:
- oil of chamomile
- jojoba oil
- Lemongrass oil
Keep These Essential Oils Away from Pets
It’s not a good idea to presume that an essential oil is safe for the pet parent is also safe for the pet when it comes to essential oils. Due to metabolic variations, the same oil that we can consume without experiencing any negative consequences might harm our pets’ respiratory, neurologic, and liver systems in addition to causing GI discomfort and chemical burns to their mouths or esophaguses. In extreme circumstances, death might occur.
Essential oils can have hazardous effects on animals, cats in particular. Cats are particularly susceptible to developing toxicity when oils cling to their skin or fur since they are such meticulous groomers. In such situations, oils concurrently pass the skin barrier, are ingested, and are inhaled into the body, quickly building up to toxic concentrations in the bloodstream. Pet parents should refrain from using oral, topical, and other inhalation oils around cats because felines are deficient in the enzymes that allow the liver to digest many essential oils and eliminate toxins.
Use of essential oils should also be avoided around dogs and cats with liver diseases, elderly pets, puppies and kittens, pregnant or nursing animals, and pets with respiratory diseases (including asthma and bronchitis). Additionally, keep dogs away from such oils in direct dermal contact if they have open wounds or sores because the broken skin may allow for quicker absorption.
The eyes, ears, nose, and genitalia of your pet should not be exposed to essential oils. Applying an essential oil to the ear canal in an effort to treat ear mites, for example, can harm your pet’s skin, nerves, and eardrums. Your veterinarian should handle the ear mite treatment! Furthermore, applying an essential oil topically, such as tea tree oil, to address dermatological disorders like hot spots or skin allergies frequently results in considerably more skin irritability. Any potential benefits are considerably outweighed by the risks.
The list that follows is not all-inclusive, but it does include some of the most popularly harmful essential oils. If unsure, speak with your veterinarian or look for dangerous and non-toxic plants on the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) website.
Dogs shouldn’t use essential oils:
- Cannabis oil
- Hot oils (such as oregano, clove, and cinnamon oils): Due to its putative insect repellent effects, cinnamon oil is a component of certain over-the-counter “natural” flea and tick spot-on treatments and collars, however it can be poisonous to dogs and cats and offers only partial protection against external parasites.
- Pine resins
- Oil of sweet birch
- The majority of essential oil toxicity instances in dogs and cats are caused by tea tree oil, commonly known as melaleuca oil. Tea tree oil has some antibacterial characteristics, however dogs and cats should never be given it or have it rubbed to their skin or fur. If given directly to a dog or cat, tea tree oil can be extremely poisonous, even when diluted.
- herb oil
- oil of wintergreen
Unhealthy Essential Oils for Cats:
- herb oil
- Astringent almond oil
- Citrus oils, which include citronella, bergamot, grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine oils and include the chemical d-limonene: Citrus scents are often not liked by cats. While you might be tempted to use citrus oils like lemon or orange oils around areas where your cat is marking their territory with urine or jumping in inappropriate places, these products should be avoided because cats are toxic to the d-limonene component of citrus oils. Consider a secure and reliable substitute, like Feliway pheromone spray or diffuser, to help soothe your cat and prevent undesirable harmful behaviors.
- Garlic oil
- Oil of geranium
- warm oils (including cinnamon oil, clove oil, and oregano oil)
- oil of juniper
- Mint or menthol oils, such as those from eucalyptus, peppermint, spearmint, sweet birch, and wintergreen:
- *These two oils include methyl salicylates, which are poisonous to cats and are substances related to aspirin.
- Iris oil
- Spice oil
- Garlic oil
- Pine resins (these contain toxic phenols)
- rosmarinic oil
- Oil of sandalwood
- Oil of sassafras
- Turmeric oil
- Oil of tea tree (also known as melaleuca oil)
- Wisteria oil
- Oil of ylang ylang