Important Information About Pets & Essential Oils
*Essential Oils and Pets*
Essential Oils are immensely popular right now and for good reason! EOs are a natural way to clean and disinfect, to heal injuries, infections, illness and wounds, as well as to help balance mental and emotional health. They are also a chemical-free way to scent your home. In our excitement, we often want to share EOs benefits with our pets as a natural solution to fleas or travel anxiety. Unfortunately, many people who use Essential Oils know very little about them and know even less about the effects of EOs on their pets. After several discussions with friends this week, I thought a little information may be helpful for people hoping to avoid potentially harmful interactions with their favorite oils and their furry loved ones.
First of all, the physical attributes of pets make them extremely sensitive to scents. Whether using basic cleaning products, chemicals, candles, detergents, incense or essential oils, pets are going to be affected by them in ways we don't often consider. Due to the amount of olfactory receptors present in the nose, dogs have roughly 10,000-100,000 times stronger sense of smell than their owners and cats have 10-20 times stronger sense of smell. This means not only are scents particularly powerful, but they can also be very irritating to their respiratory systems. Animals also groom themselves with their tongues. If you apply oil to your pet it can be absorbed into their thin skin, but they also may directly ingest the oil when grooming. Your cleaning products and diffusers may also leave particles on surfaces that your pets sit or sleep on leading to possible ingestion of harmful substances. If you have cats, especially an adorable adopted Ocracat- pay attention. Humans and dogs have glucuronosyl transferase in their livers, this enzyme allows them to break down certain elements in essential oils (such as phenols or carbolic acid). HOWEVER, cats do not have this enzyme. This means that when a cat comes in contact with certain oils such as thyme, clove, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, or citrus oils, they have no way to process the oil and it stores in their body becoming toxic or potentially fatal.
So, with this information should you become extremely paranoid and stop using Essential Oils altogether? No, but you should definitely practice more thoughtfulness and care. That is true of any product you use in your home or on your pets. We should always use oils at a low dilution, unless it is for acute illness or injury, but if you're ever in doubt...don't! If you have a diffuser in a room your pet frequents, choose oils that are non-toxic and at a low dilution. The same goes for cleaning products you use on surfaces or bedding where your pets rest and making sure you don't touch your pets with an area of your body to which you've applied an oil (like your wrist or hands).
Essential Oils can be amazingly helpful with pets, but you should always consult a professional Aromatherapist who specializes in animal care or works with a vet. A simple search online can connect you with a specialist in your area or state and some give long-distance consultations. As a helpful hint, if you have an open bottle of an Essential Oil that your animal turns away from or avoids, it's probably for good reason and you should trust their well-developed instincts.
Below is a BASIC list of oils harmful to cats and dogs for reference. I hope this information will help and may your home, your family and your pets be happy, safe and healthy! If you have questions or comments, or would like to book a personal consultation with a certified Essential Oils Specialist, please email essencereturn.healing@gmail.com.
Essential Oils Harmful to Cats
Oils that are harmful to cats include, but are not limited to:
• Wintergreen
• Sweet birch
• Citrus (d-limonene)
• Pine
• Ylang ylang
• Peppermint
• Cinnamon
• Pennyroyal
• Clove
• Eucalyptus
• Tea tree (melaleuca)
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Lavender
Essential Oils Harmful to Dogs
Oils that are harmful to dogs include, but are not limited to:
• Cinnamon
• Citrus (d-limonene)
• Pennyroyal
• Peppermint
• Pine
• Sweet birch
• Tea tree (melaleuca)
• Wintergreen
• Ylang ylang
• Anise
• Clove
• Thyme
• Juniper
• Yarrow
• Garlic
