I am one of the many who are just absolutely in love with dogs. I have a fur baby of my own at home. Her name is Gracie and she’s an adorable beagle and coon hound mix.
Another thing I love: Essential oils. Diffusing essential oils at home, or even putting it on my skin is something that I absolutely love to do. It keeps me in a positive and right headspace to take on the day. It also makes me feel totally zen and relaxes me when I need to go to sleep. Honestly, essential oils are the bomb dot com.
So as I love both of these things, it’s important that while I am taking care of myself I’m making sure that cute little gracie is also safe and happy.
It is important to note that any overbearing and strong scent can trigger a dog and put them into a epileptyc seizure. Right off the bat, essential oils that you should steer away from are: eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, citrus (d-limonene), pennyroyal, pine, sweet birch, wintergreen, ylang ylang, anise, clove, thyme, juniper, and yarrow.
The list above is specific to dogs. If you have a cat, these are the oils you should keep them away from:
Wintergreen, sweet birch, citrus (d-limonene), pine, ylang ylang, peppermint, cinnamon, pennyroyal, clove, eucalyptus, tea tree, thyme. oregano, and lavender.
Any others that are not listed here are generally safe to use.
The reason why pets cannot take as much as us, especially when it comes to essential oils is because the highly reactive molecules within the makeup of an essential oil can change the chemical makeup of the animal. This is what essential happens when the animal is poisoned by the essential oil.
To prevent this from happening a general rule of thumb is to not mix oils and pets. If you love diffusing have one at the office or in a room that you don’t allow your pet into. Diffusing is much less dangerous than direct contact, however, it is still not recommended.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you may use essential oils to make natural and non-chemical surface cleaners for the home. While it may be better for you, it’s not safe for your pet. If you want something that fits a middle ground try out: Mrs. Myers.
You should also store your bottles of essential oils in a safe place that is out of reach so that your pet cannot get into them.
If the worst case scenario does happen it is important to know what to do and where to go to make sure your pet ends up being okay.
These are the signs to look for if you think your pet has essential oil poisoning:
- The smell of essential oils on their fur, skin, breath or in their vomit
- Difficulty breathing
- Drooling
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Difficulty walking or stumbling
- Muscle tremors
- Pawing at the mouth or face
- Redness or burns on their lips, tongue, skin or gums
- Vomiting
If your pet exhibits a few or more of these signs either call the pet poison helpline at (800) 213-6680. Or call your veterinarian and get them over there or to an emergency animal clinic as soon as possible. The earlier the signs are detected and the faster they receive medical attention the better off your animal will be.
But let’s not think about the worst. Let’s just think about staying smart and keeping an eye out for your loyal and furry baby.
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