Diffusing Essential Oils Around Pets: Is It Safe?

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Essential oil safety is of great importance especially when you talk about your pets at home.

Animals, with a sense of smell of 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than humans, are more affected by essential oil diffusion than you can imagine.

So, it means that if you diffuse 10-15 drops of essential oil in your diffuser, it is like diffusing 100,000 drops or more for your pets.

So, does it means that you should immediately stop diffusing EO around pets? No, I am not trying to say that!

But of course, you need to be pretty sure about diffusing them around pets in appropriate quantities and for an only limited time.

Are Essential Oils Safe for Pets?

There are a plethora of oil varieties and number of ways to use them for pets – diffuse them, cook them, smell them.

A lot of people prefer using essential oils through an electric oil diffuser in their houses for aromatherapy and to get a relaxing environment that can help the furry pets sleep better at night.

Most of the people also choose to use the oil diffuser directly on their pets as they think it will offer natural repellent for ticks and fleas.

However, they fail to realize that it may not be safe for their beloved friend in all conditions!

Every pet is different from the other, so while some may have a chronic reaction, others may enjoy it.

Some animals such as cats fail to metabolize essential oils like humans and other pets, whereas other animals like dogs and rabbits can benefit from effective diffusion.

An important thing to remember is – even a subtle aroma to we humans is pretty much noticeable by our pets like fish, reptiles, birds, and budgies.

For your pets, at home, it may be like sitting next to a person with a strong fragrance!

Is Using Oil Diffuser Bad for Dogs?

What’s wrong with using essential oils near animals !!!! 

Consider your pets like infant babies – they are small and have sensitive skin and organs.

According to ASPCA, dogs and cats that have essential oil on their coat can develop serious health issues.

This implies equally on exotic animals too. Small critters like hamsters, guinea pig, rabbits, and birds may suffer adverse reaction with just a tiny use of essential oil.

Often if your pet isn’t comfortable with essential oils, they may experience symptoms like lethargy, diarrhea, cough, vomit, and fall in body temperature.

Because of a better sense of smell than humans, something which may be light to us may be literally overwhelming for them.

Saddest part being – they can not tell their feeling like us!

How to Use Essential Oils for Pets Safely?

As per research, remember this one point when using essential around your pet – the lesser you use, the better it is.

Moreover, you should always begin with therapeutic grade essential oils.

  • Just add around 3 to 6 drops of essential oils to a 30 ml of carrier oil or hydrosol
  • Make sure you use a small quantity of diluted oil on small dogs in comparison to big dogs
  • Also, care that you use lesser quantity of diluted essential oil for puppies as well as elderly dogs

Tips for Using an Oil Diffuser without Making your Pet Sick

When you talk about pet-proofing your home, make sure you use everything in moderate level. The right way to ensure that you don’t expose your pet to hazardous substances is always to stay on the side of caution.

It means you can ensure that your pet stays mostly out of the room when you run a diffuser unless he has a history of breathing issues.

However, if you want to keep the diffuser where your pet is then make sure it is kept at a place where they don’t knock it over or get exposed to the oils directly.

Even the cleaning products of the diffuser may cause irritation to your pet. So make sure you read the labels right and follow direction.

Never touch your pet with essential oils applied to your hand. And always use oils of high quality for your pet’s sake.

Few other precautions you may need to take while using essential oils for pets are:

  • Do not let your pet come near to diffuser
  • Always diffuse in a good ventilated room
  • Diffuse just for 10 to 15 minutes’ intervals
  • Be cautious with nursing or pregnant pets
  • Do not use it around eyes, nose, genitals or ears

Just in case of any adverse effect, see the vet immediately and seek medical attention.

5 Safest Essential Oils to Use for Dogs and Cats

Here is a list of essential oils which experts suggest are safe to be used for pets:

1- Lavender: It is universal oil and is very useful to condition patients to a better space. It helps in curing allergies, burns, insomnia, anxiety, and sickness. However, it shouldn’t be used with cats.

2- Chamomile: It is non-toxic and has anti-inflammatory properties. It safe to use and is good for skin allergies, irritations and burns.

3- Spearmint: It is great for reducing weight and helps in curing nausea, diarrhea, and colic. It supports healthy metabolism and stimulates the gallbladder.

4- Thyme: It is perfect for treating pain relief, arthritis and has antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties.

5- Cardamom: It has anti-bacterial properties and helps in normalizing appetite, cough, heartburn, and nausea.

Few essential oils which are NOT SAFE for dogs and cats are Clove, Garlic, Wintergreen, Oregano, Tea Tree, Rosemary, Cassia, Lemon, Citrus, Cinnamon, Lavender, Spruce, Birch, Eucalyptus and Pennyroyal.

All in all, you should consult your vet before you try to use any essential oil with your pet dog and cat.

And now that you know which oils to use and avoid, then you should learn how to use them perfectly too.

Dilute the concentration of the oil so that even your pet can begin to enjoy its soothing benefits. Do not use more than 3 drops of oil with your pet around.

Most important: you only buy pet-friendly essential oils to get 100% safety assurance for your pet.

We understand the value of your pet, just make sure you don’t commit any silly mistake and be reasonable!

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