Aromatherapy and Your Pet
“Put Tea Tree oil on the base of your dogs neck and it will keep ticks away”
“You can diffuse around cats it doesn’t matter, they will just leave”
“My birds like my oils, it makes them happy”
“The essential oils are vet made and vet approved so I can use them on my cat”
I have heard so many variations of this, it’s wild. Guys, this is not a joke, aromatherapy with your pets is a serious thing. I have no idea if people realize but animals are, well animals. They are not humans, they are much smaller than humans and they have entirely different bodies than we as humans do. Animals are also not the best at communicating if something is bothering them, or humans aren’t the best at noticing. As often as I have heard people insisting essential oils are pet safe (because it’s natural-seriously natural does not mean safe folks) I have also heard just as many stories, if not more, of people losing their pets to liver failure because they didn’t realize that their essential oils were harming their pets.
If this post sounds a little snarky, good. It is one thing to carelessly ignore safety recommendations when it comes to your own body. It is another to put the life of another creature in your careless hands and ruin them because you refuse to believe that cats just shouldn’t be around essential oils. And yes, while there are many essential oils that are pup and pony safe (thank you Plant Therapy for making that easy for everyone to learn about) it’s not something that can just be slapped on animals and called a day. While I am certainly not an expert in the matters of pet aromatherapy, I know enough to share my knowledge. With 2 cats, a dog, 25 chickens and plans for more animals I made it my business to know the basics of animal safety with essential oils.
Cats:
Cat’s cannot process essential oils, at all. Not a single essential oils is cat safe. NOT A SINGLE ONE. Yes, not even the catnip essential oil that was vet approved. I hate to be the one to break this to everyone but vets are not trained in essential oils, if they were they wouldn’t create a line of essential oils for cats. They are far too concentrated and cats lack the proper liver enzyme to help process them, so they will build up over time and be fatal to your cat. This could take years, so the entire saying of “well I did it and my cat is fine” is ridiculous. Your cat could still die. I know this is a harsh truth but it’s better to be safe than to lose your cat in the worst way possible. That being said, there are oils that should NEVER be used if you have a cat. These are oils that are more toxic to your cat and you should avoid at all costs.
Bergamot
Clove
Eucalyptus
Fir
Frankincense
Grapefruit
Juniper Berry
(Spike) Lavender
Lemon
Lime
(Sweet) Orange
Oregnao
Peppermint
Rosemary
Spearmint
Tangerine
Tea Tree
So how can you use aromatherapy with cats? If you want to diffuse it is best to remove the cat altogether. While you can technically diffuse safely with them in the room if they can leave, this doesn’t always work out and your cat won’t always know to leave. Avoid scented products around cats that contain oils such as candles, passive diffusers etc as cats will sometimes smell these things. Keep them from places your cat frequents. Keep all oils and products with essential oils out of the cats way, cats generally don’t eat random things but each cat is different. You also have to remember that when you diffuse little particles of the oils do get on things, like your cat. If they were to lick themselves after being exposed to a diffuser it could be detrimental to their health. Better to be on the safe side and leave the diffusing for when you aren’t around your cat.
Use the whole herb or hydrosol instead. Catnip is a wonderful one to have on hand, especially if you like to treat your cat. Hydrosols are considered much safer so if you want the properties of the essential oil for your cat get the hydrosol instead. If you notice your cat acting differently immediately stop using oils altogether. Take your cat to the vet. Better safe than sorry as liver failure is irreversible. Be mindful of what you are using and how. I don’t diffuse around my cats at all, there are some rooms they are not allowed. We use some topical products on ourselves because our cats don’t seek affection that often and they do not lick us. Ensure your cat never ingests essential oils. A small amount can do a lot of damage to an animal.
Dogs
Many essential oils are dog safe when properly used. Key word is properly. When using essential oils with dogs always dilute. 1% for a dog is fine. Less for small dogs. Do not add essential oils to water. Do not use them undiluted on your pet. Seven drops is all it takes to poison a dog, essential oils are potent. While you can get more use out of essential oils with dogs and don’t have to be quite as cautious we still need to be mindful. Diffuse a little for as short time. Allow the dog to be able to leave or lock them away. Utilize hydrosols instead of essential oils. Topical use on a dog should be a last resort.
Dog safe essential oils:
Basil (linalool)
Bergamot
Cardamom
Carrot Seed
Cedarwood (Texan, Atlas, Virginian)
German Chamomile
Roman Chamomile
Cinnamon Leaf
Citronella
Clary Sage
Cypress
Elemi
Eucalyptus Peppermint
Eucalyptus Radiata
Frankincense (all species)
Geranium
Ginger
Grapefruit
Helichrysum
Jasmine
Juniper Berry
Lavender (Bulgarian, French)
Lemon
Lemongrass
Lime
Mandarin
Sweet Marjoram
Melissa
Myrrh
Neroli
Sweet Orange
Black Pepper
Peppermint
Rosemary (Camphor)
Rosewood
Australian Sandalwood
East African Sandalwood
Spearmint
Tangerine
Tea Tree
Vetiver
Ylang Ylang
Essential oils to NEVER use on dogs:
Himalayan Cedarwood
Cinnamon Bark
Clove
Copaiba
Fir Need (Siberian)
Lavender (Spanish, Spike)
Oregano
Black Spruce
Blue Tansy
Wintergreen
Some uses for topical essential oils in dogs:
Arthritis
Bruises
Scars
Skin issues
flea control
You can dilute appropriately and use safe essential oils topically, there are no known concerns with different carriers. 1% or less for topical applications in dogs. I really love Plant Therapy as a resource for pup safe aromatherapy as they do list which ones are safe for dogs on their bottles. The key here is to use these oils appropriately. Don’t be slapping oils all over your dog. I also don’t recommend random products for dogs with essential oils. I know flea collars are very popular with essential oils but the risk is far too great in my opinion as the dog could eat them.
All other pets
To my knowledge essential oils are unsafe for all other pets (Except ponies/horses but I cannot speak on that as I truly know nothing in those regards.) so do not diffuse around any other pets. You can hurt or kill any other pets, and they cannot leave (especially if they are caged) so it’s best to just avoid diffusing around them. Save it for rooms where they are not allowed.
As serious as this topic is, I really hope that this was useful and people got something out of it. It can sound scary when you look at essential oils being unsafe for pets. In reality it’s not that bad and there are many uses for aromatherapy when you have pets. The main thing is to just keep them away. Treat your pet like a child here. Don’t allow them near the essential oils, don’t overwhelm them with a scent. Learn which ones are safe and which ones are a danger. And like I said, hydrosols are wonderful. You can check out a mini post of Hydrosols here and make sure to watch for an in depth post as well including all the uses even with pets. If you are looking for Hydrosols check out Plant Therapy or Mountain Rose Herbs for some high quality ones.
Stay safe, take care of you pets and enjoy a life of aromatherapy with pets. It doesn’t have to be a bummer just because it’s safe. Aromatherapy can still play a role in your pets life while maintaining safe standards.
Thank you so much for reading, your support means a lot. If you have any questions feel free to email me at holisticary@gmail.com or call/text me at 641-631-6355This blog post was meant to educate and entertain, it is entirely my opinion and not meant to treat or diagnose anyone or to be taken as absolute unwavering fact. Please seek proper medical care and advice. Some links might contain affiliate links, this is at no cost to you and helps the blog.