Welcome to My World – Essential Oils Harmful to Dogs & Cats
Hello World! Do you use essential oils? And do you have pets? I answer yes to both of these questions so I wondered what was harmful and what wasn’t to my cats. This is good information for all pet owners to have.
Do you have a little cutie like this?
Are Essential Oils Harming Your Pets?
Essential oils are the highly concentrated version of the natural oils in
Essential oils can be very beneficial to us, as well as aid in your cleaning. Do you use them? If so & you have pets be very careful…
plants and have been used for thousands of years to improve our physical, mental and emotional health. In addition to aromatherapy and alternative medicine, today there’s a growing trend of using essential oils in our cleaning products, food and drink flavorings, herbal remedies, perfumes, personal care products and as air fresheners. But pet owners should be aware that essential oils can pose a health risk for their animal companions.
According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), cats are
Peppermint Oil helps with your arthritis pain & you can plant peppermint in your yard to ward off those pesky bugs, but It’s dangerous for pets as an essential oil.
especially sensitive to essential oils and there are significant variations in toxicity among specific oils. For this reason, the APCC does not recommend using essential oils in areas where pets have access unless pets are supervised or your use of the oil is approved by a veterinarian.
Tina Wismer, veterinarian and medical director of the APCC, said that the center has received calls about essential oils for many years, with a nearly-yearly increase beginning about a decade ago. The center receives more calls about inhalation of essential oils than in the past and fewer calls related to oils coming in contact with a pet’s skin.
“Any essential oils can be toxic to your pets, the danger depends on the concentration, amount and route of exposure,” Wismer said. “Diffusing oils can be fatal to cats and dogs that have asthma or other respiratory issues. Topically, deaths are rare, but can occur.”
Essential oils are also a concern for other pets
such as rabbits, guinea pigs and hamsters. Veterinary experts at the APCC
Rabbits can also be harmed by your use of these oils.
advise bird owners to avoid using essential oil diffusers because birds’ respiratory tracts are very sensitive and they may develop more serious problems. Wismer’s advice to pet owners running oil diffusers is to use them for a short period of time and only in rooms that cannot be accessed by pets.
ESSENTIAL OILS AND CATS
In an article on Essential Oils and Cats on the Pet Poison Helpline website
Certain oils are highly toxic to your cats.
Veterinarian Kia Benson writes:
Essential oils are especially toxic to cats because they are rapidly absorbed both orally and across their skin, and are then metabolized in their liver. Cats lack an essential enzyme in their liver and as such have difficulty metabolizing and eliminating certain toxins like essential oils. Cats are also very sensitive to phenols and phenolic compounds, which can be found in some essential oils. The higher the concentration of the essential oil (i.e. 100%), the greater the risk to your cat.
Essential oils that are known to be poisonous to cats include:
- Cinnamon
- Citrus (d-limonene)
- Clove
- Eucalyptus
- Pennyroyal
- Peppermint
- Pine
- Sweet birch
- Tea tree
- Wintergreen
- Ylang-ylang
Symptoms that develop when a cat is exposed to a toxic essential oil include:
- Drooling
- Low body temperature
- Low heart rate
- Liver failure
- Respiratory distress
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Wobbliness
ESSENTIAL OILS AND DOGS
In an article on Essential Oil and Potpourri Poisoning in Dogs veterinarians,
You need to use caution with these oils around dogs too.
Charlotte Flint and Ahna Brutlag write that essential oils and liquid potpourris contain chemicals that are rapidly absorbed orally or through their skin. According to these veterinarians, very young dogs and puppies, and dogs with liver disease are more sensitive to the effects of essential oils. In addition, they write, “Liquid potpourri and some essential oils can also irritate or burn their skin and mouth. Only a couple of licks or a small amount on their skin could be harmful to a dog, depending on the ingredients in a specific product and how your pet is exposed.”
Essential oils that are known to be poisonous to dogs include:
- Cinnamon
- Citrus
- Pennyroyal
- Peppermint
- Pine
- Sweet birch
- Tea tree (Melaleuca)
- Wintergreen
- Ylang-ylang
Symptoms that develop when your dog is exposed to a toxic essential oil include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Difficulty walking or uncoordinated gait
- Drooling
- Fragrance or scent on hair coat, skin, or breath or in vomit
- Lethargy or weakness
- Muscle tremors
- Pawing at their mouth or face
- Redness or burns on their lips, gums, tongue or skin
- Vomiting
Wismer said that there are some products
that contain essential oils and are for use on your pets. For example, some flea control products but these usually contain less than 5% essential oils. When using products with essential oils the veterinarian said it’s important to follow packaging instructions and to only use products on the type of pet specified on the label. Because cats are particularly sensitive to a lot of toxins pet owners should never use dog products on cats.
“Owners sometimes try to use essential oils—or products with a high concentration of essential oils—to treat other problems in their pets, such as ear mites,” Wismer said. “The dangers to pets increase with the percentage of essential oil, and many people have 100-percent essential oil products.”
This is excellent information for the pet owner’s out there. I will certainly be mindful for now on when using any essential oils. Lavender is one of my favorites and it isn’t listed above, but I still wonder about it’s safety. I will definitely use caution for now on when I use these oils.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this if you use essential oils. Leave me a message below and tell me what you think…
I hope you and your pets have a great healthy day!
Enhance Your Life with Mother Nature! Great for your Mind, Body & Spirit!