{"id":530,"date":"2019-02-26T22:48:48","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T22:48:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/?p=530"},"modified":"2019-12-16T09:16:35","modified_gmt":"2019-12-16T09:16:35","slug":"are-essential-oils-toxic-to-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.essentialoilmach.com\/blog\/are-essential-oils-toxic-to-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"ARE ESSENTIAL OILS TOXIC TO DOGS?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Essential oils<\/a> are becoming increasingly popular and\u00a0most households I know have oils around<\/strong>\u00a0and use them in one way or another. Whether it\u2019s for making your living room smell nice, or helping your kids focus on school work, or even cleaning your house in a more non-toxic way, essential oils and related products are everywhere!\u00a0Essential oils for dogs are no exception here.<\/p>\n

For families with dogs, your canine friend of course counts just like a family member, and you want to take care of his or her well-being just the same.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve personally switched to more essential oils use in your life \u2013 and perhaps you diffuse it while you\u2019re enjoying your morning cup of coffee \u2013 please\u00a0consider your canine friends are also smelling the aromatherapy floating through the air<\/strong>\u00a0if he or she is ever spending any amounts of time with you inside your home. The same is true for any pet in your home, but in this article specifically, I am addressing concerns and questions about dogs.<\/p>\n

Here is some important information for you, about the well-being and care of\u00a0safe essential oil use around your dog<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

ARE ESSENTIAL OILS SAFE FOR DOGS?<\/h2>\n

IF\u00a0you follow these simple 3 rules, then\u00a0YES,\u00a0you can use essential oils around dogs:<\/p>\n

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  1. KNOW YOUR PET\u2019s HEALTH STATUS \u2013 CHECK WITH YOUR VET.\u00a0<\/strong>Your veterinarian knows the medical history of your dog, and any current issues or ongoing treatments. Before your start any aromatherapy around your dog, be sure to consult with your vet and let him know that you plan to try essential oil home remedies on your furry friend. Be sure you also refresh your own memory of any history of surgeries or other major health issues that may affect your pet still to this day.<\/li>\n
  2. LESS IS MORE.\u00a0<\/strong>If you\u2019ve determined that yes indeed, your pet is generally healthy and happy, and you want to try aromatherapy,\u00a0start conservative<\/strong>. Actually, start super conservative, as dogs are more sensitive to essential oils than humans. Also take into account the size of your dog. With smaller dogs, use a smaller amount (less drops), than on larger dogs. Also, use a super small amount on puppies and senior dogs. A great way to start using essential oils with your dog is to actually use the hydrosol products of essential oils. They are a water-based byproduct of the steam distillation of essential oils. As such, they contain the same therapeutic properties as the essential oil distilled, but it\u2019s not in the concentration or strength of the actual essential oil.\u00a0Hydrosols as such would then count as already diluted essential oils<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
  3. ALWAYS DILUTE.\u00a0<\/strong>Be gentle on your pet and its new path to aromatherapy. To avoid the full power and strength of any essential oil, always make sure that you dilute it first before use. This can be using carrier oils for topical application, or diluting with a cold-mist essential oil diffuser for use through the air of the room you\u2019re in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Under no circumstance should your dog ever eat or ingest essential oils<\/strong>.\u00a0Oral ingestion of essential oils leads to rapid absorption of them through the mucus membranes inside the mouth, and get further metabolized through the liver. Very young dogs and puppies especially are even more sensitive to these potentially toxic effects.<\/p>\n

    MOST IMPORTANT TIPS WHEN USING ESSENTIAL OILS FOR DOGS<\/h2>\n

    I made this list as a quick go-to guide for using oils with your sweet pup:<\/p>\n

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    1. Always dilute<\/strong>\u00a0essential oils before use.<\/li>\n
    2. Do not put essential oils into your pet\u2019s drinking water or food. Absolutely\u00a0no internal use<\/strong>\u00a0of essential oils for dogs.<\/li>\n
    3. Try to only use them when you want to\u00a0address a specific concern<\/strong>. Avoid using essential oils on your dog as a \u201cpreventative\u201d measure.<\/li>\n
    4. Do not use essential oils around puppies less than 10 weeks old.<\/li>\n
    5. Check with a holistic veterinarian if you plan to use essential oils on a dog that\u2019s pregnant. Especially, absolutely avoid stimulating oils (such as tea tree, peppermint, or rosemary) on pregnant dogs.<\/li>\n
    6. Don\u2019t use essential oils on dogs who are prone to seizures, or are suffering epilepsy.<\/li>\n
    7. Use a good quality essential oil brand\u2013 no junk!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      ARE ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSERS SAFE AROUND DOGS?<\/h2>\n

      Having explored the essential oil safety issues around pets above, you can say that in general yes,\u00a0the use of essential oil diffusers is safe around dogs<\/strong>. That said though, you need to\u00a0take caution in the selection of oils you choose to diffuse<\/strong>\u00a0when your pet is around. Some oils<\/p>\n

      ESSENTIAL OILS TO USE WITH DOGS<\/h3>\n

      I\u2019ve included a list of the best 12 essential oils that experts\u00a0say are safe to use\u00a0on animals. There are plenty more so please\u00a0\u00a0find the full list here.<\/p>\n