As pet owners, we often worry about how the products we use in our homes impact the health and well-being of our pets. Essential oils are natural but we may be worried that the wrong essential oil can trigger a negative reaction in our pets. However, aromatherapy can be just as beneficial to our companion animals as it is for ourselves. So if you are worried about using essential oils around your pets or are curious about the benefits of essential oils for your pets, here is a simple guide that can help answer your questions.

Be Careful With These Essential Oils

Every pet is different and may have different reactions to different essential oils. However, there are some essential oils that you may want to be careful using around your pets. If you have cats, you also need to be wary about certain oils. Cats are particularly sensitive to essential oils that contain polyphenolic compounds because they interfere with their liver detoxification processes. So if you have cats use extra caution around essentials oils like cinnamon, tea tree, thyme, birch, wintergreen, clove, and oregano.

There are also certain essential oils that should not be used for or around dogs including anise, clove, garlic, horseradish, juniper, thyme, wintergreen, and yarrow. These essential oils can trigger a range of issues from allergies and skin sensitivities to interference in their natural body processes.

If you use any of these essential oils for your own health, make sure you also exercise caution around your pets. If you use a diffuser, keep them out of the room during the treatment period. If you wear these essential oils on pulse points throughout the day, be careful when petting your companion animals.

Essential Oils That Are Great For Pets

Though there are some essential oils that can cause your pets problems, there are plenty of essential oils that can be used to help them. The best part is all of these essential oils have great benefits for you as well.  Here are some essential oils you can safely use around and for your pets:

• Cedarwood: Helps repel pests and promote healthy skin and coat
• Chamomile: Promotes relaxation and sleep and also support healthy digestion
• Lavender: Relieves anxiety from separation or during long trips
• Myrrh: Can help fight allergies and promote health skin and coat
• Clary Sage: Calms nervousness and excitability
• Geranium: Great for repelling pests and as a treatment for ear infections
• Peppermint: Soothes the pain from arthritis and hip dysplasia and repels pests
• Carrot Seed: Supports healthy skin as a topical treatment for dryness
• Ginger: Relieves pain from arthritis and hip dysplasia and supports healthy digestion
• Helichrysum: Used topically can help with pain relief and skin issues
• Marjoram: Repels pests and helps treat skin infections and irritations

These are just some of the great essential oils that can be used. If you are interested in learning more, you can always talk to a holistic veterinarian for suggestions for specific ailments.

Safe Use Of Essential Oils

Whether you decide to use aromatherapy for your companion animal or just yourself, it’s important you exercise the safe use of essential oils. Pets have a stronger sense of smell than humans and smaller bodies, so the biggest mistake pet owners make is using too much essential oil.  One of the best ways to avoid this mistake is by using a high quality aromatherapy diffuser that you can control the amount of oil emitted. A high quality aromatherapy diffuser, like the beautiful hand carved diffusers from Organic Aromas can diffuse the perfect amount of essential oil into the air so neither you nor your pets are overwhelmed.

Use High Quality Essential Oils

Another important aspect of using safe essential oils around pets is to use only high-quality therapeutic grade essential oils. Other, lesser-quality essential oils are made with additives or are stretched with carrier oils that may trigger pet sensitivities. They also may be a blend of oils that include other botanicals or absolutes that resemble the smell of the botanical but potentially contain solvents that could be unhealthy for you or your pets. So make sure that you do your due diligence and get the best quality oils like our selection of organic, therapeutic grade essential oils at Organic Aromas.

Many people worry about the impact of essential oils on their pets. However, as long as you use the correct essential oils and avoid any of the oils that may trigger issues for your pets, they are perfectly safe. Also make sure that you are exercising best practices when introducing essential oils into your home by using a quality diffuser and only therapeutic grade oils in a safe and prudent manner. Finally, go slow and monitor your pets to see how they react. Since every pet is different, an essential oil that can benefit one might trigger a different response in another.

Consult Your Veterinarian

1. When it comes to animals and essential oils, we always recommend that pet owners consult with their veterinarian to get advice on the proper way to use them, particularly based on the individual pet’s species, age, size and health history.

2. Research does show essential oils can be safe for dogs and cats and even very effective, but only when diluted heavily and/or used in the appropriate way, time, place and on a specific subject in the correct amount.

3. Using undiluted essential oil on animals is always a mistake. Unless diluted correctly, it’s not recommended for cats, and while it might be effective for dogs, never apply it directly to the animal.

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