Many essential oils, such as eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, wintergreen, and ylang ylang are straight up toxic to pets. These are toxic whether they are applied to the skin, used in diffusers or licked up in the case of a spill.
Pet Safe Essential Oils for Diffuser: Dogs
Frankincense. Chamomile. Lavender oil. Ginger.
It's best to avoid diffusing essential oils around dogs and cats. In addition to inhalation exposure to potentially toxic essential oils, microdroplets of oils could collect on your pet's fur. This exposure could lead to dermal absorption or eventual ingestion once your pet grooms or licks itself.
According to APCC, not necessarily. Using an oil diffuser for a short time period in a secured area—one that your dog or cat cannot access—is not likely to be an issue. However, if your pet has a history of breathing problems, it may be best to avoid using one altogether.
Some vets may suggest diffusing lavender in your home to help calm an anxious dog. However, you should only use lavender for your dog when advised by a vet. That being said, there are many adverse side effects of essential oils. Luckily, diluted lavender oil is considered relatively safe for dogs.
Peppermint oil is toxic to dogs and can cause mild to severe symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, and even lethargy. Peppermint oil poisoning can be fatal, especially if it's not treated as soon as possible. If you believe your dog has consumed peppermint oil, take them to the vet as soon as possible.
Citronella Oil
Dogs hate the smell of citronella, and trainers often use the oil in both collar and spray form to break aggressive behavior and persistent barking habits. In fact, just a whiff of citronella could very well keep your dog away from your garden.
Diffusing eucalyptus oil around dogs can also be harmful if it's used for a long period of time within a small space. Additionally, if your buddy has breathing problems, it's best to avoid diffusing essential oils of any type, as prolonged use can cause or worsen aspiration pneumonia.
As long as it is properly diluted and used in a way where your pet cannot ingest it, as a general rule, lemongrass essential oil is safe. For context, this means you can diffuse it in a well-ventilated room, not that you should be applying it to your four-legged friend or to yourself if your dog commonly licks you.
Many essential oils, such as eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, wintergreen, and ylang ylang are straight up toxic to pets. These are toxic whether they are applied to the skin, used in diffusers or licked up in the case of a spill.
Cleaning with essential oils not only makes your home smell good but also can help kill germs. However, some essential oils can be harmful to children or pets. You can clean with essential oils safely when you choose oils that are safe around pets and kids and use as small of an amount of essential oil as possible.
Most essential oils need to be diluted with a carrier oil prior to applying to your pet. Examples of carrier oils include fractionated coconut oil, grape seed oil, or V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil complex (Young Living).
Dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than humans, so a scent that smells fine to you might be way too intense for your pup and might actually stress him out or even cause him to have difficulty breathing. Using a diffuser for essential oils isn't safe, either.
Intoxication is most often seen when 100% tea tree oil is used. As little as 7-8 drops (10-20 mL) applied to the skin may be fatal to both cats and dogs. Products with low concentrations (e.g. shampoos, body washes) are generally not considered toxic.
This is due to the eucalyptol oil — a neurotoxin that may cause liver or kidney damage in canines. Dogs should not eat any part of the eucalyptus tree or shrub, including the leaves and the bark. Keep these plants out of reach if you decide to plant them inside or outside your home.
Applied topically, peppermint oil can seep through their fur and skin and cause liver damage. Even when used aromatically, the smell can overwhelm their sensitive noses and cause difficulty breathing or increased heart rate.
Some common essential oils that are considered particularly toxic include the following: Eucalyptus and tea tree oil – Ingestion can result in drowsiness, unsteadiness on the feet, confusion, coma and seizures. Severe poisoning in dogs and cats has occurred from skin application of concentrated tea tree oil.
Most popular essential oils (including eucalyptus, tea tree, citrus oils, pine, peppermint, etc) are poisonous to dogs in moderate to large doses. All of Bath & Body Works' Wallflower scents contain essential oils, which are then sprayed into the air where they an easily be inhaled by your dog.
As there is limited scientific data related to canine smell preferences, the purpose of this study was to verify dogs' reactions to selected scents, which can also be appealing to humans. Our study shows that dogs were more likely to interact with the scents of blueberry, blackberry, mint, rose, lavender, and linalol.
While orange essential oil is toxic to dogs when ingested, it is safe to be used topically or in canine aromatherapy. When applied topically to a dog's coat, it helps deodorize dog odors, making it a popular ingredient in dog shampoos.
Most candle waxes, including paraffin, soy, coconut, and beeswax aren't toxic to dogs, but if a large enough chunk is swallowed, it might have trouble being digested.
Your dog's sense of smell is hundreds of times more sensitive than yours so be sure to use diluted oils. Here's canine herbalist Rita Hogan's recommendation for topical use of essential oils: Use a 0.5% to a 1% dilution. This means 3 to 6 drops of essential oil per ounce of a carrier oil.
Create a ratio of one drop of essential oil to 45 drops of base oil for a dog. This ratio equates to a dilution of about 0.25%. For cats, use one-part essential oil to 50 parts base oil. Some good base oils to use include almond oil, coconut oil, jojoba oil or sunflower oil.