Peppermint oil is toxic for dogs. Whether you're using an oil diffuser, applying it to their skin, or adding oil to their food, it's unfortunately harmful to our four-legged friends.
How safe are these essential oils for our pets? 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.
Key takeaway. 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.
Is Peppermint Oil safe for your dog? Marketers might promote peppermint oil for dogs to keep fleas away. But as a responsible pet parent, you should know that peppermint is toxic for dogs. It should not be ingested in any form, nor should it be applied topically on dogs.
Peppermint Essential Oil
All essential oils are toxic to dogs. These concentrated organic plant compounds cause mouth and throat irritation, drooling, and vomiting. Karwacki adds that even inhaling peppermint essential oil might cause wheezing, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
Some of them may help to calm your dog, but make sure to use essential oils with care, since they can also cause serious behavioral changes, respiratory issues, and central nervous system problems in your dog. Essential oils can be harmful whether inhaled, consumed orally, or absorbed through the skin.
Whether you're using an essential oil diffuser or applying peppermint oil to your dog's skin, it is likely to cause skin irritation. You may notice a rash, discomfort, watery eyes, runny nose, skin redness, redness of the lips or gums, or excessive itching and scratching.
Large Doses Lead To Risk Of Seizures
If you are experiencing nausea, difficulty breathing, coughing, wheezing, slowed heartbeat, dizziness, and/or convulsions, then it could be because of using peppermint oil. Call in for medical care at the earliest to avoid complications.
Like many essential oils, peppermint oil can be toxic and even lethal at excessive dosages; it has been associated with interstitial nephritis and acute renal failure.
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 highly toxic to cats.
They are typically strong-smelling and make up the active ingredient in many essential oils, such as peppermint oil. Without the enzymes required to break down phenols, cats exposed to peppermint oil can experience: Liver damage.
Inhalation of essential oils is a problem for dogs and other pets. Some of these oils are irritants to the lungs and inhalation can also lead to systemic effects of toxicity in some cases. If a dog gets oil in their airway, this can also cause serious irritation and disease to the lungs.
Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with some epsom salts and warm water. Shake until salts are dissolved. Spray on dogs and carpets where fleas may lurk. Peppermint oil kills flea larvae.
If you have spiders, ants, mosquitoes and other bugs around your home, try using peppermint oil. The scent may also help keep mice away. To get started, pick up some peppermint oil at your local health or grocery store. Look for 100-percent pure peppermint oil with no additives.
A 2013 study suggests that when a healthy person uses peppermint oil, it can help to relax the muscles of the windpipe, known as the bronchial muscles. This may explain why the oil can ease breathing in people with coughs. Peppermint essential oil can be used by: diluting the oil in boiling water and inhaling the steam.
When it comes to how long the oil will last, generally the cotton balls will need to be replaced 1-2 times per week as the peppermint smell quickly wears off from them. If using the spray method, that will likely need to be completed 1-2 times per week as well, or whenever the smell of the oil wears off.
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.
The answer to this question is both yes and no. The scent of eucalyptus is pleasant to humans, but it can be very strong, irritating, and overwhelming for dogs. Dogs have a strong sense of smell as compared to us humans, and thus the scent, which seems to be pretty decent to us, might not be tolerant to our pet dogs.
Diluted lavender oil is generally considered safe for topical use on dogs. Lavender essential oil is extremely potent. Just like for humans, pure lavender essential oils should not be applied to the skin or ingested. Instead, they should be mixed with a carrier oil.
Unfortunately, while peppermint oil may contain many benefits for the two-leggeds, it is toxic for our four-legged friends. To keep your pet safe, avoid the use of peppermint essential oil when around them.
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.