While the obsession seems to be settling down a little now, a few years ago essential oils were all anyone could talk about. You’d see Suzy from high school claiming that they cured her illness on Facebook, diffusers were a dime a dozen at stores, and you couldn’t go a whole day on the internet without hearing that oil was the magic cure for A, B, and/or C.
And then once the obsession hit and became mainstream, we began to hear warnings from doctors, dermatologists, Facebook experts, and everyone in between. Some said essential oils were safe for everyone, including pets – while others claimed there were no safe essential oils for pets.
So what’s the real truth? We’ve got everything you need to know about essential oils for pets, below.
How to Safely Use Essential Oils
Before we get into the specifics of pet-safe and unsafe essential oils, let’s talk about general best practices.
You should never apply essential oils directly to your skin unless they’ve been diluted. Proper dilution varies per oil and you can find charts with suggestions online – though be wary about the sources before you trust them.
No matter what your Facebook friends claim, essential oils are NOT safe to ingest. Do not put them on open wounds, mucus membranes, or anything else that has internal access to your body.
The safest way to use essential oils is to put one to three drops in a diffuser, filled with the maximum amount of water. If you’re making an oil blend, don’t exceed four or five drops in the diffuser – and keep its capacity in mind when doing so.
Safe Essential Oils for Pets
There are just a few oils that are safe for homes with dogs and cats – as they have different sensitives.
If you live in a home with both dogs and cats, you can safely diffuse
- Frankincense
- Bergamot
- Lavender
- Chamomile
The list is the same as above for cat-only homes. However, if you have dogs, you can add Myrrh, Ginger, and Rosemary to the list.
While these are safe, consider how strong the smell is in your home. Our pets have much more powerful noses than we do, so if it’s smelling strong to you, it’s much stronger to them. For more information on diffusing around pets, aromatechscent.com has the hookup.
Dangerous Oils for Pets
If the oil isn’t listed above, or you haven’t talked to your vet specifically about the oil you want to use – assume it’s unsafe for your furry friend.
Diffusing Around Pets Safely
You love your fur babies and you’d never want to accidentally hurt them just to make your home smell better. Keep this list of safe essential oils for pets handy and go clean out your collection of oils.
You can always give them away to your friends who have pet-free homes! Have friends who you know diffuse with pets? Send them this article – you may just save their pet’s life.
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