Can you use Essential Oils around Pets?

No one wants to see their fluffy (or not so fluffy!) friends sick or injured, so it’s really important to know what you can and can’t use around them to make them safe! In this post, I will go through toxic essential oils you should keep away from pets to keep them happy and healthy.

Exposure to Essential Oils:

Many people think that essential oils can only harms animals in they are touched or digested directly, but its actually a lot easier for pets to get exposed than that.

• If an essential oil is used in a diffuser, pets can breathe it in and become very sick, possibly even have trouble breathing
• If you have had essential oils on your skin, especially places easily accessible to pets like your hands, they could lick it off and digest the essential oils, even if the oils been rubbed into your skin
• Similarly, if you have essential oils on your hand and go to touch your pet, the oil will make contact with the skin which could lead to skin irritation or a rash

Harmful Essential Oils to avoid:

For Dogs

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Pine Oil
• Sweet Birch Oil
• Wintergreen Oil
• Pennyroyal Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Citrus Oil (including lemon and orange)
• Peppermint Oil
• Ylang Ylang Oil
• Clove Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Anise Oil
• Garlic Oil
• Oregano Oil

For Cats:

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Citrus Oils (includes lemon, orange and grapefruit)
• Pine Oil
• Sweet Birch Oil
• Wintergreen Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Ylang Ylang Oil
• Clove Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Anise Oil
• Garlic Oil
• Lavender Oil (in large quantities)

For Fish:

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Citrus Oil (includes lemon, orange and grapefruit)
• Clove Oil
• Pine Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Lavender Oil

For Rodents:

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Citrus Oils (includes lemon, orange and grapefruit)
• Pine Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Clove Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Wintergreen Oil
• Lavender Oil (in high concentrations)
• Ylang Ylang Oil
• Anise Oil
• Garlic Oil

For Birds:

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Citrus Oil (includes lemon, orange and grapefruit)
• Peppermint Oil
• Pine Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Clove Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Lavender Oil
• Wintergreen Oil
• Ylang Ylang Oil
• Anise Oil
• Garlic Oil
• Basil Oil
• Bergamot Oil

For Reptiles:

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Citrus Oil (includes lemon, orange and grapefruit)
• Peppermint Oil
• Pine Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Clove Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Lavender Oil
• Wintergreen Oil
• Ylang Ylang Oil
• Anise Oil
• Garlic Oil
• Basil Oil
• Bergamot Oil

For Horses:

• Tea Tree Oil
• Eucalyptus Oil
• Pine Oil
• Wintergreen Oil
• Cinnamon Oil
• Clove Oil
• Thyme Oil
• Oregano Oil
• Peppermint Oil
• Anise Oil
• Garlic Oil
• Basil Oil
• Bergamot Oil
• Camphor Oil
• Citrus Oil (includes lemon, orange and grapefruit)

Symptoms of Exposure:

If your pet is exposed to and harmful or toxic essential oils, you may see these symptoms:

• Drooling
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Tremors
• Lethargy
• Difficulty Breathing / Wheezing
• Uncoordinated Movements
• Skin Irritation or a Rash
• Seizures (often only in severe cases)
• Loss of Appetite
• Weakness
• Abdominal Discomfort
• Pawing at the Ground
• Colic-like symptoms

Precautions to take:

Make sure to keep any essential oils you own far out of reach for pets, and to always be cautious after using oils by avoiding touching anything else and washing your hands after usage. There are pet-safe essential oils you can use instead but make absolutely sure you know they are safe. Contact a veterinarian immediately if you start noticing these symptoms in your pets

To Summarise:

Its important to know that many Essential Oils are harmful towards pets, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use any at all. As long as you take caution and know what’s safe and what isn’t, you can still enjoy using Essential Oils while your pet stays safe!