Essential oils have often been advertised as a pet-friendly and natural course of treatment for several health issues. They are an alternative to traditional medicine, and since they have garnered massive attention in recent years, several dog owners have expressed an interest to try them. Essential oils are believed to be effective in treating everything from anxiety to skin conditions. However, just because essential oils are natural doesn’t mean they are also safe. There could be risks in using some essential oils, so certain factors are to be considered before using essential oils for pets.

Despite natural extracts, essential oils are not entirely safe for use around pets. Every essential oil, whether applied topically or diffused throughout the room, has benefits and side effects at the same time. If you are planning to buy one, ensure that you conduct enough research regarding its benefits and ill-effects for your pet. Since pets have a heightened and more sensitive sense of smell than humans, certain essential oils are potential irritants for them as they have overpowering fragrances. Once you know the factors to consider before using essential oils for pets, you can choose the safest one for your pet. This article helps you understand which essential oils are safe for pets, along with which ones are unsafe for them:

Essential oils harmful to cats

• Wintergreen
• Sweet birch
• Citrus (d-limonene)
• Pine
• Ylang ylang
• Peppermint
• Cinnamon
• Pennyroyal
• Clove
• Eucalyptus
• Tea tree (melaleuca)
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Lavender

Essential oils harmful to dogs

• Cinnamon
• Citrus (d-limonene)
• Pennyroyal
• Peppermint
• Pine
• Sweet birch
• Tea tree (melaleuca)
• Wintergreen
• Ylang ylang
• Anise
• Clove
• Thyme
• Juniper
• Yarrow
• Garlic

Symptoms of negative reaction to an essential oil
Many times, you may not know whether your critter is facing a bad smell reaction, but several common symptoms will caution you about sudden changes of behavior in your pet. If you see your pet experiencing these symptoms, you must consult a vet at once. Some of the symptoms to watch out for are mentioned here:

• Fatigue
• Drooling
• Difficulty breathing
• Muscle tremors
• Pawing at the mouth or face
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Redness or burns on lips
• The smell of essential oil on their skin, fur, breath, and vomit

Benefits of essential oils
At the same time, some essential oils have significant benefits for pets if applied topically or diffused in the room. Some of the benefits are that essential oils:

• Ease an upset stomach
• Soothe the body and mind
• Help get restful sleep
• Boost skin health
• Ease mental and emotional distress
• Have antibacterial and antifungal properties
• Calm inflammation
• Discourage insects and fleas from getting attracted to their skin

Each animal’s physical and biological make-up is unique, so their reactions to different products also differ. Keeping in mind the factors to consider before using essential oils for pets is important, but so is a patch test on the pets. You should do this even if the usage of essential oils is suggested by a vet. Simply apply a dime-sized amount of diluted essential oil on your pet’s skin to check sensitivity.