How can you use essential oils for your fur babies?
There are many ways they can be effectively and safely utilised for the benefit of your pets:
- Diffusing oils in a pet’s environment can affect their emotions, helping to calm stressed or anxious animals and also have physical effects
- Petting applications, where a few drops of selected oils are rubbed between your palms and then applied to the animal by petting, stroking the ears, or a during massage session
- Using them topically, in solutions or ointments prepared specifically for your pet
- Internally, by adding to drinking water, food, administering directly into the mouth, or in capsules (NOT WITHOUT VETERINARY DIRECTION)
What should you know about essential oils?
It’s important to keep your paws in mind as when using essential oils at home. Dogs and cats have a very sensitive sense of smell, so when you are diffusing, be sure to use a water-based diffuser and only diffuse 4–5 drops at a time in an open area where your pet can leave the room if desired.
Many oils can support the various body systems of your animals. Before using essential oils on your fur babies, make sure to consult your vet or pet health care provider. Always dilute essential oils down to 1–2 percent prior to application (100 drops of a carrier oil, for every drop of essential oil).
Great carriers include coconut oil, avocado oil, aloe vera, sunflower oil, and sweet almond oil
It is recommended that you dilute even more for animals that are less than 5 kg.
Are all essential oils safe?
Here are some oils that can help support your fur baby’s health:
- Digestive Support: Ginger, Cardamom, Fennel, Coriander
- Endocrine Support: Myrrh, Lemongrass, Geranium
- Immune Support: Rosemary, Copaiba,
- Integumentary Support: Lavender, Frankincense, Myrrh, Helichrysum, Cedarwood, Geranium, Spikenard, Roman Chamomile, Melissa
- Musculoskeletal Support: Frankincense, Copaiba, Marjoram
- Nervous System Support: Copaiba, Helichrysum, Turmeric, Sandalwood,
- Respiratory Support: Cardamom, Rosemary, Arborvitae
- Urinary Tract Support: Copaiba, Lemongrass, Juniper Berry
- Cardiovascular Support: Helichrysum, Cypress, Marjoram, Copaiba
While many oils are safe for your pooch, there is also a long list of oils that should be avoided as they are toxic when they enter their system.
Here are some of the oils that should be avoided
- Citrus Oils: Your dog may vomit, experience lethargy, or even go through the horrors of a seizure.
- Cinnamon and pine: Pine tends to be both a skin and stomach irritant. But, the horrors of pine go even further, with cases of liver damage and central nervous system damage.
- Tea Tree: You don’t want to expose them to the detriments of this oil. With symptoms can range from minor side effects like skin irritation or vomiting, to major complications like depression or paralysis of the rear legs.
- Ylang Ylang: In fact, it’s an additive to many of our favourite perfumes. However, this oil does nothing more than make our fine friends loopy. It can make breathing difficult for them, create a general sense of weakness, and, again, force them to vomit the toxin out of their system.
Always store essential oils out of the reach of pets and children. If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned by essential oils, immediately contact your vet. Bring the suspected essential oil offender with you to the vet in a sealed container. Seeking treatment as quickly as possible will typically lead to a better outcome for your pet. If you believe your pet swallowed the oil, inducing vomiting or giving activated charcoal are not recommended as this may make the situation even worse.
Final Thoughts on Essential Oils for Pets
- You can use certain essential oils for pets safely to boost their physical as well as emotional well-being, while there are other oils that you specifically should not use with dogs and cats or animals in general.
- What essential oils are good for dogs? Some top choices include lavender, chamomile, frankincense and cedarwood. Peppermint is also a top choice of essential oils for dogs’ fleas.
- What essentials oils are helpful to cats? Beneficial oils for cats include spearmint, frankincense, cardamom, helichrysum and fennel.
- It’s vital that you choose 100 percent pure, therapeutic grade and certified organic essential oils for pets.
- There are many important cautionary tips to know before using essential oils for pets, and it’s also important you include your vet on essential oils for pets choices, especially if your pet is very young, old or has an ongoing health concern
