Essential Oils – Page 10

With the increasing popularity of essential oils, many people diffuse them in their homes for therapeutic use. Essential oils greatly help people in various ways such as relaxing and sleeping at night or treating a common cold. But it’s not only humans who use essential oils since many pet owners use these substances on cats and dogs as a natural flea repellent. But is it safe to do that though? Many pet owners fail to recognize that some essential oils aren’t safe to use directly on their beloved pets. It goes the same with diffusing the oil, which means you have to be careful in dispersing essential oil in your home when you don’t know what it would do to your pet. Cats and dogs have a keener sense of smell compared to humans, which means they smell essential oils better. How Does Essential Oil Affect Your Cats or Dogs? As I mentioned before, cats and dogs, as well as other pets, have a better sense of smell. Also, each pet is different than the other, which means their reaction might differ as well. In that regard, while your dog might not have any reaction when you diffused an essential oil, it doesn’t mean that the other pet won’t have any reaction at all. Honestly, your other pet might have an even worse reaction to particular oil. Due to its heightened sense of smell, even the faintest scent of essential oil might be akin to sitting next to someone with dizzying perfume. Because of this, it is crucial that you first try out to see how your pets will react. It is a lot like trying a patch test when testing a product. By doing this, you can protect your pets. Dangerous Essential Oils for Cats and Dogs The essential oils not safe for dogs are garlic, clover, oregano, rosemary, thyme, tea tree, and wintergreen oil. As for cats, the essential oils that aren’t safe to use are eucalyptus, clove, lavender, spruce, cassia, lemon, birch, and more. The common safe oils to diffuse are chamomile, clary sage, cedarwood, marjoram, and myrrh oil. Here are some signs of reaction if your pet comes into contact with essential oil: Scratching Squinting Hives Excessive drooling Coughing Sneezing Lethargy Increasing breathing rate Weakness Lack of coordination Tremors If your pet developed these symptoms, bring it to your veterinarian immediately. Ensuring the Safety of Your Pets When Diffusing Essential Oil Here are some tips that will help make sure that your cat or dog will be perfectly safe while you enjoy the benefits of essential oil: Better consult your veterinarian before using any essential oil near your pets. Keep the diffuser out of reach of your pet and use only high-quality, therapeutic grade essential oil when using the safe kind for your pet. If using essential oil with cats, do be extra careful. Cats can’t metabolize appropriately since they don’t have liver enzymes and ingesting essential oils can increase the risk of toxicity. Diffuse oils in a place where there is proper ventilation no matter the kind of essential oil you use. Applying essential oil on the pet’s fur or skin is not advised. It can cause an adverse reaction. Also, your dog or cat might lick the oil and thus lead to toxicity. There it is. Keep these things in mind to ensure the use of essential oil won’t harm your beloved pet.