First things first, I am not a Veterinarian and I highly suggest you talk to your Vet about using essential oils with your pets. I've done my best to research this over the years but I can only share our personal experience and decisions with you. It's up to you to decide what's best for your pet. Please know that our family only uses doTERRA and my recommendations and sources reflect that.
We all love our pets and want the best for them! The truth is that there's a lot of junk out there on the internet talking about how toxic essential oils are, some of it's true and some of it's just junk. It's unfortunate for us and it's unfortunate for our pets because there are so many oils that can help our pets! I think the common theme in all of the myths on the internet is that none of them mention brand or purity. We don't know how impure the oils being talked about are and we don't know if those lists reflect user error. Diffusing and using oils that have unknown additives and impurities tells us nothing about using doTERRA Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils with our pets.
The other thing to consider is that no one is asking how harmful our regular toxic cleaning supplies, candles and fragrances are for our pets. If those things are scientifically proven to be toxic for humans it would be true of our pets as well. In our house we are doing our best to eliminate all of those toxins and I believe those chemicals are much more toxic for our pets than any doTERRA oil. Our pets and our kids are the ones who have to suffer from crawling around in those toxins- I feel much better using our doTERRA products for cleaning!
Our pets (cats especially) have millions more olfactory receptors in their noses and they metabolize things differently than humans. This means it can take them longer to excrete certain oils than it takes us. It also means they are more sensitive to scent than we are.
Here are a few things we can do to keep our pets safe with essential oils-
-Use a water based diffuser and start on the lower end of drops per diffuser size recommendation.
-If your pet sleeps in a room with a diffuser leave the door cracked, they should always have the option to move away from scents they don't like.
-If you're worried about certain oils, keep an eye on your pet while using it. Are they sneezing, rubbing their eyes, vomiting- they will tell you if they don't like something.
-Do not use oils topically in or on your pets eyes, ears, nose, or genitals.
-Do not use oils topically if they are on a topical medication or dermal patch.
-Never give your pets beadlets, toothpaste or anything else that contains Xylitol.
-Heavily dilute the oils you use topically on your pets. 3-6 drops in a 10ml roller bottle is the general recommendation. As always, start on the lower end of that recommendation and adjust for size and effectiveness.
The only oil I have found that every article and Vet mentions that we should not diffuse or use on our pets internally or topically is Tea Tree/Melaluca. That doesn't mean you can't use it on yourself; just wash your hands if you are going to touch your pet immediately afterwards. I still use it in my cleaning supplies occasionally, I just don't use it on my floors. Don't freak out if you forget. It's not a death sentence, it's just the hardest one for them to process. If you are looking for a safe alternative for Tea Tree try Arborvitae.
Below you'll find a list of oils to use extreme caution with topically and internally for pets. This doesn't mean you can't use them for cleaning purposes or diffuse them it just means these oils are hard for them to process in large doses. Use caution and extra dilution if you are considering feeding them to your pets or applying them to your pets skin and always get your vets recommendation first. In my opinion I would keep an eye on your pets when diffusing these oils as well, some cats curl around a citrus diffuser because citrus is uplifting, some leave the room- every pet is different. Like I said, if you watch them, they will tell you if they like or dislike a certain oil.
Here are the oils that we use should use caution with topically & internally-
DOGS
Birch
Wintergreen
"Hot Oils"- cassia, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, thyme...
The list for topical and internal application for cats is longer because they clean themselves and therefore can ingest larger amounts of oils. Cats also have even more olfactory receptors than dogs.
CATS
Citrus Oils- lemon, lime, bergamot, grapefruit, orange...
"Hot Oils"- cassia, cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, thyme...
Mints- peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint
Personally I don't think there is an oil on the market that is going to kill your pet any faster than a bottle of bleach so take the same precautions you do with your cleaning supplies. Relax a little and let your pet tell you what it likes and doesn't like.
Below you will find a few videos you can watch to learn more about which doTERRA oils we should and shouldn't use on our pets. A lot of myths will be dispelled between the two of them. The reason that I chose these as my sources for this post is because they are sources that talk specifically about doTERRA oils and pets.
Here is a video from a panel doTERRA held with Veterinarians across the country who use doTERRA in their clinics and at home.
Here is another video with The Essential Oil Vet, Janet Roarck. She busts some myths and shares some stories.
Next time we'll talk about all of the great things oils can do for our pets! Hope you found this helpful!
XO, Meg