Which Essential Oils are Bad for Dogs?
Essential oils are a fantastic natural solution for pest control. Aside from having great aromatherapy properties, essential oils can be used for a number of DIY solutions.
We recommend using them for natural pest control purposes frequently.
However, a lot of essential oils can be potentially harmful to dogs. It’s important to know which ones will do harm to your furry friend, as your dog can be poisoned from essential oils. That’s right, some essential oils are poisonous to dogs, as well as cats!
A lot of vets don’t recommend using essential oils directly on your pet without their instructions. Even defusing certain essential oils can have negative effects on your dogs. Always proceed with caution when using any new product on your animals. Today, we’re going to share which essential oils are harmful to dogs and how to use them safely on your companion.
Why Are Essential Oils Bad for My Dog?
Essential oils are created from plant extracts. This is why they’re considered a natural solution.
Essential oil fragrances are quite powerful, and chemically have a lot of fatty acid properties. Thankfully, this makes them a perfect solution for pest control. The strong fragrance keeps pests away, and the fatty acids deteriorate exoskeletons. However, strong fragrances can be irritating to your pet. And high amounts of fatty acids are also harmful to their skin.
Despite essential oils being a natural product, it does not mean they are completely safe.
Even essential oils that aren’t harmful to pets should be used with caution. Essential oils on humans can also be harmful when ingested or used directly on skin.
Always look for adverse reactions on yourself and pets if you do use essential oils. When using safer essential oils on your pet, be sure to:
- Use with caution and look for negative reactions
- Research possible reactions to the oils
- Ask your vet for guidance and advice
- Never use pure oils directly on your pet
Although essential oils are natural, they are powerful. Thankfully, it means that they do work to an extent, but they can work a little too well on our pets.
Which Essential Oils Harm Dogs?
If you want to find out more about what reactions your pet can have to essential oils, check out our page on pest control ingredients. If you do plan to use essential oils for your pest control needs, stay away from the following essential oils:
- Cinnamon
- Citrus of any kind
- Pennyroyal
- Peppermint
- Pine
- Sweet birch
- Tea tree (melaleuca)
- Wintergreen
- Ylang ylang
- Anise
- Clove
- Thyme
- Juniper
- Yarrow
- Garlic
What Essential Oils are Good for Dogs?
Some essential oils can be beneficial for dogs if used properly. However, you should still talk with your vet before you do plan on using essential oils. Here are some essential oils that are relatively safe to use around your dog:
Lavender can be especially beneficial to your dog! It can help with allergies, burns, ulcers, insomnia, anxiety, and even car sickness. Lavender is incredibly calming for dogs, and is often used as a natural remedy for their ailments.
Despite some oils being safe to use around your dog, you should always follow your vet’s directions. Essential oils are powerful, which makes them useful to fight pests. However, if you do decide to use essential oils for your pest control needs, be sure to use caution around your dogs.
