Are Essential Oils Safe for Animals?
By Terri Bonin
With so much controversy surrounding the use of essential oils and animals, it’s time to dispel some myths. I love furbabies just as much as the next person and I want them to be safe. I would never want to do anything to a fur baby that would put them in danger, harm them in any way, or heaven forbid ~ kill them. That being said, I diffuse essential oils all day long around my pets.
Can the two really go together?…
Absolutely.
1.) Purity matters
Not every essential oil is made equally. If you can go into a health food store and pay $4.99 for a big bottle of essential oil, just turn around and walk out. Cheap essential oils are full of fillers that are harmful to not only your pets but also to YOU! One of the main reasons I only promote Young Living essential oils is because they are the ONLY essential oil company with their own farms and they have a seed to seal process that guarantees the purity of each and every oil and product that they sell.
The stories that you’ve read about animals getting really sick from oils being diffused have a few similarities. First, the “oil” was diffused all night long with the door closed so the animal couldn’t leave. Second, the “oils” were purchased randomly from Amazon with no research done. Third, in some cases as much as 85ml was either diffused or put onto the animal. That is a crazy amount of oil even if it IS 100% pure!
2.)Not Every Oil is Safe for Pets
…even if they are Young Living. Cats, for instance, lack the ability to metabolize substances because of a missing enzyme in their liver, so their metabolism is much slower than a human. Because of this, you need to use caution with oils that are high in phenols such as cassia, clove, oregano, thyme, and mountain savory, as well as oils high in monoterpenes like citrus oils, pine, spruce, and fir. Thankfully, Young Living has a board of certified veterinarians who oversee their animal scents product line. How amazing is that? There is literally an entire product line made up of pure ingredients to help your animal with everything from scrapes and rashes, to anxiety, and making their coats shine. For more info on their board of veterinarians click here.
3.) When in Doubt… DILUTE
If you’re going to put a drop of lavender on your dog, dilute it 50/50 with some V6 oil (or olive oil), rub it on your hands, and gently pet your pup. You can’t over dilute as far as I’m concerned. Start slowly, watch your pet closely, and a great tip is to extend your hand and let your pet smell the oil first. If they clearly don’t like it, don’t use it on them! Make sure you use the highest quality essential oils and give your pet an option to leave the room if they want to. They’re smart and they’ll leave if they need to (though mine has never seemed to mind for the last several years).
For more tips on using essential oils with your fur babies, we are having a Facebook class tonight called Fur-Babiesbies & Essential Oil Basics where we will go into more detail about how to use essential oils safely with your pets. Please join us tonight at 7:30 pm CST. Click here to join!
To order any of the products I mentioned just click here.
~ Terri
Meet Terri Bonin, the author of 31 Days to Fit, 14 Days to Ignite Your Marriage, and Live, Laugh, Love, and Laundry. Terri’s 23-year union with her favorite dentist (her husband), has been prosperous in their prolific production of 10 darling children. She also holds a degree in nutritional counseling which seems to be most frequently used to persuade her children to eat their greens. Terri’s secret pleasure is sneaking away from juggling the daily tasks, homeschooling, and dating her husband to escape to her office to write for her own enjoyment. As you can imagine she has a LOT to write about!
*Disclaimer: The information above is based on my research and personal use of Young Living Essential Oils. I am not a doctor. Statements, products, and techniques mentioned have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
