What About Essential Oils For Dogs – Good Or Bad?
As we all may know essential oils are supposed to be very good for humans and many naturalists turn to essential oils instead of common drugs for illness or ailments. The question here is, what about essential oils for dogs?
If you are like me and prefer all natural over pharmaceuticals you will be interested in finding out more about essential oils for dogs. Over the years I found that the best essential oils are pure essential oil and stay away from the synthetics.
Where dogs are concerned, as we know their sense of smell is 1000X better than humans, please take caution when using essential oils for dogs, less is best. Principles of safe use are recommended.
Essential oils are the concentrated liquids or volatile aromatic compounds found in seeds, stems, bark, flowers, roots and other parts of plants.
For a while, essential oils have helped in the natural healing of animals and humans. These oils are able to produce the desired result faster than herbs.
Essential oils have multiple effects where a lot of medications generally have only one medical property and negative side effects.
Essential oils are a wonderful solution to many problems, and a simple, safe and respectful way to keep your dog healthy and happy. Providing these oils are used correctly, essential oils can create a level of support that can aid your furry friend to help fight anxiety, itchy skin, digestive disorder and much more, essential oils are a safe alternative to harmful drugs. Here are the top four essential oils for your dog and a few that is not so great!
Best Essential Oils For Dogs
Cedar oil (Cedrus Atlantica or deodara). This oil is known for its high capacity to repel and kill pests such as fleas and is one of the best essential oils for dogs.
It has a lot of useful properties, which include being an antiseptic for lungs and expectorant for coughs such as kennel cough.
It stimulates blood circulation as well as resolving stiffness in dogs that usually happens with increasing age, arthritis and back pain.
Cedar oil can also help to eliminate dandruff and strengthen kidney function and is used as a natural calming tonic.
Using cedar oil is especially calming for nervous aggression, timid or shy dogs.
It can also be used for dogs with severe separation issues and those that need a greater sense of inner security.
Lavender oil (Lavandula angustifolia). This oil is one of the most versatile essential oils, which creates a sense of peace and harmony and provides a soothing effect on dogs and human as well.
This oil is soothing for dog’s central nervous system and can be used effectively to help dogs get used to a safe place. It can ease car ride anxiety, car illness, as well as help with insomnia and allergies.
A study in 2006 found that the use of lavender essential oil in dogs reduced their vocalization and movement during travel.
Citronella oil. This oil is well-known for its ability to repel insects. Do not make use of those chemical-filled citronella candles found in stores.
When you think of citronella oil, maybe imagine a candle burning on wet summer nights that keep mosquitoes at bay, but it also has a smell that overpowers humans, so just imagine what it will to do to your pet.
When using a pure citronella essential oil, not only is it considered nontoxic, but when used in small amounts, it will not overpower, but the smell will still eliminate insects.
Cardamom oil. This oil is known for its benefits to the respiratory and digestive system. It is generally safe and pleasant for children, and most experts consider it safe for dogs.
The cardamom oil helps maintain optimal gastrointestinal balance, calms an upset stomach, eases indigestion and also promotes better breathing by supporting respiratory health.
The oil can uplift the mood of an anxiety-ridden dog.
How Do You Use Essential Oils For Dogs
There are many sizes of dogs and the smaller the dog, the more you need to dilute the oil. The common ways to use essential oils for dogs are: aromatically, internal and topically.
Caution should be exercised when starting something new.
Just as you need to adjust the change in food for your dog slowly, the oil should also be introduced gradually.
Another thing to consider is what is in the oil you are giving your dog? Is it pure or synthetic? If you like the idea of an all natural way of health for your furry friend it is important to know what is really inside each bottle.
Let’s begin with the aromatic application.
The two ways of aromatic application are Nebulizing diffusers which has to do with pulling the oil from the bottle, then disperses it in the air.
The second application is Water diffusion which is highly recommended with any animal.
One of the best ways to start introducing essential oils is to start with 1-5 drops of oil in your diffuser. You can use this method in different ways, in an open room, closed room, near the animal in a cage or even through tenting for a short time.
The next way to use essential oils – Internal
The internal application of essential oils for dogs is achieved with the application of oil in drinking water:
one drop for every two cups of the dog’s drinking water
or added in their food: wet food is generally recommended.
If ever using essential oils internally please make sure the oil you are using is pure and diluted with a carrier oil and never contains more than 2% of the essential oil. I also recommend that you check with your vet before ever using essential oils, as if these are used incorrectly it can cause adverse affects.
Essential Oils Used Topically
The third method is topical application. This is when the oil is applied externally, such as applying on the paws, the ear and along the dog spine.
Always remember no matter how the essential oils are applied, start with diluted oils and add more when necessary.
When using essential oils for dogs and other species of animals are present, such as a cat, make sure the essential oil is not going to harm the other species or remove during use.
Essential Oils That Are Bad For Dogs
Essential oils have many benefits for humans and dogs, but there are some essential oils that are bad for dogs and should be avoided when it comes to your furry friend.
Tea Tree Oil. You do not need to go too far before you hear about poisonous tea tree oil for your dog. However, it is vital to keep in mind that they are harmful in high doses.
Take caution not to allow your pet to have much contact with this tea tree oil.
Wintergreen Oil. This oil is NOT used with aromatherapy for dogs as it can be dangerous. If you are in need of an alternative for minty fresh oil, peppermint oil works wonderfully and is safe for all dogs.
Oregano Oil. May cause issues with your dog; although, when properly diluted oregano oil can provide some benefits for dogs with poor respiratory health.
If your dog has respiratory issues, make sure to measure the risks and consider all the important factors, such as the age, breed, and size of the dog before doing so. Essential Oils may be really useful for our dogs; however, if not used properly can be harmful.
My Thoughts On What About Essential Oil For Dogs
In this article what about essential oil for dogs we have found four of the best essential oils for dogs and their therapeutic properties. Each essential oil has its own story, its uses, and its therapeutic properties and it is best to do your research and consult a professional when using essential oil for dogs.
Please remember that not all essential oils are good for your dog and it is best to know which ones are harmful and when diffusing oil around dogs make sure they are well diluted.
The listings in this article are not exhaustive in any way. Although the essential oils are amazing in their curative properties, remember to consult your vet if there is a serious medical problem and always error on the side of caution.
What do I use with my dogs? Since learning of all the benefits that CBD Oil has to offer our furry friends, I recommend using a full-spectrum CBD Oil, I have not seen any side-effects and have seen amazing results.
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Oh! I never knew there were essential oils that are not good for our fur friends! Thank you for highlighting that to me and many other readers. Anyone who come across your article will definitely benefit.
I like essential oils, and am glad they can be used for our doggy buddies. And I like the list of essential oils you provided. I can see we can share the use of the oils with them.
And good to know the different ways to give the oils. I like topical, and will bear in mind to dilute the oils before applying them.
Thank you! 🙂
Thanks for leaving a comment and you are most welcome! Essential oils are a big part of trying to keep our dogs more natural and aids in keeping them healthy. It is always best to do your research when using a more natural approach to health care for our furry friends, and if ever in doubt check with your vet. Topical is a great way to use essential oils with our dogs and if when ever using essential oils even on humans it is best to always dilute with a carrier oil as the oils may have an adverse reaction to the skin.
Thanks for this great advice on Essential oils for pets. Many pet owners want to do the right thing for their “fur babies” and they think that if it’s good for humans then it should be “OK” for their fur babies as well. This article is a great reminder that balance and restraint is needed when helping our animals be healthy, happy and fit.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for checking out my article on Essential Oils for pets and I really appreciate you leaving a comment. I do believe that lots of people want to do what is right for their fur babies; however, dogs metabolism and general make-up is different than humans. Just like with many foods that we understand dogs should NOT eat, such as chocolate, not all essential oils are good for our dogs as well. It is always best to double check before giving your dog anything that is not specified for dogs.
Hi Dena,
I agree that essential oils are great to help with overall human heath. I had never even though about using essential oils for dog health. It does make sense though right? I mean their sense of smell is HEAPS better than our sense of smell, so using only 100% natural ingredients makes perfect sense.
I know that lavender oil has worked wonders for fleas on my dog in the past. If I could add another great essential oil to mix, Tea Tree Oil (also spelt Ti Tree Oil) from Australia is all natural, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal etc and will also help the dog. Thanks for sharing.
I Glenys, thanks for leaving a comment.
I want to caution you on the use of Tea Tree Oil with dogs and cats as the terpenes in the oil, if not properly diluted, can actually be toxic. I know the Tea Tree Oil is great for many applications in humans and is used some times in pet care items; however, in dogs and cats, I would steer away from using if you are not a professional.
When using Tea Tree Oil for myself, I am real careful to use it in another room that the dogs do not occupy, and very sparingly, and never in a diffuser to avoid any complications that may arise for my fur babies.
Thanks again for leaving a comment and thanks for helping keep our fur babies healthy, happy and well-adjusted.
I loved your post on essential oils for dogs, I have never considered using essential oil for my own dog. I do prefer natural resources before medications for myself and my dog, I only feed my dog all natural healthy dog food and treats.
I plan to add the essential oils you shared in your post for my own dog, I thank you for also sharing the essential oils not to use on our pets.
I really appreciate you stopping by The Wood Hound and checking out my article on essential oils.
Many people out there misuse essential oils with dogs and it is best to make sure you are using them correctly. Remember to never use the oil without diluting it with a carrier oil as dogs may have a reaction to the smell as their senses are so much more escalated than that of a human. Start out slowly and increase use as your furry friend seems to tolerate it. I really think the Cedar essential oil is the best for most as it has so many benefits. I am excited that you feel all natural is the way to go as many of the chemicals you can get out there have horrible side effects and really are not that great for our fur babies.
Thank for stopping by and make sure you check back often as I intend to continue updating more on all natural dogs real soon.
My Thumper has flea allergies and in the past, I tried everything. I have had some success with Eucalyptus oil for her. I have not tried Cedar oil. I bet that one would be really great for killing fleas.
I really appreciate you visiting The Wood Hound and glad you found useful information for Thumper.
Cedar Oil is a great all around oil for our furry friends as it has many uses and getting rid of fleas is one of them. Cedar Oil is also used for the benefits of such things as Kennel Cough, Arthritis, and is great for their skin. One of the other great benefits of Cedar Oil is that it helps with calming and anxiety in dogs. I do want to make sure you know never to use any essential oils on dogs without using a carrier oil of some type as it needs diluted due to dogs high sense of smell.
Again, thanks for visiting and make sure you bookmark The Wood Hound as I am always updating with new information.
I like to use essential oils so it is good to know what is safe and what is not for my dogs. I knew about the tea tree oil. Although I will use it for me on occasion I am very careful not to get it anywhere near my pets. I have a diffuser and will need to be a bit more cautious about the oil blends I use in it. I know that I enjoy the fragrance of some that may or may not be safe for my dogs.
I am glad you knew about tea tree oil as it can be very harmful for dogs. It is very important to be careful when using any type of essential oils around our furry friends and remember to never use it undiluted. When using it in a diffuser we need to be careful as a dogs sense of smell is much greater than ours and it can affect them much quicker. If you have any questions please let me know and I will be glad to help you out.