What are the symptoms that would indicate that essential oils have poisoned your cat? I didnt know essential oils could be fatal for cats until after we lost her. Some pet owners add water to already-diluted oil mixes and use a mister to spray their animal, but be forewarned, misting could be a turnoff for your feline and not every cat specialist recommends it. It is deadly to cats. If your cat falls in the second category, consider diluting the oil even more next time you try diffusing the oil in his presence. However, before these digestive issues become more apparent, you will notice signs of coughing, vomiting, and so on in your dogs which are very prominent signs of digestive-related problems and upon seeing these signs, you should act accordingly. The most common technique to receive the benefits of aromatherapy on cats though, is through diffusing essential oils through a . It is also used for domestic purposes like house cleaning. In concentrated forms, most essential oils are dangerous when applied to a pets skin, fur, or paws. Your veterinarian knows the medical history of your dog, and any current issues or ongoing treatments. These toxins then build up in your cats system and cause damage. There are a lot of opinions out there about whether or not thieves oil is safe for dogs and the answer seems to be a resounding "maybe.". Unfortunately, cats and most essential oils are not a good mix. I use an insect spray that is natural and has eucalyptus oils. And if so, how should you administer it? Allowing the cat to choose will avoid possible dehydration or accidents outside the litter box. If your cats ingest these substances, their intestines and liver dont have the necessary enzymes capable of eliminating, absorbing, or even digesting the oils leading to various health complications in the animal. As mentioned above, citrus is a problem for kitties. This post is quite old and time sensitive comments may not yield results. Legit articles that veterinarians post have lists that contradict each other. Do not allow your cat to ingest tea tree oil and do not apply it to their skin. Thank you for your article Emma. Because essential oils are naturally derived, people often mistakenly think they are safer alternatives to standard medicines such as antibiotics and antiseptics. Even if your oils are sealed tightly, there is a likelihood that there will be residual oil on the bottle that your cat could lick off or get on their fur. If you are a new cat parent, you may confuse difficulty in breathing with the kitty trying to expel a hairball. According to theCanadian Veterinary Medicine Association (CVMA), such oils include: What about thieves oil? I have to distinguish here, that there is a difference between using essential oils topically on your cat, vs. diffusing them around your home for your own well-being and/or that of your feline friend. He tends to follow me around the house like the loyal kitty he is and was my first test subject for using Essential oils with cats (AFTER I did some research, which I'm sharing with you. In other words, if toxins in such essential oils are absorbed, it will be difficult for a cat to eliminate the harmful substances. In nature, your cat would use leaves and pine needles as their kitty litter, so theyd be getting exposed to small amounts of essential oil through contact with this vegetation. Veterinarian Dr. Melissa Shelton has been regarded with many questions about essential oils and cats. Thieves oil is a potent blend of essential oils that includes clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils. Thieves Household Cleaners formula has the most effective, 100 percent plant and mineral-based ingredients available. She sold her practice in 2019 to move across the country. Never diffuse poor-grade oils, especially around cats. Moreover, cats especially dont have the necessary enzymes to metabolize thieves oils chemicals, therefore, it is best not to use thieves oil for fleas or ticks control. Thyme is in the mixture, will the smell harm my cat? ESSENTIAL OILS FOR CATS: Uncommon Ways To Safely Use Cat Essential Oils With Natural Cat Remedies For Optimal Health: Aromatherapy For Cats $2.99 Essential Oils that are Toxic to Cats Scanning through testimonies and research studies, science elaborates on the possible effects of several essential oils to the feline species. My advice - tea tree oil is fine to use occasionally at up to 5% on cats, and pennyroyal may be safe at up to 1%, but is probably best avoided. I dont diffuse essential oils, nor do I apply them to my cat, EVER! Your dog can also start coughing or sneezing profusely upon the inhalation of thieves oil from the diffuser. Essential oils are volatile, organic constituents of plants that contribute to fragrance and taste. Beth Turner is a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience. Everyday household cleaners that the animals areexposed to or accidentally get into can cause skin irritations, allergies and accidental poisoning. Its from orange blossoms instead of the fruit, but I want to make sure before I use it in my room diffuser. Accordingly, the clove that is found within thieves oil is not good for rabbits however the lemon and eucalyptus that are found in thieves oil are considered safe for rabbits. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, cats are especially sensitive to essential oils. As I mentioned before, cats and dogs, as well as other pets, have a better sense of smell. Essential oils can pose a toxic risk to household pets, especially to cats. Cinnamon It is very important that you only use therapeutic grade essential oils as many of the problems arise when you buy products marketed with high prices but low quality and use them on your cat. It is not advisable to diffuse thieves oil around your kittyand for valid reasons: First, diffusers put the essential oils into the air, which your cat may breathe or land on his fur. These include. I had read that all essential oils could cause liver damage to cats so I stopped diffusing them around my house. Please note that these are general recommendations for use. Use high quality therapeutic grade Essential oils. You can use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil for dilution. Well, as you can see, the list above contains oils that are key ingredients in thieves oil: clove, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary, and cinnamon bark. Thieves oil is not at all safe for cats. In addition, it is also not safe to use thieves oil on or around cats because it can cause irritation, vomiting, allergy, redness, and so on in your pet. All these are signs that the concentration of the oils micro-droplets is too strong for the cat and hes experiencing adverse reaction. You can dilute your oils using pure vegetable oil, make sure this is high grade, as recommended by Dr. Mary Hess, DVM. Mix 1/2 capful of Thieves Household Cleaner to your steam mop. Is it safe for dogs to use oil from thieves? I still accidentally see the symptoms fatal for cats from essential oils and it breaks my heart because she had each one and I wonder what other symptoms she had that arent listed simply because we dont know. Can I still use the citrus oils in my Ultrasonic diffuser? Heres what you need to know before giving your cat thieves oil. However if you have any concerns, reach out to a Veterinarian who has experience with EO's and cats. Many pet parents believe that diffusing essential oils in our homes shouldnt cause a problem to pets as the oils being used in diffusers are often highly diluted (especially when compared to those used in dietary supplementations or topical applications). It is important to note that animals cannot tell us if something is working or not, so it is our duty to exercise due caution and approach using oils on animals safely and responsibly. Oral application is generally not given because of cats strong taste aversion, but can be used when needed in extreme cases. While some oils may be used with little dilution or even neat ( Like Lavender, Copaiba, Helichrysum, and Frankincense), especially if the cat has tolerated the oil before. In other words, if your vet gives the green light to use the mentioned essential oils, you should start with high dilution and increase the concentration oil if your fur baby tolerates it and only if necessary. European Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) Phenol is an organic compound that is present in drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen . Treating Wounds. The cat might start panting heavily, which means theyre trying to process, but its too much. You are likely wondering why I am discussing smells and their feel-good and health benefits for humans in an article about pets. Horseradish (Amoracia rusticana) If your kitty breathes unsafe oil (like thieves oilas weve discussed above), he may suffer from respiratory irritation whose symptoms include vomiting, drooling, difficulty in breathing, and watery nose and eyes. Read my full disclosure policy here. Filed Under: Essential Oils For Beginners. Mix with a tablespoon of water, gargle and swallow for a sore throat. Mary. Shake well, and allow it to marinate overnight. This list has been pooled from various sources and is not exhaustive (and it is not presented in any order of toxicity): Recently, many people are returning to essential oils as an alternative therapy to treat everything from dietary problems to anxiety. It has not been found to cause death, but rather digestive problems. Accordingly, if you detect that your dog has eaten thieves oil then you need to make sure to observe your pet dog very carefully. Essential oils are very much unsafe for dogs and for any other type of pet and if you are not careful with thieves oil near your dog then you risk your dog to have several negative consequences upon the consumption of thieves essential oil. Dilute at a ratio of 50:1 which means you dilute a drop of your essential oil to 50 drops of dilution oil. Neither myself nor Preventive Vet receives any commission from recommending either Young Living Essential Oils or Piping Rock. Is this true, or will they avoid the room if the oil is too much for them? Smells not only trigger memories but can lift our mood and generate a flood of feel-good emotions. Below are some safety guidelines for using essential oil around or with your cats. Since ingestion, inhalation, and skin exposure to the above oils can be toxic or deadly to cats, it is easy to see why you should avoid using thieves oil directly on your cat. Sprinkle a small amount of this litteroma mix into one of the kitty litter trays, and mix well. Since it cannot breakdown some of the compounds, take care to avoid essential oils containing them in too high concentration. These are some great ones. Cats have a "deficient" P450 cytochrome pathway, making it impossible for them to breakdown certain metabolites of some essential oils. You list several, but Im wondering about Neroli. Essential oils are only safe at highly diluted levels of at least 50:1 . My cats are all cuddlers and like being around my head. Thieves oil is not at all safe for cats. Essential oils are not regulated by federal agencies so find a company that offers tested therapeutic grade oils. My goal is to find the most informative content on anything feline-related and share it with fellow hardworking kitty lovers. Copyright 2023 A Stray Kitchen on the Foodie Pro Theme. These are highly sensitive and even highly diluted oils can cause irritation in these areas. The truth is that there is just no sound scientific basis for these claims. Malissa says, Do not use citrus oils with felines ever they lack an enzyme to break down citrus. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) I wanted to share that with family and friends. Oils that should be avoided or used with caution are Wintergreen, Basil, Clove, Oregano, Melaleuca Quinquenervia, Thyme, Mountain Savory, Tea Tree, Laurus Nobilis, and Cinnamon Bark. A carrier oil dilutes the essential oil and protects your pet's skin from possible skin irritation. contact@lovecatstalk.com, Whats The Cats Name In Alice In Wonderland, common houseplants that are toxic for cats, Hills Science Diet Adult Savory Chicken Entree Canned Cat Food, The oils must be diffused for a short period of time, The cat must be exposed to the oils in a space that allows for easy access to be able to escape the room if needed, Wintergreen, peppermint, spearmint and mint, Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils. First of all, we dont recommend applying essential oils directly to the skin or fur of any animal. Secondly, because of the sensitive skin of your cat, micro-droplets of oil that are diffused into the air may exacerbate allergy symptoms. Inhalation of essential oils is another concern for dogs. Thieves oil is believed to have been formulated by 1413 French Grave robbers to protect themselves from the Bubonic plague. I started this website after my cat, Louie, almost died from a case of botulism (a type of food poisoning often caused by bacteria that grow on food items). Surely certain essential oils arent good for our feline friends, but I believe they are smart enough to leave the vicinity should something be bothering them. There are some other animals or pets that may or may not be affected by the bad effects of thieves oil, therefore, being knowledgeable about such distinctions can help you to mold your decisions accordingly. How much should you use? Is this ok? Can you use thieves oil for fleas and ticks on dogs & cats? Veterinarians don't recommend it either. She noticed that one of her cats was drawn to the diffuser, even laying right next to it daily. 2) All it takes is 6/100th of a drop of lavender oil to calm pets down. Breathing in the aroma of diffusers is generally not a problem. Some of the most popular are: Some essential oils are highly beneficial for cats as a remedy. 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