Using Essential Oils on Pets: Is It Safe?
By now, most of us have heard about, or use, essential oils. These highly concentrated liquids from plants (also known as volatile organic compounds) have long been used in aromatherapy and alternative medicine. Recently, they have become popular for use in cleaning products, herbal remedies, personal care products, food and drink flavorings, and more.
Humans can reap myriad benefits from essential oils, but that isn’t necessarily the case for pets. The use of essential oils on pets should be done with extreme caution, or not at all, as animals are much more sensitive to the compounds present in the oils. Some products, such as liquid potpourri and many varieties of essential oils, including oil of peppermint, cinnamon, citrus, tea tree, wintergreen, and ylang ylang, are toxic to pets.