Aromatherapy and diffusers are back on trend these days, but many people are using products without awareness or understanding. Many people have concerns about essential oils and diffusing and how it will affect their pets. Should you diffuse around your dog? Which ones should you avoid? Are all essential oils dangerous to dogs?  There are several factors to consider: how essential oils are metabolized, quality of essential oils, and several commonsense factors.

Understanding Dogs & Essential Oils

In order to understand why essential oils may pose a risk for some pets, we first must understand the process of metabolism.

Essential oils in humans and animals are metabolized so they can be excreted. This chemical change involves different phases of metabolism – a process that makes molecules more easily absorbed and excreted. Phase 1 of metabolism is the most basic and involves oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis. Dogs and humans can perform this easily while cats have a lesser ability. (1)

Phase 2 uses an enzyme to add a group to the molecule, which makes it water-soluble and more easily excreted through urine or feces. Phase 3 takes the product from Phase 2, removes the group, and then adds a different group to the molecule to prepare for excretion. These phases rely on liver enzymes and the P450 system.

Humans, dogs, horses, sheep, goats, cattle can perform these 3 phases readily. Cats, however, are less likely to rapidly perform these three phases as they cannot perform Phase 1 as well as dogs and humans, and they cannot perform all functions of Phase 2. (1) Therefore, cats rather than dogs are at greater risk of toxicity.

Dogs And Diffusers

So should you diffuse around your dog? Well, the answer is: it depends. The first question to ask is: where have I sourced my product from?

The number one and biggest concern for safety in pets (and humans) is the quality of the product. There are no regulations within the aromatherapy industry.  So products can be labeled as an essential oil and, in fact, not even come from a plant. The essential oil you’re using may actually be a toxic slough of manufactured chemicals. Or it may be partly a plant and partly manufactured chemicals. This is a crucial point of consideration. Adverse reactions greatly increase whenever synthetic products are used.

Essential oils should come from companies that can verify where their plants are sourced. They should be organic or better, unaltered, lab-tested, free from fillers and synthetics, and properly labeled. Essential oils labeled as “fragrance oil” or “oil of” are good indications of synthetic, manufactured products. Do not buy from boutique stores or random oils off Amazon. Find a reputable company, preferably who farm plants themselves.

Additionally, diffusing essential oils is less of a risk than a topical application. As in humans, adverse reactions arise in topically applying too much or ingesting too much. (2)

Other Safety Considerations

Most essential oil risks apply mostly to cats because of their lack in the P450 system, however, there are always general considerations for dogs and other animals (2):

1. Make sure your dog can always leave the room where the diffuser is. Do not lock your dog in a room in a kennel with a diffuser on.
2. Use extra caution in animals with liver or kidney disease, with puppies and very old dogs, animals with seizure disorders or blood disorders. These populations are more at risk. This is the same consideration for humans.
3. If you choose to apply oils to your animal, dilute first. Do not apply to paws, eyes, mucous membranes, or drip in ears.
4. Space out dosing. Try the diffuser for 15 minutes at a time then take a break as you introduce your dog to aromatherapy. Do not introduce an oil for the first time while your pet is in stress.
5. Phenols are metabolized by the P450 system. Oils high in phenols should be avoided around cats because of their lack of the P450 system. This includes oils like thyme, oregano, clove, cinnamon, cassia, and others, as well as blends with these oils. Also tea tree, citrus essential oils, pine, fennel, dill, rosemary. Anecdotal report suggests peppermint may have a catnip-like effect for some cats.
6. Avoid pennyroyal and wintergreen. Some research suggests that tea tree and pine may pose a risk to dogs. However, there are also studies that show these carry no adverse reactions. The risk with the essential oils is higher and most important for cats.
7. It’s less about which products are toxic and more about overall exposure. Animals need proper ventilation and exposure to fresh air, just like humans. However, as expert Robert Tisserand states, a few parts per million in a room is not likely to cause problems.

Bottom line: use quality essential oils. Start with a low dose and go slow. Be aware of your pet’s health and understand that dogs are less at risk than cats. And as always when it comes to pet health, do not use essential oils on your dog before consulting your veterinarian.