Essential Oils and Dogs

In this article, we’re talking about Essential Oils and Dogs – safe, all-natural, and effective alternatives to help your best friend!

Basic Guidelines

General tips and suggestions you’ll want to keep in mind as you use essential oils around your dogs.

• Dogs are generally more sensitive to essential oils. It is best to heavily dilute essential oils and use in moderation.
• Do not use essential oils on dogs that are younger than 8 weeks.
• Do not apply essential oils near eye area.
• Avoid using essential oils that have high-phenol – such as Oregano, Wintergreen, Clove, Thyme.

PRECAUTIONS WITH DOGS

Dogs are much smaller than us, and have very sensitive noses and senses! It would be wise to avoid particularly strong Essential Oils with the potential to cause irritation, just use common sense to decide what feels safe for your dog. In any case, be sure to always dilute the Essential Oils first (read more about this here) in a carrier oil such as Spark Naturals coconut oil or almond oil – this also will help your Essential Oils last longer.

Avoid applying the essential oils to the genital areas, nose, eyes, or anal area. For puppies less than 12 weeks, pregnant, or particularly old dogs, using essential oils isn’t recommended – however if you do decide to use them, be cautious and start with very low doses.

USING MELALEUCA (tea tree oil):

There is a concern that was brought up about Melaleuca Essential oil being toxic to dogs. Melaleuca does contain phenolic compounds that can be difficult for a dogs bodies to process, but only in extremely high dosages. The oral toxic dose in dogs is about 0.22 grams per pound of their body weight. 0.22 grams is approximately 4 drops – thus a 1 pound dog would potentially display symptoms of toxicity if you applied 4 drops of Melaleuca.

Typically, the average american household dog weights between 8 and 22 pounds, and larger dogs can weigh double that or more. To achieve toxic levels of phenol, you would need to apply 40 drops of Melaleuca to a 10 lb. dog in one instance. This would equivalent of a 150 pound human applying nearly 600 drops of tea tree oil to their own body at one time – which is absurd and unrealistic. Any person or dog given this high of a dosage would naturally develop some sort of toxicity. So don’t be afraid to use Melaleuca! Simply be cautious and smart when you decide to use it. We recommend for pets that you should only apply 3 drops of oil maximum at a time, and always dilute – if you stick to this you won’t need to worry. 

HOW TO APPLY: 

Internally – You can add the Essential Oil directly to your dog’s food, or into a capsule placed along side their food. Only administer one drop when allowing your dog to ingest the Essential Oil.

Topically – The best place to apply Essential Oils to your dog is on the toes/pads of the paws, ears, or spine. most areas of the body are safe, but be sure to avoid the aforementioned genital, anal, nose, and eye areas!

Aromatically – A great way to use Essential Oils aromatically for your dog(s) is to apply a drop or two onto their collar, or their bed – it’s also easy to add a few drops to to a water sprayer and give their fur a quick spritz now and again.

APPLICATIONS TO GET YOU STARTED:

Digestive Aid –  Apply 1-2 drops of our Digest Blend and massage directly to the stomach. (remember, for all of these dilution is recommended)

Confidence Boost –  For confidence, you can diffuse Vetiver Essential Oil in your dog’s room, or apply to paws/collar, or spray onto your dogs bedding area.

Temperament – Our Zen Blend is great for promoting grounding and will help to even out your dog’s temperament and overall mood. This also can be applied to the collar, or to the paws.

Ear Health – Mix 4 drops of Lavender, 4 drops of Melaleuca (or Basil, whichever you prefer), and 4 drops of Geranium in 1 TBS. of coconut oil. After cleaning out the ear of wax and dirt build up, use a cotton swab to gently massage the essential oil mixture into the ear skin (do not insert the cotton swab too deeply into the ear!). Do this twice a day until the the ear no longer looks red or swollen.

Skin Care –  For skin irritations and light cleaning, place a drop of Lavender or Frankincense onto a cotton ball, and gently swab the area in need.

Immune Support – Place one drop of Lavender, Lemon, and Peppermint in an empty capsule and give to dog, or put in food.

Joints & Muscles – Apply 5 drops of our Amend + blend diluted in 1 tsp. coconut oil along the spine or problem areas to ease tension and promote healing.

Calming & Mood – Lavender and our Bliss Blend are wonderful oils to help your dog feel calm and assured. Apply a drop or two to the collar or paws to promote a calm and relaxed mood.

Respiratory Aid –  Mix our Respire Blend and Shield Blend into 1 TBS of coconut oil and apply to the paw pads and neck area. Apply as frequently as needed.

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