I recently came across a story online that went over how a person’s dog died as a result of poisoning due to their essential oil diffuser. While a lot of people don’t stop to consider their pets when it comes to this kind of thing the oils you diffuse could have serious effects on your furry friends.
We should all work to know what can harm our pets so that we are able to avoid those things and ensure our pets are capable of living their lives to the fullest. Sure, essential oil diffusing can be relaxing and provide us with benefits but our pets have sensitive noses that are often quite curious. The more curious the more dangerous this kind of thing can become.
For instance, tea tree oil is toxic to dogs which is what caused this one to lose his life, his story was written on Peace Love Dog’s website as follows:
“Saturday night I got home late and my dog didn’t recognize me. Being a nanny I thought I woke him up and he was having a night terror. Sunday, he was still acting weird. I realized that I had been running my new diffuser and decided to turn it off. Sunday afternoon, he was feeling better.
Today at work, my dog sitter said that he wouldn’t come out from under the bed. It was very odd as he is a happy dog.
I came from work early and again, he was very confused about who I was.
So I took him to emergency vet.
It turns out that the tea tree oil I was using in the diffuser is toxic for dogs. Thankfully the test showed that his liver was ok but we weren’t out of the woods yet. He was given fluids under his skin to get the toxins out.
The vet and the poison control are saying that they see these cases often now that the popularity of essential oil is growing.”
Tea tree oil poisoning is a real danger and while you might read about the benefits of using tea tree oil online, it isn’t as safe for our canine friends as it is for us. For those who might not quite be aware essential oils are concentrated liquids of plants and while popular in this day and age are something we need to keep our pets in mind when using. Many of them can cause harm to our furry friends and should be avoided.
While it is much more likely for a dog to have a reaction if he or she ingests or gets the oil on his or her skin, by breathing it in there can also be a host of issues that come forth. We should be as safe as possible when it comes to this kind of thing and the more diluted it is the better. There are lots of cases of this and people concerned about exposure in regards each year which makes awareness all the more important.
Some of the symptoms associated with this specific kind of poisoning can be things like drooling, vomiting, lethargy, tremors, ‘drunk walking,’ and breathing issues. It is not fun to watch and can really leave a person wondering what is happening especially if you don’t know what to be aware of in regards. Rapid diagnosis is crucial for this kind of thing and if you don’t get your pet help early on, he or she will most likely end up losing his or her life.
In regards to this kind of poisoning CBS New York reported as follows back in 2018 after a woman took to Facebook with her experience:
People diffuse essential oils for health reasons and to keep their homes smelling fresh, but veterinarians warn the popular oils may not be good for your pets.
All different colors, shapes, and scents — essential oil diffusers are lining shelves in almost every home decor store. Different brands boast benefits ranging from freshening the air to relieving stress.
But the spa accessories are starting to worry some pet owners since one woman’s warning on social media went viral. She says while running an oil diffuser, her dog started acting strangely and “wouldn’t come out from beneath the bed.”
She brought him to the hospital and says he needed fluids to clear out the toxins in his body from the oil.
“Sometimes they can tremble, be ataxic or uncoordinated when they walk,” Dr. Carly Fox from the Upper East Side’s Animal Medical Center told CBS2’s, Ali Bauman. “Things like that are potential signs of toxicity.”
As oil diffusers have risen in popularity, so too have the number of poisoned pets in Dr. Fox’s emergency room.
“A lot of people think ‘an essential oil is good for me, so it must be good for my dog or cat,’ and that’s just not the case,” she said.
In fact, just breathing in the oil can make animals sick. In some, especially birds, it can be fatal.
When it comes to this kind of thing we should all be ‘better safe than sorry.’ To learn about other potentially toxic essential oils that you should avoid using or having around your pets please check out the video below. Our furry friends deserve so much, and we should be working to ensure they live the best possible lives that they can, this includes being aware of things like essential oils.
Sources:
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/essential-oil-and-liquid-potpourri-poisoning-in-dogs
https://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/07/26/pets-tea-tree-oil.aspx
https://wagwalking.com/condition/tea-tree-oil-poisoning
https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/02/12/essential-oils-and-pets/