Essential Oils For Dogs
There ARE essential oils that are safe for dogs BUT they can only be good quality oils - unfortunately, many popular brands like Scentsy aren’t very good quality.
animalEO is run by a holistic vet who uses the oils she sells with her animals and her rescues horses. Amazing resource - And.... the oils are clean/pure and of good quality which is what is a very big factor for oils being safe for dogs.
We recommend for Essential oils only be used around dogs where the dog can remove themselves from the oil. (So they can leave the room etc.) You could try a bit of self-selection - the correct name for this is Applied Zoopharmacognosy which was founded by Caroline Ingraham - you can learn more about this here.
What is Zoopharmacognosy?
Essentially, zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which non-human animals in the wild instinctively self-medicate by selecting and ingesting or topically applying plants, soils, insects, and psychoactive drugs to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens and toxins and heal themselves.
Animals have a natural ability to self-medicate. In the wild, animals will often select an aromatic substance for their well-being. Have you noticed when you watch or dog out on a walk How they take great care in choosing the right piece of grass or hedge to eat? Or how they sometimes lick the dirt or chew on different hedgerow plants or even soil? This is them self-selecting their preferred plant, based on their internal needs.
Zoo’ (animal), ‘Pharma’ (remedy) and ‘Cognosy’ (knowing) = Zoopharmacognosy
How to offer EOs to dogs on a self-selection basis;
Always let your animal select the essential oil and come to you. Applied zoopharmacognosy is a non-invasive therapy. Always leave a door to another room open when blending, formulating or diffusing so that your pet can leave if she needs to. If they show signs of dislike, moving away or leaving the room after smelling the oil, respect this wish. If you do not, you risk provoking an allergic reaction.
Do not apply the oils directly to the fur of your dog unless you are using hydrosols.
Do not assume just because you like an oil your dog will also love it. And no two dogs are the same - Darcy loves certain oils which Teddy does not. Zoopharmacognosy is very much an individualised therapy. Even two dogs with the same ailment or symptoms may not want or need the same remedies.
For dogs, stick to diluted oils otherwise dilute well, even for inhalation. Dogs can be turned off essential oils if you offer them undiluted.
Never add essential oils to food or water.
Essential oils interact with human and non-human animals in the same way. Consult a good quality essential oils manual and read up on the benefits and precautions of essential oils you want to use. Specially cautious about skin sensitivity.
If you’re going to diffuse only do so with oils you know to be accepted by your dogs and at a weaker dose.
Here are the top twenty EOs for dogs & their uses;
Before offering an essential oil to your dog, it’s important to know and understand which essential oils are safe for our dogs.
1. Carrot Seed (Daucus carota). Skincare, first aid, healing, scarring, skin conditions. Super gentle.
2. Cedarwood, Atlas (Cedrus atlantica). Improves circulation, helps deter fleas. Skincare.
3. Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita). Also called blue chamomile. Skin-soothing anti-inflammatory. Burns, allergic reactions, skin irritations.
4. Chamomile, Roman (Anthemis nobilis). Intensely calming and antispasmodic. Wound care, teething pain.
5. Clary sage (Salvia sclarea). Different from common garden sage. Gentle, sedating, calming.
6. Eucalyptus Radiata (Eucalyptus Radiata). The gentlest, best tolerated, most versatile eucalyptus (there are many). Anti-inflammatory, antiviral, expectorant. Diffuse as room air cleaner, deodorizer, flea repellent.
7. Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens). Tonic, antifungal. For skin ailments, yeast overgrowth, fungal ear infections. Ticks dislike all rose fragrances, including this one.
8. Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Fresh, warm, spicy (don’t settle for ginger that smells stale, musty, or rank). Motion sickness, indigestion (see Peppermint), useful in massage oils for sprains, strains, dysplasia, arthritis.
9. Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum). Horrible smelling, incredibly effective essential oil (some people and dogs do like it). Also called Immortelle or Everlasting. Heal’s skin conditions, cuts, abrasions, wounds, injuries. Relieves pain.
10. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Used by the makers of pet aromatherapy products more than any other essential oil. Gentle, antibacterial, antipruritic (anti-itch), stimulates rapid healing, acts as a central nervous system sedative, very relaxing, deodorizing.
11. Mandarin, Green (Citrus reticulata). The sweetest essential oil, very relaxing. For fear, anxiety, stress. Avoid red mandarin, which is not the same, and uses only organic green mandarin. This is not a distilled oil but is pressed from the rind of the fruit.
12. Marjoram, Sweet (Origanum marjorana). Pleasing, smooth herbal fragrance, calming, antispasmodic effects, strongly antibacterial. A recommended replacement for tea tree oil in blends for pets. Bacterial skin infections wound care. Repels insects. Reduces undesirable behaviours of intact males.
13. Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha). Ancient resin with deep, warm, earthy fragrance. Anti-inflammatory, antiviral. Puppy teething pain, irritated skin. Boosts immune system. Opoponax myrrh (Commiphora erythraea) has similar properties and repels ticks.
14. Orange, Sweet (Citrus sinensis). Popular, uplifting, pleasant. Calms, deodorizes, repels fleas, treats skin conditions. Use organic sweet orange oil to avoid pesticide residues. Pressed, not distilled.
15. Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Digestive aid; stimulates circulation for injuries, sprains, strains, arthritis, dysplasia. Insect repellent. Relieves pain and itching. To prevent nausea and motion sickness, mix one tablespoon vegetable oil, seven drops ginger, and eight drops peppermint; give three drops orally.
16. Ravensare aromatica (Cinnamonum camphora). Gentle, antiviral, antibacterial.
17. Rose (Rosa damascena). Expensive, wonderful, makes any shampoo, spray, or grooming product luxurious. Stabilizes central nervous system. Calming. Add one to two drops to blends for itchy, irritated, or dry skin.
18. Thyme linalol (Thyme vulgaris, chemotype linalol). Common garden thyme has six known chemotypes, or chemical profiles. Thyme linalol is the most gentle and useful. Relaxing, antibacterial, antifungal without the harsh skin irritation associated with common thyme. Balancing tonic.
19. Thyme thujanol (Thyme vulgaris, chemotype thujanol). Like thyme linalol plus immune system stimulant, liver detoxifier, antiviral. Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD, founder of the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, recommends applying thyme thujanol immediately after a tick or tick bite is discovered in order to help prevent Lyme disease. For immune-boosting blends or when a powerful antibacterial is needed without caustic, skin-irritating effects.
20. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). Relaxing, helpful for separation anxiety or fear of loud noises, storms, fireworks, new situations.
It’s worth noting - not all essential oils are created equal - especially for dogs.
How to offer essential oils to your dog
Take yourself and your dog off to a calm and quiet room in the household - ensure that they are relaxed and comfortable. Once you are confident they are relaxed - get down to their level by sitting on the floor in front of your dog.
offer your dog an essential oil in a closed bottle to the dog & see whether they approach or move away. A good distance is no closer than 1 or 2 feet from their nose If they approach happily & perhaps even licks their lips, the bottle, blink rapidly or mouth the bottle.
Then move on to the next oil and pay close attention to your dog's body behaviour & signals.
Signs a dog isn’t liking the scent;
Lack of interest
Backing away from the remedy
Going into a deep sleep
Turning their back to you for a long time
Diffusing EO’s
Once you have done this on a few occasions and are confident in the EOs that your dog(s) prefer you can also try diffusing.
Remember, dogs have a much more sensitive nose compared to us. Dogs in particular have around 300 million olfactory receptors (humans have only 5–6 million). So when you are diffusing, be sure to use a water-based diffuser and only diffuse 4–5 drops at a time in an open area where your dog can leave the room if desired.
Hydrosols for dogs
A hydrosol is a water-soluble acid solution that’s leftover from the process of steam distilling plants to make essential oils. They typically contain less than 5% of essential oils.
Since they are mild and not as highly concentrated as essential oils, hydrosols are perfectly safe to use undiluted on the skin. And because they are so mild and safe, they can be used on more fragile beings, such as puppies and old dogs.
There are so many benefits to using hydrosols and you can read more about them here;
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/hydrosols-new-solution-natural-healing/
https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/hydrosols-used-in-canine-aromatherapy/?amp=1
Here are some additional reading resources for using essential oils with dogs;
Have a look at this website
Here’s a great EO for animals group to join
A good video to watch by two renowned vets!
Have a watch of the video below to learn more about some great oils for your dogs health and well-being!
This is also another great group that I find hugely beneficial for learning, support & general information regarding using EO’s for my dogs!
If you’re hugely into aromatherapy & holistic healing like me, you could also complete the DNM Elite university course on essential oils for pets - a great tool & something I’ve found worth its weight in gold!
And finally, Here are some essential oil brands we recommend;
Doterra - please note that this is an MLM - we recommend purchasing from their website directly.
If you’re in the USA The blissful Dog have an aromatherapy collection targeted for cavaliers
