Essential oils for pets

ESSENTIAL OILS

What are essential oils?

According to Wikipedia:

"An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetherolea, or simply as the oil of the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it contains the "essence of" the plant's fragrance - the characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived. The term essential used here does not mean indispensable as with the terms essential amino acid or essential fatty acid which are so called since they are nutritionally required by a given living organism."

How are essential oils produced?

The most common processes for extracting the essential oils from the plant material after harvesting are:

Distillation – steam from boiling water passes through plants drawing out the oils, then the oils are separated from the cooled, re-condensed water
Expression – (also called cold pressing) heavy pressure squeezes the oils from the materials; used mainly with citrus fruit peels
Maceration/Distillation – the plant material is softened in warm water to release the oils

The amount of essential oil present within the plant material is scarce, more so for some plants than others. For example, it can take up to 60 roses to produce one single drop of rose essential oil!

Benefits & Issues

Other than making your homes smell nice & deterring insects, just as aromatherapy can benefit humans both physically & psychologically, it can also benefit dogs & cats.

Essential oils have been shown to have many possible desirable effects such as reducing anxiety & inflammation, fighting oxidative processes, battling toxins & fighting infections by inhibiting bacteria, fungi & viruses. Essential oil odors can also be used to affect mental states & memory.

The largest problem with essential oils is that they may contain contaminates or adulterants that could cause more serious issues to arise. Therefore, we should only use therapeutic grade oils from reputable companies & verify the quality of oils before using them. Some popular essential oil companies include Young Living, doTERRA, Rocky Mountain, Aura Cacia, NOW Foods & Biofinest.

Essential oils & our pets

It is important to remember that the essential oils blends & aromatherapy that humans handle & enjoy may not produce the same reactions in our pets.

Our pets have sensitive senses of smell - cats' sense of smell is about 14 times more sensitive than humans while dogs' sense of smell is about 40 times more sensitive than humans. Therefore, it is crucial to use essential oils that are diluted & always provide an escape route. If a pet does not like an essential oil, DO NOT enforce its use.

Since pets metabolize & react differently to essential oils, it is important to know about species-specific differences before using oils. Cat are particularly at risk for essential oil reactions so we have to use oils very sparingly on them. One common problem involves humans overusing essential oils - a pet owner discovers essential oils & begins to diffuse the oils into his/her home, leading to an unintentional overdose for their pets.

Always start with a low concentration & slowly build up the strength of the scent over time. As a gauge, one drop of essential oil diluted in 50 drops of a pure carrier oil such as coconut oil is usually sufficient for our pets.

* It is imperative that you do thorough research before using any essential oil because if used improperly they can cause serious health issues like allergic reactions, rashes & burns. DO NOT add essential oils (not even food-grade oils) into your pets' food or orally! *

Most commonly used pet-safe essential oils

Citronella

Citronella comes from the lemongrass family & it is this aroma that wards off the insects as its distinctive scent makes it difficult for insects to locate you. Citronella has been found to be extremely effective on a species of mosquito, called Aedes Aegypti, whose bite causes the dreaded Yellow Fever. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito also causes dengue fever, chikungunya & Zika fever. Moreover, it is also effective on fleas, ticks and all types of mosquitoes. Citronella also helps to relax the mind and contribute to reduced stress & anxiety reactions and improved sleep.

Geranium

Geranium has a rose-like floral smell which is wonderfully uplifting & calming. It is often mistaken as Rose. Due to its flowery scent, Geranium is excellent in eliminating bodily odors and can be used as a natural deodorant. Geranium is nontoxic, nonirritant and generally non-sensitizing. Geranium's therapeutic properties include being an antidepressant, an antiseptic and wound-healing. Geranium is also extremely effective as an insect repellent (similar to Citronella). It also heals insect bites and stops itching.

Lavender

Lavender has a fresh, sweet, floral & herbaceous aroma that is calming and refreshing. Its calming & refreshing scents makes Lavender an excellent tonic for nerves and anxiety issues by removing nervous exhaustion and restlessness. Lavender is great for winding down before bedtime as it induces sleep. The smell of Lavender essential oil is potent for many types of bugs like mosquitoes, midges and moths. Lavender also has anti-inflammatory qproperties that reduce irritation and pain associated with bug bites.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is an herb that belongs to the grass family of Poaceae. Lemongrass has a light and fresh lemony smell with earthy undertones. It is stimulating, relaxing, soothing and balancing. The calming and mild smell of Lemongrass is known to relieve anxiety & irritability while its sedative and hypnotic properties help to induce sleep & improve the duration and quality of sleep. Lemongrass is also a powerful insecticidal agent due to its high citral and geraniol content and is effective on mosquitoes, bugs & fleas. In addition, the citral and limonene content in Lemongrass can kill or stifle the growth of bacteria and fungi, thus, making Lemongrass an effective antifungal and antibacterial agent.

Rosemary

Rosemary has a woody, evergreen like scent and is part of the mint family. Rosemary has been shown to stimulate & enhance memory & alertness. The calming scent of Rosemary helps to reduce stress & anxiety by decreasing levels of cortisol which is one of the main stress hormones that are released during the “flight or fight” response to stress. Rosemary contains insecticidal properties which are effective against mosquitoes & insects. Its refreshing scent is also popular for use as a natural deodorant.

Carrier Oils

As cited in Wikipedia:

"Carrier oil, also known as base oil or vegetable oil, is used to dilute essential oils and absolutes before they are applied to the skin in massage and aromatherapy. They are so named because they carry the essential oil onto the skin. Carrier oils do not contain a concentrated aroma, unlike essential oils, though some, such as olive, have a mild distinctive smell. Neither do they evaporate like essential oils, which are more volatile. The carrier oils used should be as natural and unadulterated as possible. Many people feel organic oils are of higher quality. Cold-pressing and maceration are the two main methods of producing carrier oils."

Most commonly used pet-safe carrier oils

Some commonly used carrier oils used to dilute essential oils are:

Coconut Oil
Jojoba Oil
Neem Oil
Olive Oil
Rosehip Oil
Sweet Almond Oil

If you do not wish to use carrier oils, you could simply add a few drops of essential oils to water in a spray bottle.

How to use essential oils on our pets

Spray

Add a few drops of essential oil (single or combination of oils) into a spray bottle filled with about 200-300ml of water. Give your spray bottle several good shakes to form an emulsion before use as essential oils are hydrophobic & float on the surface of the water level. Spray the emulsion onto your pets' fur or legs. Avoid spraying or getting any aerosols near your pets' face!

Massage

Add a few drops of essential oil (single or combination of oils) into a bottle with a pump nozzle filled with about 200-300ml of carrier oil. Mix the solution well. Dispense a few drops of the solution into your palms, rub your palms together to warm the solution before massaging the mixture onto your pets' fur. A little goes a long way! Avoid applying onto your pets' faces.

Collars & Leashes

Add one or two drops of undiluted essential oils onto your pets' collars (at the back of their necks) or leashes before bringing them outdoors. This will help to protect your beloved pets from being bitten by mosquitoes & other bugs while they are out.

Home Diffusers

There are 4 types of diffusers:

Nebulizer
Ultrasonic diffuser
Heat diffuser (candles, oil burners)
Evaporative diffuser (reed, ceramic)

Please follow the instructions of your diffuser with the use of essential oils.