Are essential oils toxic to dogs?

Here’s something that I’m getting asked a lot.  “Are essential oils toxic to dogs?”  I will be honest,  I’ve been hesitant to blog about this,  because I’m not a veterinarian or animal expert.  So there’s your disclaimer.

But – now we have that out of the way,  I do have personal experience with essential oils and dogs.  I was raised on an working dairy farm and have been around animals all my life.  And I’ve always had a dog.  So I can understand your concern!  You want to make sure essential oils won’t harm your pets. I am sure you will find my experience with essential oils and my own dog reassuring.

From one pet owner to another, essential oils have not been harmful to my dog.  In fact,  quite possibly the opposite.  Happy is getting pretty long in tooth and doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon.  I have no way of knowing for sure,  but I have wondered if her exposure to essential oils has been helping her navigate her advanced age.  Really no way of knowing,  huh?  But I can confidently say that oil exposure is definitely not harming her or shortening her life span at all.

Key Point:  Essential Oil Quality Matters For Animals Too

If you take nothing else away from this blog post – take this information:  Essential oil quality matters for animals,  too. 

There are two types of essential oils. Synthetic essential oils and pure essential oils.

Synthetic essential oils don’t even come from plants, but are man-made! These types of oils can be harmful to humans and animals alike. A synthetic essential oil,  or a low quality essential oil that is adulterated with synthetics, can be harmful to anyone! That’s why we don’t use those types of artificial oils in the first place.

The safe and non-toxic type of essential oil is a completely pure essential oil. These are essential oils which are harvested from plants, and contain no man made ingredients, fillers, or artificial synthetic fragrances. Instead, the aroma comes from the plant they were harvested from. Our doTERRA essential oils are pure essential oils with many health benefits for you and your pet dog.

You don’t need to be afraid of using pure doTERRA essential oils around your pet. But I would not use those synthetic ones. That artificially scented candle or wax melt made from synthetic essential oils IS likely toxic to your pet. Pitch it in the trash can and fill your diffuser with pure essential oils instead. Your dog and your body will thank you for years to come!

Are essential oils toxic to dogs?

Now you’re probably getting a good idea what I’m going to say. But let’s answer possibly the exact question you typed into Google or Pinterest to land on my blog reading this article.  “Are essential oils toxic to dogs?”

Honestly,  they could be – in theory. Say, if you left your oils out on the counter,  with the cap off,  and your dog happened to tip it over and lick up every last drop of a full bottle… Then, absolutely,  it would be toxic.  I mean,  anything in large quantities can be harmful! That’s we don’t sit there and drink a whole bottle of essential oil.  Because hey – common sense.  Less is more.

But you’re not going to do that in the first place, because… That’s just silly,  right? Well,  that’s kind of how silly it is to say that using pure essential oils to make yourself healthier is also harmful to your dog who happens to be laying over in the corner of the same room.  Because it’s not.

doTERRA essential oils are not toxic to be used around your dog.  If you decide to use oils ON your dog as a natural alternative,  I’d check with your vet,  because,  hey –>  they went to school for that,  not me.  But just USING the oils around them,  diffusing them,  using them on your skin,  putting a normal 1-2 drops (not the whole bottle,  lol) in your own water glass  – you’re all good. Whew! I bet this is a relief to just hear it straight, huh?

Using Essential Oils For Dogs

Because I’m just a dog mom – I’ll put another little disclaimer here.  For a professional opinion on using essential oils and dogs,  or what essential oils are bad for dogs to use;  ask your veterinarian.  I don’t know if your dog has any special conditions,  or anything else.  But I’ve actually used oils on my own dog a few times,  and it worked well!

When she starts barking, we add a drop of Lavender or Serenity to our hands. Then we smooth the oil along her spine (keeping away from the nose,  eyes,  sensitive areas).  It’s wonderful for calming her. As border collie – she can get hyper!  So that’s something I can say with confidence about using essential oils for dogs.

Practical Tips For Using Oils Around Dogs

Now there are some practical tips for using oils around dogs.  Common sense guidelines,  really.

1. When diffusing essential oils,  don’t shut your dog (or any other pet) in the room with you.  Animals are smart!  So if they did have an oil that didn’t quite sit right with them,  or found the aroma too strong or whatever,  they’d just wander off.  Your dog has a natural intuition about what is good for her.  She’s not going to just keep hanging around an area that bothers her. Leave the door open to another room if you’re worried,  and all will be well.
2. Only use pure doTERRA essential oils.  That’s the only type of oil you should be using,  anyway!
3. Don’t put essential oils on any sensitive areas of your dog’s body.  Not the nose,  not inside the ears,  or around the eyes,  etc…  (I mean,  c’mon – you wouldn’t put an oil in your own eye,  either…  because that stings!)

I’m an avid essential oil user.  Happy (our border collie) is also our baby!  We’d never use anything harmful or toxic around her. I’ve stuck to the pure natural and CPTG tested doTERRA oils. We’ve used every oil we carry in our home at some point.  From Frankincense, to Cardamom, Vetiver, MetaPWR and every other doTERRA oil. Happy has never had an issue in the 5+ years we’ve used them around her!

Thanks for reading about dogs and essential oils!

That’s really all it is to it.  I hope this article has been reassuring and answered your question “Are essential oils toxic to dogs?” with a resounding “NOPE, with normal use, they aren’t.”

Go forth and use your doTERRA oils with confidence and good cheer.  Your dog just may enjoy the oils as much as you do. Or he may wander off to another room with his tail wagging because you’ve thoughtfully provided an open door. Either way, he’s going to be just fine living in the home of an oiler. Just the same as thousands of other dogs owned by those who love and use doTERRA.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

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