ARE ESSENTIAL OILS SAFE FOR YOUR DOG?

Volume XIII Issue 1

Winter 2019

www.arrfsandiego.org/ [NEW WEBSITE ADDRESS!]

ARRF’s newsletter is published 4 times per year (3 regular issues; 1 Medical Plea)

You may have heard about the healing properties of es-

sential oils. Could they have similar effects on our dogs?

And which oils are safest for our canine family members?

With the recent rise in interest in essential oils thanks to

companies like doTerra, many pet parents are curious

about this approach, but aren’t sure whether it’s a good

idea. As a vet tech, I’ve often heard the question “are

essential oils bad for dogs?” I wanted to dig into the

issue to find out. Here’s what I discovered.

How is quality determined?

Essential oils are extracted from plants and the quality of

the oil is impacted by several conditions—the sunlight,

altitude, and even how much water a plant re-

ceives. Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils – the

concentrated, aromatic oils extracted from plants through

distillation, most often by steam.

Advertising

Essential oils produced for aromatherapy use are typically

processed with a great deal of care. Why? Well, they’re

costly! For instance, 220 pounds of lavender yield only

seven pounds of lavender essential oils. The author of

Holistic Aromatherapy for Animals, Kristen Leigh Bell,

writes, “oils that are produced specifically for the aro-

matherapy industry are typically made with the same

care and attention that goes into a fine bottle of wine.”

Purity, however, doesn’t equate to safety—just like the

word “natural” doesn’t mean “safe to use.” Essential oils

are very potent because they’re so concentrated. That’s

why they’re best diffused via steam and must

never

given to your pet to ingest. Most veterinary experts also

advise against using them topically. If used topically,

they must be diluted in what’s known as a carrier oil;

by Christine Caplan ~ As a Certified Vet Tech, PR

veteran and content marketing expert, Christy Caplan

uses social and digital media to connect and educate

dog lovers. She lives with three hounds near Portland,

Oregon. Reprinted from https://www.rover.com. This

information may be shared via Facebook; Twitter;

How can essential oils and aromatherapy help dogs?

Essential oils are thought to help with everything from skin

irritations to fighting fleas. Lavender is popular for dogs

because of its reported calming effects, for example. My

dog Sherman suffers from anxiety, and we’ve had luck us-

ing lavender to help calm his nerves. We add a few drops

of lavender to the essential oil diffuser we have in our

kitchen before we leave the house.

The holistic veterinary community has embraced their

use. One recent survey of holistic vets, in fact, reveals that

some veterinarians use essential oils in disparate ways:

diffusing lavender in waiting and exam rooms, using essen-

tial oils for odor control, giving a light massage with frank-

incense, and more. Veterinarian Dr. Janet Roark, known as

the “essential oil vet,” has many good links and resources

available about the benefits of essential oils for pets on

her website.

However, there is scant research on the topic, and thus, a

lack of hard evidence as to whether essential oils truly pro-

vide all of their purported benefits. If they’re not used

properly, certain essential oils pose a risk to dogs. Cats are

even more sensitive to these oils, and birds shouldn’t be

around them at all. If you’re interested in trying essential

oils with your pet, be sure to get professional guidance.

Safest essential oils to use with dogs

Below is a short list of essential oils that experts say are

safe to use on dogs.

Lavender: Universal oil. Useful in conditioning patients to a

safe space. May help allergies, burns, ulcers, insomnia,

anxiety, and car sickness, to name a few.

Not for use

with cats.

Cardamom: Diuretic, anti-bacterial, normalizes appetite,

colic, coughs, heartburn, and nausea.

Chamomile: Anti-inflammatory, non-toxic, gentle and safe

to use. Good for skin irritations, allergic reactions, burns.

[Editor’s Note: This article is not a substitute for professional veterinary help. That being said, it contains some very

good information about essential oils and dogs. See next article after this one for information about essential oils and

cats.] ~ from www.rover.com/blog

ARRF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

working to assist the rescue community,

educate the public, and support low-cost spay/

neuter efforts. We do all we can to help end the

suffering of lost and/or abandoned pets.

GOOD NEWS CORNER!

ARRF Adoptions to date:

DOGS: 572

CATS: 27

(AND COUNTING!)

ARRF MISSION STATEMENT

Spearmint: Helps to reduce weight. Good for colic, diar-

rhea, nausea. Helps balance metabolism, stimulates gall-

bladder.

Not for use with cats.

Thyme: Pain relief, good for arthritis and rheumatism. An-

tibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral, excellent for infections

and other skin issues.

Essential oils dangerous for dogs

Certain oils can be toxic to dogs when ingested or when

coming into contact with the skin. Essential oils bad for

dogs include:

Tea tree Cinnamon

Citrus Pennyroyal

Pine Sweet birch

Wintergreen Ylang ylang

How to use essential oils with your dog

Based on research, remember this about using essential

oils with your pets: LESS IS MORE. Always start with

therapeutic grade essential oils.

A rough guideline is to add about 3-6 drops of essential

oils to 1 oz. (30 ml) of carrier oil.

Use a smaller amount of diluted oils on small dogs vs. big

dogs – and fewer amounts of diluted oils on puppies and

senior dogs.

Use a hydrosol, a water-based byproduct obtained during

the steam distillation process of an essential oil.

Dr. Roark adds the following precautions about using es-

sential oils with cats or dogs:

Do not use around eyes, ears, nose, or genitals.

Exercise caution with pregnant or nursing pets.

Know your pet’s health status and behavior, and discon-

tinue use if concerns arise.

More safety tips

Dogs are more sensitive to essential oils than humans, so

even if you’re familiar with them for yourself, remember

that it’s a different story with your dog.

Only use essential oils with your dogs to address a spe-

cific, ongoing and active concern – not to “prevent” a

health issue.

Do not add essential oils to your dog’s food or drinking

water.

Avoid using essential oils with puppies under 10 weeks of

age and with pregnant or nursing dogs.

Do not use oils on epileptic dogs or dogs who are seizure-

prone.

Symptoms of essential oil poisoning in dogs

If essential oils are kept within reach of your pet, you run

the risk of accidental ingestion. Watch out for these symp-

toms:

Muscle tremors Weakness

Difficulty in walking Low body temperature

Excessive salivation Vomiting

Excessive pawing at mouth Drooling

or face

If you suspect your dog has ingested an essential oil, call

your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline (800-213-6680)

right away. Early intervention is best.

For more in-depth tips on safety and the use of essential

oils with dogs, Kristen Leigh Bell’s book Holistic Aro-

matherapy for Animals is an excellent and well-regarded

guide.

The bottom line

Be sure to consult with your vet before trying any essen-

tial oils with your dog. And if you’ve tried aromatherapy

with your dog and had success, we’d love to hear about it!

Page 2

Essential Oils and Cats

By Kia Benson, DVM

Associate Veterinarian, Clinical Toxicology

Essential oils are volatile, organic constituents of plants that contribute to fra-

grance and taste. They are extracted from plants via distillation or cold pressing.

Essential oils are utilized in a variety of ways: as insecticides, in aromatherapies,

personal care products (e.g., anti-bacterials), flavorings, herbal remedies and liquid potpourri.

Essential oils can pose a toxic risk to household pets, especially to cats. They are rapidly absorbed both

orally

and

across the

skin

, and are then metabolized in the liver. Cats lack an essential enzyme in their liver and as such have

difficulty metabolizing and eliminating certain toxins like essential oils. Cats are also very sensitive to phenols and phe-

nolic compounds, which can be found in some essential oils. The higher the concentration of the essential oil (i.e.

100%), the greater the risk to the cat.

Essential oils that are known to cause poisoning in cats include oil of wintergreen, oil

of sweet birch, citrus oil (d- limonene), pine oils, Ylang Ylang oil, peppermint oil, cin-

namon oil, pennyroyal oil, clove oil, eucalyptus oil, and tea tree oil. Symptoms that

develop depend on the type of oil involved in the exposure and can include drooling,

vomiting, tremors, ataxia (wobbliness), respiratory distress, low heart rate, low body

temperature, and liver failure.

Diffuser Types and Health Hazards

Until recently, the use of essential oils for aromatherapy was restricted to such devices as candles, liquid potpourri

products, room sprays, passive diffusers, or applying it to skin like perfume.

Passive diffusers

work by evaporating the oil, producing a pleasant smell. Types include: 1) reed

diffusers, where the

reeds soak up the oil and disperse its fragrance into the air; 2) heat diffusers like plug-in/electric oil diffusers, candle

burners, or table top warmers that use heat to evaporate the oil, 3) non-motorized, personal evaporative diffusers

(necklace pendants, bracelets, etc.) that use room air currents to diffuse the aroma, and 4) motorized diffusers that

use a fan to blow air through a filter or pad that has been permeated with an essential oil.

Unless the oil in a passive diffuser gets onto a cat’s skin or is ingested in some way (e.g. the diffuser tips over onto or

near the cat, or the cat ingests a personal diffuser), the main hazard to cats from essential oils dispersed through pas-

sive diffusers is

respiratory irritation.

Inhalation of strong odors or fragrances can cause some cats to develop a watery nose or eyes, a burning sensation in

the nose/throat, nausea leading to drooling and/or vomiting, and difficulty breathing. Difficulty breathing in a cat is

evidenced by labored breathing, fast breathing, panting, coughing, or wheezing. NONE of these signs are normal in

cats. A coughing episode in a cat can be mistaken by owners for the cat trying to vomit up a hairball. However, in this

case the cat crouches low to the ground, with little to no abdominal movement that is more typical of vomiting. No

hairball is produced.

Cats suffering such symptoms need to be moved immediately into fresh air, and require emergency veterinary treat-

ment should their symptoms not quickly resolve once they are in fresh air. Cats with pre-existing respiratory issues

such as asthma, airborne allergies, or cats exposed to second hand smoke from their human companions, are at

greater risk for developing severe respiratory irritation than cats without such conditions.

Recently,

active essential oil diffusers

have hit the market. The active diffusers differ

from passive ones in that

actual micro droplets or particles of oil are emitted into the

air

in addition to the pleasant aroma of the oil. Nebulizing diffusers (pressurized high-

speed air stream and an atomizing nozzle) and ultrasonic diffusers (electric current

causes an instrument to emit a vibration) fall into this category.

Page 3

ARRF Newsletter — Winter 2019

Page 4

You can make a donation via PayPal to ARRF from our new website, and we

also accept checks! Mail to:

ARRF

1611-A So. Melrose Dr. #5, Vista, CA 92081

Contact Bernice for information: Email: resqpets17@gmail.com

Phone: 619.589.9334

Pets are waiting for your help!

MAKING A DONATION TO ARRF

ARRF IS STILL LOOKING FOR THOSE ELUSIVE FOSTERS!

ARRF NEEDS MORE FOSTERS! IF YOU WANT TO GIVE FOSTERING A TRY, CONTACT BERNICE — YOU JUST

MIGHT FIND REWARDS YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS JOB OFFERED!

The active diffusers differ from passive ones in that actual micro droplets or particles of oil are emitted into the air in

addition to the pleasant aroma of the oil. Nebulizing diffusers (pressurized high-speed air stream and an atomizing noz-

zle) and ultrasonic diffusers (electric current causes an instrument to emit a vibration) fall into this category.

The droplets dispersed by these new diffusers may be small, but they still pose a risk to cats. Depending on how close

the cat is to the dispenser, the essential oil

micro droplets may collect on the cat’s fur if it is the same room as the active diffuser. The oil can be either absorbed

directly through the skin, or ingested when the cat grooms itself.

Drooling, vomiting, tremors, ataxia (wobbliness), respiratory distress, low heart rate, low body temperature, and liver

failure can potentially develop depending on the type of essential oil that was used and the dose that the cat was ex-

posed to

Like oil and water, essential oils and cats really do not mix. Owners should be cautious using essential oils and diffusers

in their homes in order to protect their cat(s) from a toxic risk. Most importantly, concentrated essential oils should

never be directly applied to cats.

Pet Poison Helpline, an animal poison control center based out of Minneapolis, MN is available 24/7 for pet owners

and veterinary professionals that require assistance treating a potentially poisoned pet. The staff provides treatment

advice for poisoning cases of all species, including dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, large animals and exotic species.

As the most cost-effective option for animal poison control care, Pet Poison Helpline’s fee of $59.00 per incident in-

cludes follow-up consultations for the duration of the poison case. Pet Poison Helpline is available in North America by

calling 800-213-6680. Additional information can be found online at www.petpoisonhelpline.com.

Handouts of this article may be downloaded by visiting: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/

Page 5 ARRF Newsletter — Winter 2019

LETTERS & PICTURES FROM HAPPY ADOPTERS

LeeLee (courtesy adoption) with his new

forever family, including Louie, his new

sibling (who is called LuLu).

Moose in his new

home

Caramelo (courtesy adoption) with his new

forever family. Look at that smile!

Gino & his new buddy

[Editor’s Note: Because we have Courtesy Listings of

both dogs & cats on ARRF’s AdoptaPet & Petfinder

pages, we wanted to share some of the pictures of these

Courtesy Listings in their new homes. We work to get our

foster doggies adopted, but it’s always wonderful to know

we are helping courtesy listings go to new lives & great

homes, too!]

Yes, we kept Angel’s name. If we knew she loved grass so

much, we would have named her Elsie! She is doing fine

and has gained two and a half pounds since we adopted

her; we take her on daily walks and play with her in the

park with her balls on a 50 foot lead; even with that it's

hard to keep up with her. Angel has been trained to sit

and lie down as well as ring bells that we have hanging

on the backdoor handle when she wants to go outside.

Everyone that has met her thinks she is a cutie, as do we!

James and Jean

Page 6 ARRF Newsletter - Winter 2019

ARRF’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Daisy thoroughly enjoying the couch in her new

forever home!

MORE HAPPY ADOPTERS!

Oso and all of his new friends!

Duke (courtesy listing) with his new family

NEWS YOU CAN USE. . .

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/why-do-cats-purr

Bernice Friedman ......................... President

Craig Neilson ................................ Vice President

Dana Mikel .................................... Treasurer

Dana Mikel .................................... Secretary

Norm Friedman ............................. Fundraiser Extraodinaire

Dona Pearce .................................. Editor

Unleashed by Petco: (11-3 Sundays)

March 12th April 9th

Check the ARRF website for more dates — we’re currently

searching for a new store at which to hold our adoption

events.

PetSmart: (11 am-3 pm — all 4th Saturdays)

March 25th June 22nd

April 22nd August 31st

May 25th

UPCOMING ARRF ADOPTION EVENTS

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S KENNEL

Bernice

Hi, Friends -

Thought I would give you all a little chore this issue. When was the last time you actually looked at the animals on

our website? Been a while, probably, so click on this link and feast your eyes: www.arrfsandiego.org

This information changes almost every day, and our wonderful website geniuses, Dona Pearce and Stan Riggin, rush

to keep it updated. Luckily, ARRF recently added a few courtesy listings to our site in order to give more exposure to

rescued pets whose fosters may not have a site of their own. We also have recruited some wonderful shelter volunteers

to give us information on a few dogs and cats in the facilities where they volunteer so that these deserving pets can

find their forever homes.

You can help by networking these orphans — maybe on your social media sites. If you aren’t on my list of people who

post adoptions fliers, email me and ask me to send you a flier. This won’t take much of your time but it sure can help

the fur kids find that perfect home in which to live for the rest of their lives.

I want to close with a HUGE thank-you for all of you who have sent many wonderful emails, cards, and memorials in

memory of my awesome late husband, Norman Friedman, who spent nearly thirty years raising money to help finan-

cially support many hundreds of animal orphans trying to find their forever homes. You have touched me deeply and

I am so appreciative of the wonderful support and love I have received.

Thanks to our editor, Dona Pearce, who spends time researching great articles for your enjoyment and education. If

you use essential oils, you will want to read the articles about the hazards of using them around your pets.

Dona lives in Iowa and has survived a very hard winter (37 inches of snow just in January), and says this is techni-

cally the winter newsletter as Spring officially starts later this coming week! The spring newsletter is slated to come

out the end of May, but it’s not too early to remind you to not leave your pets in a hot car — and to report any you

may see before they come to harm.

Wishing you an enjoyable spring!

Waggingly,

Bernice

ARRF Newsletter - Winter 2019 Page 7