Essentials Oils and Other Household Scented Products To Be Aware Of

Since March is Poison Prevention Month, it’s always a good time to give your home an annual review for anything that can be dangerous to us pets. The important thing is to be proactive and basically poison-proof your home for the safety of your pets.

Last year, we discovered the Pet Poison Helpline site who publishes an article that goes room by room, pointing out all the trouble spots and items that can cause harm in your home. How perfect to have a ready-made checklist! 

Today, we would like to focus on one of those items that pet owners, particularly cat owners, are just starting to recognize as BIG trouble - essential oils and other forms of aromatherapy.

We are not saying that ALL oils and scents are deadly, but you need to be educated as to what are the dangerous ones and to avoid those. 

This month, the NY Post published an article on how pets are getting sick and even dying from these items that are in so many of our homes. Apparently the vets are reporting that they are seeing more cases of “essential oil” poisoning than before as the home scent and aromatherapy industry have grown and therefore so have the poisonings incidences.

Read the article to get the full story, but some highlights include:

• The oils can be inhaled and therefore can affect the lungs over time.

• Ingesting it can cause gastrointestinal problems and often liver failure which applies mostly to cats.

• Touching the oils or residue can burn the skin.

• Phenol is a chemical compound found in many of the oils which is particularly dangerous for cats. 

This article also brought up the new trendy salt lamps which if licked repeatedly, can be harmful and can cause salt toxicity in us pets.

If you love to have certain scents in your home using candles, plug-ins, diffusers, incense sticks and potpourri, it’s important to be sure they are NON-toxic and then, to only use them sparingly.  

We want to thank Leaf & Paw for publishing the list of toxic essential oils to avoid if you have cats. Keep this list handy for when you are tempted to buy an essential oil for the house, or a candle or diffuser that contains these toxic oils.

For example, do not burn a candle that is made from eucalyptus or fir oils. Cinnamon, sandalwood and clove come in many forms such as candles, incense sticks and potpourri, but please avoid them too! Copy and save this list to your phone so it is always handy!

Visit the Pet Poison Helpline for articles and information on toxic essentials oils for cats as well as dogs!