Essential oils can be used to help you do all kinds of things. For waking yourself up in the morning – peppermint oil is great for that. To help you relax and unwind in the evening and even do things like help relieve aches and pains faster. But which Essential Oils are Safe for Dogs?
Lots of pet parents wonder why not extend the benefits to their dogs. As todays society, continues to say no to potentially harmful medicines and investigate holistic healing options? What if a little lavender, instead of an anti-anxiety medicine, might go a long way? Natural essential oils have grown extremely popular in recent years, but can they be used for dogs?
The answer is yes, essential oils can be used to help dogs, but you need to begin doing so with care. Before you start, you will need to make sure you know which essential oils are safe for dogs and other pets like cats. Because their sense of smell is so much stronger than ours, scents (even natural ones) can be harmful to them.
What Essential Oils are Safe for Dogs?
There are a number of essential oils considered safe for dogs. Here’s a look at some of the most commonly used of those oils and the benefits they can offer to your pet.
Chamomile Oil
A good seat on the sofa, a comfortable blanket, and a cup of chamomile tea are hard to top. Chamomile has relaxing properties that our pets can benefit from as well.
A popular stress reliever, chamomile has been documented in medicinal books dating back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. It has been utilized in humans for a variety of purposes over the centuries, including all the following:
- Anxiety relief
- Easing skin conditions like eczema or rashes
- Pain relief for conditions like back pain, neuralgia, or arthritis
- Promoting better sleep
- Easing digestive upset, such as indigestion, nausea, or gas
- Wound healing, including ulcers and sores
But how can it help your pup? Let’s say you are house-sitting your bestie’s obnoxious chihuahua, and it is causing your own laid-back canine pal some distress. Consider giving him or her a few drops of chamomile oil. It may help them relax and quieten down an unsettled stomach.
Also, if you have adopted a shy or fearful dog, a few drops of chamomile oil may help them learn to mingle better at the dog park and accept their new surroundings with a little more confidence and calm.
Ginger Essential Oil
The same way that a cup of hot ginger tea, or some ginger essential oil added to a diffuser, can clear our sinuses, or calm our tummies, dogs can benefit from it as well.
It can aid them if they are having stomach issues, and it can also make it easier for them to breathe. Ginger may also be able to aid them with some of their joint problems, especially in older dogs. Your favorite essential oils have many uses, which is true of ginger oil, which can be beneficial to both your dog and you!
Lavender Essential Oil
Of all the essential oils humans make use of and find very beneficial, lavender is probably the most popular and versatile. Like chamomile, it has been used for centuries for a number of holistic medical purposes.
Lavender is a very versatile oil. Anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antidepressant, antiseptic, antibacterial, and antimicrobial qualities have all been attributed to it. As well as antispasmodic, analgesic, detoxifying, hypotensive, and sedative characteristics.
It is often used for its calming and relation properties that it is most helpful for dogs. Lots of dogs suffer from separation anxiety when their owners leave. In some this manifests itself in crying, barking and what seems like anxiety. In others in results in destructive behavior that can be very frustrating for pet owners.
Diffusing lavender oil is a tried and tested way to help ease separation anxiety and keep your pup calmer and happier when you are not there. If you make use of a carrier oil – mixing lavender essential oil with olive oil, for example, you could even apply a few drops behind your dog’s ears. Put it where they cannot lick it off, this may help to provide continuous stress relief until you get home!
Petitgrain Essential Oil
Petitgrain is a lesser-known essential oil – although it is becoming more popular. It can also be extremely helpful in relieving separation anxiety in dogs and general restlessness. Petitgrain may also do the same for humans, so is an excellent choice for use in an essential oil diffuser.
Citrus aurantium, the bitter orange tree, produces petitgrain oil. The bitter orange tree was brought to Paraguay in the 19th century from Southern China, and it today thrives in this part of the world. Three essential oils are produced by the bitter orange tree. Petitgrain oil is steam distilled from the tree’s twigs and leaves, yielding a pleasant, flowery, and herbaceous essential oil.
Rosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary is a culinary herb that comes from the mint family and has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. This essential oil has a woodsy scent and is a popular aromatherapy ingredient. Rosemary oil has a wide range of applications, from treating ailments and pains like headaches and joint pain to encouraging hair growth, making it a useful household item to have on hand to help both you and your dog!
Myrrh Essential Oil
This oil has often been shown to aid dogs with skin irritations. Myrrh is a fantastic cleanser since it possesses antibacterial as well as astringent characteristics. Mixed it in equal parts with a carrier oil like olive oil. It may help clear up inflamed skin areas from skin allergies or even after a nasty nettle sting at the dog park.
