Essential oil
Essential oils applied to pets
Contact a vet immediately — even small skin exposures in cats can be serious.
SevereCatsDogsBirdsSmall mammals
Store hazards sealed and out of reach of animals.
What to do right now
- 1.Wash off any oil with mild washing-up liquid and water
- 2.Move the pet to fresh air
- 3.Call your vet
Symptoms
- Drooling
- Wobbliness and tremors
- Vomiting
- Difficulty breathing
- Liver damage in severe cases
Details
- Category
- Essential oil
- Toxicity
- Severe
- Species affected
- Cats, Dogs, Birds, Small mammals
- Routes of exposure
- Skin application, licking oil from fur, or heavy exposure to diffused oils.
- Urgency
- Contact a vet immediately — even small skin exposures in cats can be serious.
Veterinary treatment
Never apply oils to fur or skin; use diffusers only in rooms pets can leave, and never near birds. Tea tree oil is the most common culprit in reported poisonings.