The Well-Oiled Pet Part 1 – Tips For Using Essential Oils With Animals
- Brainz Magazine
- Oct 18, 2024
- 5 min read
Written by Mary Ann Green, Holistic Practitioner
Mary Ann Green is a trusted energy practitioner, human nourishment coach and animal intuitive. Her journey through CPTSD, disordered eating and caring for loved ones, including companion animals, led her to certifications as a Pn1 Sports & Exercise Nutrition Coach, Reiki Master, Master Life Coach, Healy and Animal Reiki practitioner.
There seems to be an extensive amount of information and mis-information on the internet about using essential oils (EO) on or with animals, especially with cats. So, how do we know where to begin? Let’s start with this article, one in a series designed to move us from fear to fact while caring for the animals in our lives naturally! A holistic health practitioner who specializes in animal reiki shares expert tips on safety, use and key oils she always has on-hand for the animals in her life in this series.
Generally speaking
Each species of animal, as well as each individual one, has unique considerations when it comes to the use of essential oils (EO). And, yes, there are species specific sensitivities to compounds within every oil, for example with felines. However, EO remain a powerful component of a healthy lifestyle for our companion animals and livestock.
Key factors
When thinking about EO use with animals and pets, we need to consider some key factors:
Quality of the oil(s)
Species inherent sensitives
Size of the animal
Type of hair/fur (density/thickness can affect absorption)
Animal’s sense of smell (for perspective, humans have some 5-6 million scent receptions in our brains while dogs can have up to 300 million)
Dependence on humans
Perhaps the greatest confusion stems from the sheer volume/types of essential oils currently one the market. For example, you can find a Rose EO for $25/bottle or $250/bottle.
As with human use, the quality of the essential oil used on animals is crucial! Unfortunately, according to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an EO can be labeled as “100% essential oil” if it contains at least 5% essential oil.
As a result of this standard, the other 95% of the product can literally be anything - toxins, carrier oils (which you or your pet could have an allergy or sensitivity to), petroleum, water…anything.
This is why it’s vitally important to make sure you are using the highest-quality, therapeutic grade, organically cultivated, independently tested essential oils.
Determining quality
This requires a process of researching how EO are sourced and produced, including how and where they are grown; the quality of the soil and water; when and how they are harvested, distilled, packaged, shipped; whether they are tested for quality throughout the entire process to ensure maximum therapeutic constituency; and, for those concerned about the environment, how the company treats the natural resources, as well as their employees and communities where they farm.
More than a decade ago, I did the leg-work, taking a class in “Advanced Chemistry of Essential Oils” and discovered only one company that specialized in organically-cultivated, therapeutic grade essential oils that was independently testing. Since that time, however, other high-quality EO companies have come onto the market.
The decision on what “brand” of oils to use with your loved ones (human and animal), is an individual choice. Just understand that quality matters (remember the 5% FDA standard) and you are looking for cool distilled, therapeutic grade, organically-cultivated (they do not have to be certified organic if you know they are grown organically/without chemicals), independently tested EO.
A quick way to tell if a single oil, say Rosemary, is a higher quality is to place a drop of that oil on a white sheet of paper and let it dry. If it dries clear, chances are high that it is a pure EO (does not have fillers, carrier oils like almond oil, or chemicals in it).
Cautionary compounds
At this point, it would be nice to be able to provide you a full list of what oils are safe with each of your animals, but think of all the EO and various species of animals we share our lives with…that would be an enormous task.
So, we’ll take a different approach.
According to “Essential Oils Animal Desk Reference”, some species of animals are, in fact, more sensitive to different naturally occurring chemical compounds found in EO.
These scientists caution to be particularly careful when choosing oils that are high in the following compounds:
Sesquiterpenes
Phenols
Eugenols
Oils containing these chemical compounds are referred to as “hot oils” as they draw circulation to the area where they are applied, which can feel warm or hot to the animal. Examples include: Oregano, Thyme, Clove, Mountain Savory and Cinnamon Bark.
Small animals, especially felines, can be highly sensitive to stronger EO.
It is also true that some cats do not carry the liver enzymes needed to process essential oils high in specific compounds such as phenols and terpenes, as found in Clove, Tea Tree Oil and citrus oils like Lemon.
However, cats can process many of the other compounds in EO that allow them to enjoy and benefit from an oil-infused life.
Armed with these facts, you shouldn’t be afraid to use oils around your companion animals or livestock. It’s simply a process of understanding what natural constituents to avoid based on your companions’ species.
Looking at labels
How do you know what chemical compounds/constituents are in a bottle of EO? Look at the labels!
High-quality EO will list the Latin name of the oil, i.e. Lavandula angustifolia+ (Lavender) oil. A quick search of the oil and its constituents will let you know if there are any eugenols, phenols or terpenes in the specific oil you’re interested in using around your animals.
Please note
You are looking for chemical compounds that end in:
enol
terpene
enols
terpenes
(Plus, the full terms listed in the bullets above)
Introducing EO to your animals
At this point, you should feel more at ease about introducing several basic essential oils to your animals!
The easiest way to bring EO into their lives is by you wearing an appropriate EO on yourself and being around your pets and livestock. Or, diffusing an EO with distilled water in a cool-air diffuser (heat will destroy the beneficial compounds in many EO).
These methods allow your companions to become familiar with new scents on their terms while providing a low and slow exposure.
Seeking support?
Still unsure of how to proceed? Let's work together to identify your animals’ needs and preferences! Get in touch today and take the first step towards a healthier, happier, well-oiled pet. Your companions will be glad you did. (And, stay-tuned for part 2 in the series).
Read more from Mary Ann Green
Mary Ann Green, Holistic Practitioner
“Never follow anyone else’s path, unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost.” ~Ellen DeGeneres (maybe not even then…)
A holistic health practitioner and nourishment coach, Mary Ann Green melds modern science, ancient wisdom, personal experience and insightful senses into an artful practice empowering clients to discover and walk their most nourished path.
She believes all beings have an innate tendency towards wholeness. All beings have an inherent desire to live their fullest lives. However, Green knows that not all have the same backgrounds, experiences or skills to support wellbeing of body, mind and spirit. This is the genesis of the NourishedPath.net.
