A Guide to Using Essential Oils with Your Furry Friends

Today’s guest blogger is Ashley Lipman! Ashley absolutely loves essential oils and enjoying aromatherapy benefits. She’s very excited to share her knowledge and experiences of using essential oils around pets with us today.

Essential oils have become a staple for many of us. I was first introduced to essential oils when I was having trouble sleeping. My daughter gave me a diffuser and some lavender essential oil. She explained that all essential oils are not equal. When I began reading about lavender essential oil, it seemed too good to be true, but I had nothing to lose. Within a few days, I was falling asleep faster and sleeping sounder. As a bonus, the scent of lavender keeps mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting bugs away, which is useful if you like sitting on the porch in the evenings or going camping.

Our Fur Babies

We own a dog and a cat that are both indoor pets. My little friends have been part of the family for a long time. When it’s bedtime, they come into my room. The cat will jump up on the bed, allow me to pet her for a moment, and when I am no longer needed, she will curl up and go right to sleep.

The dog is a different story. It seems when the lights are turned off, his energy is turned on. He will get in his bed; then he will get out of his bed and jump up on my bed. He likes to get under the covers and burrow around until he has created a comfortable spot near my feet. And as soon as you think it’s over, he will pop his head out from the end of the bed and jump off the bed to get water. Then his ritual begins again.

Luckily, despite my two fur babies being polar opposites at bedtime, I have found ways to use essential oils with both of them!

Fleas and Ticks

Fleas and ticks are torture for your pets. If they get infested with these pests, they bring them into your home. Since these pests live off of blood, they will bite you and your children as well. They are what you might call “equal opportunity” bloodsuckers.

The chemicals that are sold to fight fleas and ticks are smelly, oily, and expensive. From my research, I determined that you have to be careful with the essential oils you use on pets. Always dilute your mixture.

Dogs

For dogs, mix 30 drops of essential oil with 1 cup (250 ml) of water. Shake it well, and mist your dog twice a day. When you’re first trying a new oil, begin with only 10 drops; this solution will not be as effective for the dog, but it will give you a test period to see if your dog tolerates the oil well. The best essential oils for dogs include the following:

• Eucalyptus
  • Bonus tip: if the humans in your house suffer from spring and summer allergies, this oil will help keep your sinuses clear and relieve other allergy symptoms.
• Peppermint
  • Bonus tip: mist your kitchen cupboards, drawers, and baseboards with this oil, and it will help keep mice out of your home.
• Cedarwood
• Citronella

Cats

You must be very careful with the essential oils you use on cats. There are great essential oils to protect cats, but you MUST dilute with a carrier oil. Mix 5 drops of essential oil with 1 tsp. (5 ml) of carrier oil. Mix it well, then rub it on your cat’s fur and legs. Avoid the eyes, mouth, and genitals. Here are some good essential oils to use on cats:

• Cedarwood
• Lemongrass
• Rosemary

***Do NOT let your cat ingest the oils.***

Don’t Forget about Your Parrots!

This is probably not something you hear about often. But if you are a parrot lover, you can help keep them happy and healthy with essential oils. You will need to do your research and make sure to use the best quality oil available.

Essential oils can help parrots feel like they are in their natural habitat. The oils we use often come from the plants, trees, and vines that grow in their home.

You will want to use an ultrasonic diffuser around your parrots. This adds humidity to the air, which is good for parrots’ skin. Use 3–4 drops of essential oil in your diffuser. Try one oil at a time for a few days to see if your birds function well with it.

When a parrot stresses, it is usually because it is away from its natural home. Parrots express stress by becoming aggressive, plucking out feathers, screaming for long periods of time, and self-mutilating. Often, if you introduce essential oils, the parrot will settle down and thrive.

The top 3 essential oils for parrots include geranium, lavender, and peppermint.

Final Tips

To help your pets between treatments, use a cloth-like collar on your pet. Place a few drops of oil on the outside of the collar. The pet will get the benefits of repelling insects, but since the oil won’t come into contact with their skin, there is no worry about overexposure. So what are you waiting for? Treat your furry (and feathered) friends to the benefits of essential oils today!

About the Author

Ashley Lipman is an award-winning writer delivering awesome content through various niches, one of which is health and lifestyle. Apart from that, she is also an essential oil addict. She loves essential oils and enjoying the benefits of aromatherapy. Ashley uses oils on a daily basis for freshening her living space, hair and skin care, or massages. She especially cannot live without lavender oil, which helped her a lot with her sleeping disorder. Since then, Ashley has been researching the health benefits of essential oils and spreading the word about them.

Sources:
www.madewithoils.com/lavender-essential-oil
www.healthline.com/health/essential-oils-for-sinus-congestion
www.creeklinehouse.com/how-to-use-essential-oils-when-you-have-cats

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/en/birds-nature-colorful-green-camera-3456261/