Aromatherapy for Dogs and Other Pets? Yes!

Pets and People

Many people are searching for ways to use their essential oils in aromatherapy for dogs and other pets, and why not? Pets have certain body parts, just as humans do, and pets also have feelings. Oftentimes, the same essential oils that can help humans with a given health challenge can also help animals with that same health challenge. The same is true with emotions.

Example – Dogs, Thunder, and Essential Oils

For example, if you’ve ever seen how scared a dog can get over thunder and lightening, you know that dogs have emotions! When it starts thundering, my mother puts several drops of the Peace & Calming blend in the palm of one hand, rubs her hands together, and then very slowly strokes her golden lab with her hands. Her comforting strokes combined with the Peace & Calming help make the dog less fearful during thunder storms.

I would have put the oils on the dog’s back paws, just as I put oils on the soles of my feet, but my mother’s way works for her and her dog.

Why the back paws and not the front paws?

• The back paws are comparable to the soles of a human’s feet
• Putting the oils on the back paws make it a bit less likely that the dog will lick the paws or get them near the eyes

Example – Dogs and Humans – the Same Oils Can Work for Both!

When my mother starts sneezing and can’t seem to stop, she sprays the Thieves spray (an essential oil blend) in her mouth and the sneezing stops. When her golden lab comes in from a run in the pasture, Goldie will sometimes have one sneeze after another. My father opens Goldie’s mouth and then my mother sprays inside it with the Thieves spray, and Goldie’s sneezing stops!

The Best Resource

The Essential Oils Desk Reference is my primary guide for using essential oils in aromatherapy for dogs and other pets. It contains a 12-page chapter on this topic and addresses questions such as how much oil to use and how to use them. It also includes an A to Z treatment guide.

General Guidelines

A general guideline for using essential oils in aromatherapy for dogs and other animals is to use fewer drops on smaller animals like cats and small dogs. The number of drops for large dogs, for example, would be less than that for ever larger animals such as cattle and horses. Dilution ratios can also be greater for animals, especially the smaller ones.

Cats and Birds

Most of the information about using essential oils with pets focuses on dogs and horses, so I’d like to share a short paragraph about two other common pets – cats and birds.

Essential oils can be used on cats, but there are multiple cautions. For example:

• Certain oils can be toxic to cats
• Cats are extremely sensitive to strong odors

The information regarding the use of essential oils with birds varies hugely. For example, some sources say not to use at all on birds because supposedly, essential oils can kill them. Other sources are less restrictive in their recommendations. Also, there are many, many bird owners who routinely use 100% pure, therapeutic grade essential oils on and around their birds. Whether or not to use essential oils with birds seems to depend on your source of information.

Bottom Line

The essential oils that are such a huge benefit to humans can also benefit the lives of the animals who love us so unconditionally.