Essential oils and diffusers
ToxicEssential oils are absorbed through the gut, skin, lungs and mucous membranes. A few drops of concentrated tea tree oil can poison a dog, and wintergreen acts like aspirin. Never induce vomiting.
This food guide has not been reviewed by a veterinarian. It summarises general information from sources and should not be used to decide whether a food is suitable for an individual dog or to assess an emergency.
Check before feeding
Do not offer as a treat
There is no recommended treat portion for this hazardous item. If swallowed, contact a vet with the amount, time and product details. Do not induce vomiting yourself.
Signs and health concerns
This list includes both observable signs and conditions identified through examination or testing. It cannot establish the cause or whether an exposure is safe.
- Vomiting
- Drooling
- Lethargy
- Poor coordination or balance
- Loss of appetite
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Slow heartbeat
- Low body temperature
- Difficulty breathing
- Rapid breathing
- Liver failure
- Nasal or eye discharge
More about this food
The word "natural" is doing a lot of damage here. The Merck Veterinary Manual states that essential oils are readily and rapidly absorbed through the GI tract, skin, lungs and mucous membranes, and that systemic absorption should be expected. Your dog does not have to drink the bottle; oil on the coat or a diffuser running in a closed room is an exposure route.
Some oils are worse than others. Merck lists birch tar, cassia bark, cinnamon oil, pennyroyal and tea tree (melaleuca) among the hepatotoxic oils, and birch, cedar, eucalyptus, hyssop, pennyroyal, sage, wintergreen and wormwood among those that can induce seizures. Wintergreen and birch are high in methyl salicylate, which produces aspirin-like toxicity. Pet Poison Helpline notes that products under 1-2% tea tree oil are generally considered non-toxic when used per label directions, but that even a few concentrated drops applied topically or ingested can result in severe poisoning.
Signs look similar whether the oil was swallowed or landed on skin. Merck gives vomiting, lethargy, drooling, ataxia and anorexia as most common, with tremors, hypotension, GI ulcers, bradycardia, hypothermia, seizures and organ failure in worse cases. Inhalation produces lacrimation, watery nasal discharge, nausea, drooling, vomiting, dyspnea, tachypnea, coughing and wheezing.
The critical instruction: do not induce vomiting. Merck says plainly that because of the risk of aspiration, emesis should not be induced. Oil in the lungs is chemical pneumonitis. If oil is on the coat, do not rub it in further; ask the clinic how to bathe him. Turn the diffuser off, open a window, take the bottle with you, and call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 with the oil, the concentration, and whether the exposure was oral, dermal or inhaled.
Frequently asked questions
- The diffuser was just running. Is that really an exposure?
- It can be. Merck says essential oils are absorbed through the lungs and mucous membranes, and lists lacrimation, nasal discharge, drooling, coughing and dyspnea from inhalation. Do not run a diffuser in a room a dog cannot leave.
- Can I put tea tree oil on my dog's skin?
- Not the concentrated oil. Pet Poison Helpline states that even a few concentrated drops applied topically can cause severe poisoning. Have skin problems diagnosed and use a product your veterinarian prescribes.
- He licked spilled oil. Should I get him to vomit?
- No. Merck states that emesis should not be induced because of the aspiration risk, and oil in the lungs causes pneumonitis. Bring the bottle and call your vet or the APCC at (888) 426-4435 now.