Tea Tree Oil
ToxicA few drops of concentrated tea tree (melaleuca) oil can seriously poison a dog, whether swallowed or applied to skin. Signs include drooling, stumbling, weakness, tremors, low body temperature, liver injury and coma. Wash it off and call your vet now.
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.
- Drooling
- Vomiting
- Poor coordination or balance
- Weakness
- Tremors
- Low body temperature
- Lethargy
- Skin inflammation
- Liver failure
- Collapse
- Seizures
More about this food
Tea tree oil causes an unusual number of poisonings precisely because people mean well with it. Someone buys a bottle of 100% oil, reads that it helps with mange, fleas or a yeasty skin, and puts it on the dog's back, ears or paws. Pet Poison Helpline is explicit about the line: pet products containing less than 1-2% are generally considered non-toxic when used according to labeled directions, but higher concentrations are toxic to pets, and even a few concentrated drops applied topically or ingested can result in severe poisoning. Put in perspective, a bottle of 100% oil is 50 to 100 times stronger than the tea tree in a pet shampoo.
Why topical use is the same problem as swallowing it: the Merck Veterinary Manual notes essential oils are readily and rapidly absorbed through the GI tract, skin, lungs and mucous membranes, and it lists tea tree/melaleuca among the hepatotoxic oils. Oil rubbed into the coat goes in through the skin, and the dog then licks the spot and takes the rest orally. Both doors open at once.
Merck puts onset at minutes to hours from any route. The clinical picture Pet Poison Helpline describes is gastrointestinal distress such as drooling, neurologic signs including stumbling, weakness, tremor and coma, organ injury such as liver failure, low body temperature, and death. The drop in body temperature is a characteristic marker here, so a flat dog who feels cool to the touch is a late-stage dog.
Work in order. First, find the bottle and read the concentration -- 100% versus a dilution is the first thing a clinic will ask. Second, if it went on the skin, wash it off with warm water and a mild cleanser to cut further absorption. Third, call your veterinarian, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435, or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661. What not to do is induce vomiting: Merck specifically says emesis should not be induced after essential oil exposure because of aspiration risk. Keep a cool dog wrapped in a blanket on the way in, and bring the bottle. Skin disease and parasites have proven prescription treatments; get those from your veterinarian instead.
Frequently asked questions
- I put tea tree oil on his back for fleas. Is washing it off enough?
- Washing is only step one. Use warm water and a mild cleanser to limit further absorption, but some has already gone through the skin, so call your vet afterward. Have the concentration off the label ready, and if he starts stumbling, tremoring or going weak, go to an emergency clinic.
- My dog's shampoo lists tea tree oil. Should I stop using it?
- Pet Poison Helpline considers pet products with less than 1-2% tea tree oil generally non-toxic when used as labeled. Follow the stated concentration and directions, and never dilute human 100% oil to make your own version at home.
- It was literally one drop. Do I really need a vet?
- Yes. Pet Poison Helpline states that even a few concentrated drops, applied topically or ingested, can cause severe poisoning, and that goes double for a small dog. Grab the bottle, check the percentage, and call now rather than waiting for signs.