Aromatherapy can provide emotional and physical benefits for humans, but there are few scientific studies that have looked at the use of aromatherapy for pets and whether it has the same effects in them. Animals and people are different in how they react to these substances. Such as, most humans can ingest large amounts of chocolate without life threatening consequences. However, chocolate can be fatal to dogs. Many of us love the smell of lavender, cinnamon or jasmine, but what about animals?
Aromatherapy for animals is the art and science of using plant essential oils to treat both the emotional body and the physical body of animals. It takes into consideration the whole animal, so you are not just treating one specific symptom.
The same essential oils and blends that we use on ourselves are not always safe to use on our dogs, cats, birds, horses or other pets. For instance, cat’s livers do not have the necessary enzymes to break down and excrete certain chemical compounds in essential oils. The chemical compounds, therefore, accumulate in a cat’s body and are sometimes toxic to the point of death. As a result, there are certain rules of thumb that should be followed whenever you use these products around your pets.
Scents Can Be Toxic
Aromatherapy uses essential oils to create all those wonderful scents that we humans love to breathe in deeply and enjoy. It’s important to realize, volatile compounds can be potentially toxic to pets at certain concentrations. And your veterinarian should always be consulted before using these products around your four-footed family members.
Scents Can Be Irritating
In fact, dogs and cats have a much better sense of smell than we do. What smells good to us may be overwhelming for them. So always make sure your pets have a way to escape from the smells that you think are wonderful — those same scents may be irritating to them. Animals have a very different and more sensitive respiratory tract than do humans, and the inhalation of essential oils is not recommended.
Safe to Smell Is Not Safe to Soothe
Many “natural” pet care products also contain the same substances that are used in aromatherapy products. So before use the product, you should be use discriminately on your pet. Essential oils in pet care products are generally constituted in greatly diluted amounts. For example, many natural flea shampoos or dips may contain essential oils, but because of the dilution of these oils with other ingredients, they are safe to use according to label directions. In addition, keep in mind these are active compounds that may interact with any other medications your pet may already be prescribed.