09 December 2023 , 08:23
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This is a warning to which all pet owners need to listen.
Dogs are known for being very inquisitive and love sniffing around items in the home. There are many things you probably keep out of reach of your pampered pooch, but there are a few things you likely would assume to be pretty much harmless - such as the diffuser that keeps your house smelling nice.
But it turns out that the scents wafting around the room can actually make your pet very ill. Marianne Whyte from New Zealand took to social media to issue an urgent warning to her fellow dog owners after her pup was poisoned by an oil diffuser.
Back in 2019, her post on Facebook quickly went viral, with pet owners praising her for issuing the warning. Whyte explained at the time: "Saturday night I got home late and my dog didn't recognise me. Being a nanny, I thought I woke him up and he was having a night terror.
"Sunday he was still acting weird. I realised that I had been running my new diffuser and decided to turn it off. Sunday afternoon he was feeling better."
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However the next day, the dog sitter informed Marianne that the little guy had refused to come out from under the bed. When she returned home from work, her beloved pet once again seemed to not recognise her.
Dogs can be poisoned by many household objects (Getty Images/iStockphoto)She continued: "I took him to the emergency vet. It turns out that the tea tree oil I was using in the diffuser is toxic for dogs.
"Thankfully the test showed that his liver was ok, but we weren't out of the woods yet. He was given fluids under his skin to get the toxins out.
"The vet and the poison control are saying that they see these cases often now that the popularity of essential oil is growing. Please make sure that the essential oils you are burning are not toxic for your pets."
Marianne went on to share a long list of the oils dog owners should avoid, they were:
- Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
- Birch (Betula)
- Bitter Almond (Prunus dulcis)
- Boldo (Peumus boldus)
- Calamus (Acorus calamus)
- Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)
- Cassia (Cassia fistula)
- Chenopodium (Chenopodium album)
- Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
- Garlic (Allium sativum)
- Goosefoot (Chenopodium murale)
- Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)
- Hyssop (Hyssopus sp. with the exception of Decumbens)
- Juniper (Juniperus sp. with the exception of Juniper Berry)
- Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
- Mustard (Brassica juncea)
- Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
- Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
- Red or White Thyme
- Rue (Ruta graveolens)
- Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
- Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
- Savory (Satureja)
- Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
- Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)
- Terebinth (Pistacia palaestina)
- Thuja (Thuja occidentalis)
- Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
- Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Certain essential oils are toxic for dogs (Getty Images/iStockphoto)Her post was quickly shared over 99,000 times and more than 13,000 people have commented. Many thanked her for sharing and said they had no idea they shouldn't be using the oils. One person wrote: "Thanks for sharing Marianne. I had no idea about this."
"Thanks for making me aware, I didn't think about this danger," commented another. Someone else pointed out that some of the oils could cause issues for humans as well.
They said: "Some of these oils are quite toxic to humans too. They should only be used and administered by a qualified aromatherapist. It is disturbing that such diffusers are being sold cheaply in some budget stores without adequate warnings in place."
Vet Zoe Costigan from pet wellbeing specialist firm Itchpet.com seconded Marianne's warning.
She said: "We need to be cautious when it comes to keeping essential oils in our homes as many oils could be potentially toxic to our pets. Essential oils as well as being used in room diffusers are found in many products such as shampoos, air fresheners, insect repellents and may be accidentally ingested, absorbed across the skin or inhaled by animals.
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"Signs of toxicity are variable depending on the type of oil, the concentration of the oil and how the pet has been exposed. Common initial signs of a problem may be irritation to the face, paws or area of application, hair loss, inflamed skin, hypersalivation, retching or coughing. In more severe cases animals may experience behavioural changes, ataxia, depression, tremors, seizures and difficulty breathing."
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