Kylie Ora LobellYou love lavender essential oil. It smells great and it calms you down after a busy day. You know that you can come home and use this type of aromatherapy to relax.
However, while there are many benefits of lavender for humans, you’ve heard that some essential oils may not be safe for dogs.
Before you bring any type of lavender oil into your home, make sure that your dog won’t get sick from it.
Is Lavender Safe For Your Dog?
In some cases, lavender is safe for your dog, and in other cases, it’s not. Lavender essential oil is very potent; you’ll need to get diluted lavender oil if you want to use it on your dog. To keep your pet safe, do not use the undiluted kind.
Humans can’t put pure lavender essential oils on themselves — the same applies to dogs. Never put it on your dog’s skin or coat. Also, never ingest it or give it to your dog to eat. Instead, pure lavender essential oil should be mixed with carrier oil.
Lavender also contains linalool and linalyl acetate, which can be toxic to dogs. Since there’s only a small amount of linalool in lavender oil, your dog should be fine around it. Only if your dog ingests large quantities of lavender should you be concerned.
Some side effects of lavender poisoning include:
- drooling
- fever
- lack of appetite
- vomiting
- swollen and tender abdomen
You will need to go to the veterinarian right away for treatment. Your vet may give your dog antihistamines, IV fluids, and/or supplemental oxygen.
Note that other kinds of oils, like tea tree oil and cinnamon oil, can cause nervous system issues in your pup. Tea tree oil in particular is very toxic to dogs.
Additionally, since dogs have such a strong sense of smell, even a few drops of lavender can seem harsh to them. You can let your dog sniff some diluted lavender oil before you put it on him or release some into the air. If he rubs his face on the floor or pants, then stop and try to introduce it to him another time. You could also give him a treat when you decide to use lavender so that he has a positive association with it.
If you have a lavender plant, make sure you place it somewhere your dog can’t access. If he starts eating it, he could experience lavender poisoning.
Benefits of Lavender Oil for Dogs
Pet owners can use lavender oil in a number of different ways to help their dogs, such as:
- insect repellant
- joint pain
- inflammation
- stress
- anxiety
Lavender is an effective insect repellent; it can help protect against fleas and mosquitos. You can spray the repellent made of diluted lavender oil on your dog’s coat before he goes outside.
When used as a topical treatment, a lavender oil dilution can help relieve some of your dog’s joint pain. It can also reduce inflammation and increase blood flow.
If your dog has itchy skin due to dry skin or allergies, a little bit of diffused lavender oil can help him feel better since it has both antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Another way to improve your pet’s health is to put diffused lavender oil on your dog before a road trip if he experiences motion sickness. Lavender, much like chamomile, is calming and can also provide a good night’s sleep, so he may just fall asleep in the car.
While air fresheners can be toxic to dogs, spraying diffused lavender oil into the air will make your home or car smell better and you won’t be harming your pet. Just make sure your dog doesn’t try to lick up any residue.
How to Use Lavender for Dogs
Never let your dog eat lavender flowers or pure lavender oil. Don’t put it in his dog food or water as ingestion can cause lavender poisoning.
Instead, you can use an oil diffuser for releasing lavender oil into the air. Or, if you don’t use a diffuser, you can boil a pot of water, add some drops of lavender, and close off the room so it gets nice and steamy.
To use lavender oil for topical use, put a few drops of essential oil mixed with a carrier oil. Start with one drop, and then as long as your dog doesn’t have an allergic reaction, you can put a few more in the mixture after 24 hours. If you aren’t sure, consult a holistic veterinarian or DVM for proper ratios.
Pet parents can also spray a mist bottle of diffused lavender oil around the room where a dog sleeps or directly on his dog bed. For instance, if you have the Original Calming Donut Shag Cat & Dog Bed, if you spray a little bit of mist onto it, your dog should feel very comfortable. Both the lavender and the calming shape of the bed will warm your dog while supporting his joints and providing better sleep at the same time.
If your dog has a favorite stuffed toy, then put a drop or two of it on the toy. He will enjoy playing with this squeaky and soft plush dog toy and perhaps experience a calming effect as well. Just make sure that you don’t spray a large area with large amounts at once. Test a small area first to see whether or not the oil leaves a stain.
Other Ways to Help Your Dog
Let’s say you’re on the fence about using diffused lavender oil. If this is the case, then you can look into alternatives for helping your dog with certain issues.
For instance, if your dog is in pain or has anxiety, or has trouble sleeping, you could ask your vet if you can use CBD on your pup. The research on CBD for dogs is still coming out, so your vet may not know a definitive answer just yet.
If your dog has fleas, you can put topical flea treatment on him or ask your veterinarian to prescribe flea medicine, as long as it’s safe for your dog.
Does your pup have irritated skin or itchy skin? Then instead of lavender, you can look for dog shampoo designed specifically for that problem. For instance, oatmeal is known to help with skin irritation.
Keeping Your Dog Healthy
Whether or not you choose to use lavender for your dog, it’s important to consult with your veterinarian before trying anything. Then, you’ll know 100% that you’re making the right move for your pup and being a responsible pet parent. For more information on essential oils safe for dogs, read this blog post.
