Aromatherapy
Essential Oils and Pets: What Vets Say About Dogs and Cats
What veterinary toxicology sources say about essential oils and diffusers around dogs and cats, which oils are flagged, safer habits, and when to call a vet.
Reference
Aromatherapy
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts, and a few drops can fill a room or irritate skin, so using them well comes down to knowing each oil. This section gathers that knowledge in one place: a profile for each of 47 common oils, with its botanical name, how it is made, how it smells, what it blends with and a conservative skin limit; blend recipes for sleep, focus, calm, a fresh home and the colder months; and guides to blending by note and to keeping pets safe. Every safety figure comes from a published reference, cited on the page. This is general information, not medical or veterinary advice.
Guides
Essential oils
| Oil | Note | Aroma | Max on skin | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balsam fir Abies balsamea | Woody | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Bergamot Citrus bergamia | Citrus | 0.4% | Phototoxic | |
| Black pepper Piper nigrum | Spicy | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Cardamom Elettaria cardamomum | Spicy | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Cedarwood (Virginian) Juniperus virginiana | Woody | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Cinnamon leaf Cinnamomum verum | Spicy | 0.6% | No issue | |
| Cistus Cistus ladanifer | Resinous | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Citronella Cymbopogon nardus, Cymbopogon winterianus | Citrus | 18.2% | No issue | |
| Clary sage Salvia sclarea | Herbaceous | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Clove bud Syzygium aromaticum | Spicy | 0.5% | No issue | |
| Coriander seed Coriandrum sativum | Spicy | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Cypress Cupressus sempervirens | Woody | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Eucalyptus Eucalyptus globulus | Minty | 20% | No issue | |
| Frankincense Boswellia carterii | Resinous | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Geranium Pelargonium graveolens | Floral | 6% | No issue | |
| Ginger Zingiber officinale | Spicy | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Grapefruit Citrus × paradisi | Citrus | 4% | Phototoxic | |
| Helichrysum Helichrysum italicum | Herbaceous | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Juniper berry Juniperus communis | Woody | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Lavender Lavandula angustifolia | Floral | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Lemon Citrus limon | Citrus | 2% | Phototoxic | |
| Lemon eucalyptus Corymbia citriodora | Citrus | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Lemongrass Cymbopogon flexuosus | Citrus | 0.15% | No issue | |
| Lime Citrus aurantifolia | Citrus | 0.7% | Phototoxic | |
| Mandarin Citrus reticulata | Citrus | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Manuka Leptospermum scoparium | Woody | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Neroli Citrus aurantium | Floral | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Niaouli Melaleuca quinquenervia | Herbaceous | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Nutmeg Myristica fragrans | Spicy | 0.8% | No issue | |
| Patchouli Pogostemon cablin | Earthy | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Peppermint Mentha × piperita | Minty | 5.4% | No issue | |
| Petitgrain Citrus aurantium var. amara | Citrus | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Ravintsara Cinnamomum camphora | Minty | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Roman chamomile Chamaemelum nobile | Floral | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Rose otto Rosa damascena | Floral | 0.6% | No issue | |
| Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus | Herbaceous | 16.5% | No issue | |
| Sandalwood Santalum album | Woody | 2% | No issue | |
| Scots pine Pinus sylvestris | Woody | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Spearmint Mentha spicata | Minty | 1.7% | No issue | |
| Sweet basil Ocimum basilicum | Herbaceous | 15% | No issue | |
| Sweet fennel Foeniculum vulgare | Spicy | 2.5% | No issue | |
| Sweet marjoram Origanum majorana | Herbaceous | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Sweet orange Citrus sinensis | Citrus | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia | Herbaceous | 15% | No issue | |
| Turmeric Curcuma longa | Spicy | No published maximum | No issue | |
| Vetiver Chrysopogon zizanioides | Earthy | 15% | No issue | |
| Ylang-ylang Cananga odorata | Floral | 0.18% | No issue |
Blends
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