The natural therapeutic compounds found in plants extracts, also known as essential oils, can elevate your mood, relieve anxiety and make you feel profoundly calmer. But did you know that essential oils can provide the same soothing effects for our canine friends too?
However, not all essential oils are safe for dogs. In fact, some essential oils can make your dog hyper or aggressive. Some can even make your dog really sick.
In this post, you’ll discover why you should consider using essential oils for your pet, as well as the 7 safest and most effective essential oils for dogs. In addition, you’ll also learn which oils you should avoid and never use on your pet. Plus, you’ll learn a DIY essential oil recipe you can make at home, and how to use therapeutic oils on dogs.
Why Use Essential Oil For Dogs?
More and more people are using essential oils for dogs, especially for easing separation anxiety. One reason why is that dog owners are busier and working longer hours than ever these days.
As a result, our canine companions, which are highly sociable pack animals by nature, are unfortunately having to spend more time alone at home. Even if your pup has to stay home alone from 9 to 5, essential oils can help keep your pet calm and content for several hours.
While it’s true that there are prescription medications for canine anxiety, there’s a possibility of adverse side effects, just as there are in humans. Furthermore, medications can lose their effectiveness over time, necessitating the taking of higher doses of drugs. Many people just arent comfortable sedating thier dogs with drugs. This is another reason more people are turning to essential oils as an alternative for their dogs.
Essential oils aren’t just effective for separation anxiety, they can also calm your dog in the following situations:
- Thunderstorms and fireworks
- Travel
- Dog park visits and walks
- Vet visits
- Baths and grooming appointments
- House Guests
Although essential oils for dogs are more common, do experts think they are safe? Yes! According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), research suggests that essential oils have many health benefits for dogs, and many holistic veterinarians have incorporated essential oils into their practices.1
Don’t Ever Use These Essential Oils On Your Dog!
However, just because essential oils are all natural doesn’t mean they’re all safe for your dog. As the American Kennel Club points out, some essential oils are poisonous to dogs.
The AKC recommends never using the following oils for canines:
- Cinnamon
- Pennyroyal
- Pine
- Sweet birch
- Tea tree (melaleuca)
- Wintergreen
- Ylang-ylang
The Top 7 Safe & Calming Essential Oils For Your Dog
Each essential oil contains dozens of therapeutic compounds. These compounds have a much stronger healing potential than a whole plant. That’s why it’s important you don’t just pick any random oil to use on your dog.
But the following 7 oils are backed by research to be dog-safe and effective, especially for their calming effects:
Lavender Oil
A study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association says that when exposed to lavender oil, dogs spend significantly more time resting and sitting and less time moving and vocalizing.2
Chamomile Oil
The Veterinary Centers of America (VCA) says chamomile oil acts as a muscle relaxer and provides relief from a variety of stressful situations and animal disorders. The VCA adds that this oil may be applied topically to relieve skin inflammation and abrasions.3
Geranium Oil
An animal study in Phytotherapy Research concludes the compounds in geranium oil have anti-anxiolytic and antidepressant properties.4
Frankincense Oil
One of the few essential oils that are derived from the sap of a tree, the resin in frankincense has analgesic (pain-calming), tranquilizing and anti-bacterial effects.5
Lemon Oil
According to a 2011 study, lemon may help with mild to moderate anxiety, and may also improve sleep.6
Cypress Oil
The Updated & Revised Essential Oils Expanded Guide, considered the Bible of plant oils, lists cypress oil as effective for bed wetting and calming the nervous system.
Almond Oil
A carrier oil that makes it safe to apply other essential oils in a DIY blend, almond oil acts as an antidepressant on animals, suggests a study in Biomedical Research.7
How To Use Essential Oils With Dogs
Now that you know which are the most effective and safest oils to keep your best friend calm and happy, it’s time you learn how to use them.
There are a couple primary ways to use essential oils for your pet.
Diffuse
First, you can diffuse the oils in the morning before you leave for work or when you have to run errands. To do this, start off by combining the 7 oils into a dark aromatherapy bottle. Then, pour 10-15 drops of the blend into an essential oil diffuser. Let the diffuser run for about 20-30 minutes before you leave, making sure the diffuser is in the same room as your dog.
Apply topically
Adding sweet almond oil makes it safe to apply the other 6 oils directly on your dog’s skin. But first, you’ll need to blend the oils and add them to a roll-on bottle. Once you have the blend poured in a roll-on bottle, apply the roller ball directly to the back of your dog’s neck and massage it in with your fingers. In addition, you can also apply the oil directly to the bottom of your dog’s paws for quick absorption.
DIY Recipe With The 7 Safest Dog-Calming Essential Oils
On their own, each of these 7 essential oils are proven to keep your dog calm. However, what makes them incredibly effective is when they work synergistically together in a blend. That means when they are carefully blended in just the right proportions, the therapeutic compounds of each plant are significantly enhanced.
You can make your own DIY blend with the ingredients above. Just remember to include a carrier oil like almond oil so you can apply the blend topically. Start with a 1% dilution, which is 6 drops of essential oils per 1 oz. of almond oil.
The Easiest & Most Affordable Way To Keep Your Dog Calm
Rather than purchase each oil individually, which can get pricey, and rather than tinker with the best ratio through trial and error, there’s a professionally-blended, veterinarian-approved blend of these 7 best dog-calming oils: Peaceful Pup
Peaceful Pup is a prescription-free 100% pure essential oil blend. It’s safe for all dogs breeds and ages. In addition to the amazing calming effects, the 7 oils in Peaceful Pup have been studied for their positive effects on canine immunity and skin health. With over 70,000 5-star reviews, Peaceful Pup is the #1 veterinarian-recommended essential oil blend for separation anxiety and canine well-being.
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References:
- https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/are-essential-oils-safe-for-dogs/
- https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/10.2460/javma.229.6.964
- https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/chamomile
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29468757
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27117114
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230760/
- http://www.biomedres.info/biomedical-research/the-antidepressantlike-effect-of-almond-oil-an-additive-effect-with-lavender-oil-10857.html
