Essential oils for pets are a great way to treat their ailments without having to use any harmful chemicals you might be afraid of. Dating back to the olden days, long before modern medicine was introduced, essential oils were the natural substitutes for traditional medicine when they didn’t suit your pets. They provide amazing perks and health benefits for both humans and pets. There can be a few do’s and don’ts that you must consider before administering these oils to your pets. Here are things to look out for:

Always check the type of oil and its benefits before using them on a pet

There are a variety of essential oils that can be used for your pets based on what you need them for. Here is a list of essential oils along with their uses.

• Cedarwood
  It helps repel parasitic pests that tend to live on the fur of your pets.

• Lavender
  It is a great antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial oil that additionally soothes and calms the mind.

• Myrrh
  It helps fight against allergies and promotes a healthy coat of skin.

• Helichrysum
  It can deal with skin issues and help relieve pain.

• Peppermint
  It helps soothe pain and repels pests.

• Carrot seed
  It works against the dryness of the skin

The other things you need look out for as follows.

• For skin irritation, fleas, allergies and fur coat health, you can consider using chamomile, cedarwood, Kukui nut essential oils, among others.
• For aggression, lethargy, and insecurity, you can consider using Valerian, chamomile, and cedarwood essential oils
• For joint discomfort, you can use frankincense essential oil.
• For nausea, you can use cardamom, ginger and lavender essential oils

Do not administer essential oils orally
Administering essential oils for pets orally can be an extremely risky thing to do, considering their sensitivity to these oils. The best kind of application is topical (diluted oils) or through a diffuser.

Keep essential oils away from pregnant pets
Pregnant animals can have adverse reactions to essential oils even in a small amount. During pregnancy, their immune system is extremely vulnerable so it is up to us to protect them from the ill effects that essential oils may pose to them. The same goes for very old animals and very young animals. Essential oils must be kept away from animals under the age of ten weeks, old animals and pregnant animals.

Know which essential oil to avoid for which animal
Knowing what to avoid for each animal can greatly help you keep your pets safe.

Avoid citrus, lemon, orange, oregano, wintergreen, grapefruit, birch, clove, cinnamon, thyme, etc for cats.

Avoid garlic, horseradish, clove, wintergreen, thyme, juniper and anise essential oils for dogs.

Some essential oils that are commonly considered unsafe for pets are basil, cinnamon, wintergreen, and thyme.

Essential oils for pets can be quite a tricky, yet effective therapy. It is important to check the type of essential oil and whether your pet is compatible with it. Using the right essential oils against the right ailment can be of great use to the animal concerned. As long as all precautions are taken, you should face no problems while administering essential oils to your pets.