A vet has warned pet owners to be very careful when using oil diffusers in their homes, as certain oils can prove fatal for dogs.
This comes after a grandmother shared how her beloved pooch was poisoned by the oils in her diffuser, and was left unable to recognise her when she returned from working a late shift as a nanny.
Sharing her warning on Facebook, Marrianne Whyte explained that she'd initially assumed she'd woken her dog up from a dream, in which he had been experiencing night terrors, but found he was "still acting weird" the next day.
After turning off her new diffuser, Marrianne noticed that her pet's condition started to improve, but didn't make the connection straight away. Marrianne set off for another shift, but ended up returning home early after receiving a worrying call from her dog sitter.
In her post, which has been shared more than 1.5 million times, Marrianne, who lives in New Zealand, wrote: "[She] said that he wouldn't come out from under the bed. It was very odd as he is a happy dog.
"I came from work early and again, he was very confused about who I was. So I took him to an emergency vet. It turns out that the tea tree oil I was using in the diffuser is toxic for dogs."
Thankfully, tests confirmed that Marriane's dog hadn't suffered liver damage, but they "weren't out of the woods yet", and the vet gave him fluids under his skin to get rid of any toxins.
Marrianne, whose vet told her such instances were on the rise due to essential oils becoming more popular, warned her followers: "Please make sure that the essential oils you are burning are not toxic for your pets".
Vet clinic Pets on Parker told 7life that cats are also at risk of being poisoned by essential oils because they don't have a liver enzyme called glucuronyl transferase, which is required to break them down.
The experts explained: "Their livers are slower at eliminating these compounds, which can lead to toxic build-up. While dogs do not lack this enzyme, they are still sensitive to essential oils and can become very sick if exposed to them.
"Common signs of poisoning as a result of inhalation (usually from an oil diffuser) include laboured breathing, lack of coordination and difficulty walking, drooling, diarrhoea, lethargy, depression, low body temperature, weakness, muscle tremors, and vomiting."
Pets on Parker have warned that the following essential oils are poisonous to dogs:
- Clove
- Garlic
- Geranium
- Juniper
- Rosemary
- Tea tree
- Thyme
- Wintergreen
They've also advised cat owners that the following are poisonous to felines:
- Cassia
- Cinnamon
- Citrus
- Clove
- Bergamot
- Basil
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
- Grapefruit
- Lemon
- Lime
- Lavender
- Melaleuca
- Oregano
- Peppermint
- Pennyroyal
- Spruce
- Tea tree
- Thyme
- Wintergreen
- Wild orange
Do you have a pet-related story to share? Email us at julia.banim@reachplc.com
