Basically, a dog-safe multipurpose home remedy proven to help reduce your dog’s stress and anxiety, as well as treat pain, fleas, itchy skin - and much more…
Lavender essential oil has long been used by aromatherapists to reduce stress. Renowned as the Queen of Calm, it relieves anxiety, helps you sleep and lifts your mood. You know it gives you relief, but did you know the scent of lavender oil has also been proven to help de-stress and calm your anxious dog - and do so safely?
One of the gentlest pet safe essential oils, lavender oil could quickly become your dog’s new BFF (and yours). It not only calms down a nervous and agitated dog, but also help them sleep better - and can even cheer up a depressed pet.
Add to this several other benefits like soothing itchy skin allergies, easing pain, as well as getting rid of ticks and fleas, and you can see how lavender can quickly become a must-have dog-safe essential oil in your fur baby’s first aid kit…
WHY USE LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL FOR YOUR DOG?
You’re probably already using a whole bunch of grooming, deodorizing, tick and flea repellents - and more - on your dog. And if your furry friend suffers from other issues such as anxiety, motion sickness, insomnia, or even allergies, it’s sure bet that, at some stage, you’ve also been off to your veterinarian for some medication to help.
What if you knew that lavender essential oil is a true little pet-safe multitasking home remedy that can help your dog with all of these things? Lavender essential oil has been used in aromatherapy for hundreds of years to successfully help with a wide variety of ailments – which has been proven in numerous scientific studies.
One of the gentlest and safest oils around, lavender is well-known as natural sedative, calming and soothing the nerves, easing anxiety and depression and promoting deeper and more restful sleep. But less well known is that it can also soothe pain from small wounds, burns and bites, treat dry or itchy skin, and is a natural bug repellent (insects hate its smell). The fact that it also has a wonderful scent is just the cherry on the top…
BUT IS LAVENDER OIL SAFE FOR DOGS?
So, what’s good for humans should be good for dogs too, right? Well yes - in principle. While lavender oil is totally dog-safe - and even safe for cats - there are a few precautionary measures you need to take…
First off, be reassured that lavender essential oil is absolutely safe and gentle enough to help calm and treat dogs for a number of conditions and ailments. In fact, a recent study has found that lavender is one of a few of their preferred scents. But with your furry friend, you just need to take a little more care.
Essential oils are extremely potent - about 3 pounds of lavender flowers are needed to produce just 15ml of lavender essential oil – and this, together with a whole host of biologically active and powerful compounds, can present some potential challenges when it comes to our four-legged companions…
Their Sense of Smell
For instance, dogs have a significantly higher sense of smell than you. It’s been estimated that dogs can smell anywhere from 1 000 to 10 000 times better than people. It’s their primary sense (yours is sight) so no wonder they permanently have their noses to the ground. What is a delicate scent for you can become an aggressive assault to their senses. Safely diluting the essential oil is therefore super important when using lavender with dogs.
The Size, Age and Health of Dog
Dogs are also a lot smaller and weigh quite a bit less than their humans. While they can safely inhale lavender essential oil and also absorb it through their skin when applied topically, their little bodies are way less able to deal with human sized doses. This is where it can become tricky as the breed, size, age and health of your dog would all guide you as to the right dosage and dilution levels for your pet. Consult a holistic vet if you’re unsure.
Their Metabolic System
Aside from their smaller size, a dog’s metabolism also differs dramatically from0 people. So, you definitely do not want your dog to ingest pure essential oil in any form – in food, water or even licking it off their skin. And you certainly don’t want to leave any essential oil lying around where your dog could accidentally lap it up. It could make them very sick.
Choosing only a 100% pure high-quality lavender essential oil for use on your dog is also important to ensure you are using a pet-safe oil. Many products masquerade as essential oils but in reality, are just perfumes that smell nice but will not work as an essential oil does – and could be toxic and cause harm. Look out for the Latin name, Lavandula Angustifolia, on the bottle, and make sure you buy from a reputable company.
BENEFITS & USES OF LAVENDER OIL FOR DOGS
When used safely and correctly as a home remedy, lavender essential oil has a number of health-giving benefits as a natural sedative, pain reliever, itch-soother and antibacterial that will make both you and your dog’s life easier…
Lavender Oil To Calm Your Dog's Anxiety and Fear
Nothing is more heart breaking than seeing your beloved pet fearful or anxious. Fireworks, thunder, car rides, separation from their favorite person and being left alone are the most common triggers. This often grows worse as they get older when their physical and mental health starts to deteriorate. You may also have a hyperactive dog who has more energy than you can cope with and can be difficult to calm down. With this in mind, does lavender calm dogs?
Well known for its incredible calming properties for humans, lavender oil is one of the best natural, dog-safe home remedies for anxiety to use with a nervous, depressed or hyperactive pup - and is also an excellent sleep aid if your dog has insomnia. It can be used to condition dogs to a safe space too.
Lavender's calming sedative-like effects were proven in a 2006 study with dogs who had a history of car ride anxiety which found that they spent significantly more time resting and sitting and less time moving and vocalizing when exposed to the scent. It not only reduces your dog’s anxiety but can also help with motion sickness.
Another study in a dog shelter where dog collars were impregnated with lavender showed similar calming results. A more recent dog shelter study also confirmed lavenders ability to calm and quieten dogs, who spent more time resting and less time walking around and barking. A small study also found that lavender oil helped slow heart rates which, in turn, calmed dogs down.
Lavender Oil To Soothe Your Dog's Itchy Skin, Allergies, Small Burns and Wounds
Is your dog always scratching? It’s possible they may have allergic dermatitis. A powerful natural antihistamine and anti-inflammatory, lavender essential oil can help soothe your pet's red, irritated and itchy skin. Together with its anti-bacterial properties, lavender can also be useful for sun or skin burns, small cuts and wounds and bug bites. It even helps soothe and restore dry skin.
Lavender Oil To Help Reduce Pain in Dogs
If your dog is experiencing any pain, whether it be stiff, arthritic joints or from an injury, lavender essential oil can help here too. Many human studies such as this one have shown it to be a very effective home remedy to help relieve pain.
Lavender Oil As An Insect Repellent For Dogs
While lavender essential oil won’t kill bugs, they absolutely hate the smell – on both humans and dogs. So, if your dog has an issue with fleas and ticks, or is attacked by mosquitos or gnats whenever you head outside, spraying with some diluted lavender oil will help chase pests away. Not only dog-safe – but a natural and highly effective home remedy too…
Lavender Oil To Control Dog Odor
Lavender’s benefits don’t stop at its medicinal properties. Its gentle floral aroma is also a very effective way to stop pet odor in its tracks. Lavender has a great scent that you will love too.
Lavender Essential Oil: Proven To Naturally Get Rid Of Anxiety And Stress - Quickly And Safely - Read More
HOW TO SAFELY USE LAVENDER OIL FOR YOUR DOG
It takes just one or two sniffs of lavender oil to quickly get absorbed into the bloodstream and start working within seconds. But remember that lavender essential oil is very potent, and too much can be toxic for your dog. While you can safely take a few sniffs direct out of the bottle and it’s even gentle enough to be applied directly onto your skin, you have to be a lot more cautious with your pet.
There are however many dog-safe ways you can use lavender essential oil for your furry friend…
Diffusion
Diffusing lavender oil is one of the safest and simplest ways to create a calming and comforting environment for your anxious, depressed or overactive dog, but it’s important that you don’t overdo it.
For humans, it’s recommended that you don’t diffuse for longer than an hour at a time. For your much smaller companion, you should reduce this to 10 minutes a session followed by a 30-minute break. Start off with just one or two drops of lavender essential oil in a water-based diffuser, then check with your vet if the size, age and health of your pet can handle more.
If you’re already regularly diffusing essential oils in your home, you need to be aware that your normal ‘human’ dilution levels are probably way too strong for your dog, and you could be using oils which are not recommended for pets – both of which can cause long term harm to your furry friend. Use pet-safe oils like lavender, keep doors open so that rooms are well aerated, and dilution levels low.
If you’re at all unsure, a safer option is to use a lavender reed diffuser, a spray mist, or light a lavender essential oil candle all of which just circulate the healing aroma of lavender essential oil without dispersing any water droplets in the air.
Topical Application
Before you apply lavender oil to your dog’s fur or skin, be sure to properly dilute it first.
A safe bet is starting with a single drop of lavender essential oil in 50 drops of carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut, almond or jojoba oil. Another rough guideline is to add about 3-6 drops of essential oil to 1 fluid oz. (6 teaspoons) of carrier oil – varying the amount of oil depending upon the breed, size, age and health of your dog. If you’re unsure about dilution levels for your pet, it’s best to consult your vet to be safe rather than sorry.
A gentle massage with diluted lavender oil can help ease any joint pain as well as soothe irritated and itchy skin. You can also place a drop of diluted oil on the back of the neck and the base of the tail to effectively repel ticks and fleas, and other pests. Otherwise apply a little of the dilution to your hands and lightly massage it onto your dog’s neck and back.
Holistic vets also use anti-bacterial lavender infusions to wash out wounds, treat burns and reduce itchiness and scratching. Simply make a lavender tea rinse using 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried lavender flowers in 8 fluid oz. of boiling water, allow to steep for a few minutes, and apply.
Direct Inhalation
While lavender oil may be safe to bring into contact with dogs, people often ask, is lavender oil safe for dogs to breath? Again, the answer is yes - and exposing your dog to the oil through direct inhalation brings many health benefits. It’s pretty easy to introduce lavender into your dog’s environment so they can safely inhale it without the scent being too strong or invasive for their little bodies or sensitive noses.
To help soothe anxious dogs just before they go on a car ride or trip to the vet, and those who struggle to sleep, are depressed or need calming down, simply add a couple drops of your diluted lavender oil to your dog’s collar, or on a neck bandana; on a cotton ball placed next to their bed or carrier - or directly onto their bedding.
If your pet is into cuddly toys, you can even add the adorable heatable Lavender Lucky The Dog to their love objects – while giving them the benefits of lavender too.
Otherwise, try this calming dog bed filled with high quality lavender buds which, when warmed in the microwave, not only help your dog to calm down and sleep better, but the moist warmth together with healing lavender aromatherapy can also help a pooch in pain. And because you’re using the safer and gentler option of lavender flower aromatherapy as opposed to the highly concentrated oil, you’re far less likely to accidentally OD your dog. It helps that it looks super-cute too.
Mist Sprays
Instead of applying lavender essential oil direct to your dog’s collar or bedding, a far more convenient option is to make your own mist spray. Start slowly with one or two drops of lavender essential oil in 4 fluid oz. of distilled water in a glass spray bottle, and then gradually increase the dosage over time.
A mist spray can multitask as a bedding spray, be applied to the dog’s neck and back as a tick and flea repellent, used on small wounds or skin irritations, or as a room deodorizer (it will also smell nice on you too!).
LAVENDER FOR DOGS: THE COMMON-SENSE SAFETY GUIDE
When treating your dog with lavender essential oil, carefully and gently is the name of the game. Here’s some simple dog-safe precautions to take before and when you use lavender oil on your pet…
Always Speak to Your Holistic Vet First: Before you use lavender essential oil on your dog, check in with your vet to make sure there won’t be any interactions with any other products or treatments. They’ll also be able to advise on the correct dilution levels and usage instructions specifically for your pet – this is especially important if you have a pregnant, sick or aged dog, or a puppy under 10 weeks.
Check If They Like It: You don’t like every scent you smell, so it’s also possible your dog won’t either. Give your furry friend a chance to sniff a little diffused or diluted lavender oil (pure is too potent) and see how they react. If he turns away, runs out of the room or rubs his nose in the carpet, chances are that it’s either not diluted enough or a non-starter.
Only Use a Diluted Pure High-Grade Essential Oil: A high-quality brand of lavender essential oil is an absolute non-negotiable to avoid any unintentional poisoning. And always dilute to take the size, age and health of your pet into account. Again, consult your vet if you have any questions.
Start Slowly: When using lavender essential oil on your dog, always start with diluting at the lowest possible dose and gradually work your way up. Always check carefully for any side effects, signs of discomfort or allergic reactions - excessive scratching, sniffing, nervousness or whining are all signs to watch for - so you can either adjust the dosage or stop using the oil.
Spot Check on Skin: If using topically, it’s always better to apply a little diluted lavender oil on your dogs’ neck and leave for 24 hours to check for any reactions before use, particularly if your pet has sensitive skin.
Pet Safety First – The No Go’s:
Never use oils near your dog’s eyes, mouth, nose, or genital area.
Always use a 100% pure essential oil as indicated on the bottle.
Never use undiluted essential oil on your pet.
Only use a water-based ultrasonic diffuser around dogs and other animals.
Never allow your dog to ingest essential oil by licking or accidentally - always store essential oils and dilutions in a safe space where your dog won’t be able to reach them. Do not add to your pet’s food or water.
Do not use on puppies under 10 weeks or near pregnant or nursing dogs.
Never combine lavender with other essential oils unless you have checked with your vet that they are also pet-safe.
Lavender is one of the gentlest oils and so could also be safe to use with your cat. However, to be absolutely sure, it’s advisable to consult with a qualified practitioner on safe dosage levels beforehand.
Note that lavender oil contains linalool, which can be toxic to dogs, but as the concentration level in lavender angustifolia essential oil is low, and they would have to be exposed to, or consume, very large amounts for it to become serious. To be safe, always dilute lavender essential oil in a carrier oil before use.
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While the process may all sound a little overwhelming at first, if you’re looking for the best pet-safe essential oil for your fur baby, you can rest assured that lavender is arguably one of the safest and gentlest oils to use for your dog. The fact that they like the scent of lavender also helps too…