Essential Oils For Dogs

Potent plant medicine, essential oils can deter pests, create calm, help with nausea, and more

Potent plant medicine, essential oils can deter pests, create calm, help with nausea, and more.

Essential oils are increasingly of interest to those in search of a non-pharmaceutical approach to health and wellness for themselves and their dogs, but aromatherapy has actually been used for centuries. The use of essential oils can be traced back nearly 5000 years in both India and Egypt.

Essential oils are volatile, concentrated substances that come from a plant’s leaves, flowers, bark, roots, seeds, or fruit. They are typically collected by means of distillation or cold-pressing.

The following essential oils are considered safe for dogs and can be used as pest repellents, calming agents, appetite stimulants, and nausea/motion sickness aids.

Repel fleas and ticks: lemongrass, citronella, lavender, rosemary

Lemongrass contains citral and geraniol, both of which are natural flea repellents. To make a spray, fill a bottle with water and add a drop or two of lemongrass. Use the spray on his blankets and bedding.

Citronella deters fleas, and ticks. Fill a spray bottle with water, add a few drops of citronella and shake before using to mist your yard, home, your feet, and furniture. A single light mist over your dog’s back can help, but this oil (like all essential oils) should not be ingested by dogs so if your dog is a nervous licker, don’t mist your dog.

Lavender repels both fleas and ticks and prevents tick eggs from hatching. It also has a calming effect on dogs. Add one or two drops to your dog’s shampoo and shampoo/rinse as usual.

Rosemary may help fend off fleas, but its primary benefit is to heal skin irritations. Add one drop of rosemary to a carrier oil such as coconut or grapeseed and apply to a flea or tick bite spot to accelerate healing.

Repel mosquitos: citronella, eucalyptus, cedarwood

Citronella definitely deters mosquitos, and a spray bottle of water with a drop or two can yield surprisingly good results. Spray on your own feet, arms, furniture, and outdoor area.

Eucalyptus has a strong odour that mosquitos dislike. When you shampoo your dog, add a single drop of eucalyptus oil to the suds and massage in well. Be sure to rinse thoroughly.

Cedarwood has a scent that many of us find captivating but mosquitos hate. Add a drop to a carrier oil and give your dog’s fur a rub down before heading out.

Reduce fear and anxiety: lavender, cedarwood, neroli

Lavender is one of the safest, most universal oils out there. Add a drop to your dog’s bed, collar, leash, etc. Diffusing lavender at home creates a relaxing mood.

Cedarwood has a lovely fragrance and provides a calming effect. Diffuse at home, and experiment with a cedarwood and lavender blend for extra calming benefits.

Neroli is a powerful essential oil to alleviate anxiety and fear. Add a single drop on a collar, leash, bed, dog coat—or to existing dog shampoo or massage oil. 

Lavender repels both fleas and ticks and prevents tick eggs from hatching. It also has a calming effect on dogs. Add one or two drops to your dog’s shampoo and shampoo/rinse as usual.

Reduce nausea and car sickness: ginger, cedarwood, lavender

Ginger is a go-to for upset stomachs. Put a drop on a cotton pad or wet cloth and let your dog breathe in the aroma or add a drop to a massage oil and rub on his chest and belly.

Cedarwood isn’t a specific remedy for nausea but it has a very calming effect on dogs. It can help settle nerves and bellies and is particularly good for car sickness. Try it in an in-car diffuser if your dog suffers from stress or motion sickness when in a moving vehicle.

Lavender and its calming effects help almost everything, including nausea. Diffuse at home or in your car to help your dog relax.

Stimulate appetite: ginger, vetiver, wild orange, and bergamot

Ginger is a powerful digestive aid. Add a drop to an existing massage oil and give your dog’s belly a thorough rub.

Vetiver’s ability to help with focus can translate into a dog’s renewed interest in food. Apply a drop on your dog’s collar or add a drop to a massage oil and rub him with it.

Wild orange has a great aroma and can help stimulate appetite. Diffusing at home will make your house smell great and could stimulate your dog’s appetite. 

Kelly Caldwell owns an Energy Work Practice and is completing a certification in aromatherapy. Find her at otterintentions.com.