My cat licked essential oil soap. Could a small amount be toxic?

I did research the name, and I could not find any information about it being toxic to cats. I suspect that if it was causing problems, it would have come up on my veterinary database. However, I am not a big fan of essential oils in cats. They do not tolerate them as well as dogs do. So, I would not use it again in my cats to be on the safe side. I think that they are going to be just fine. If they did start to show irritation - you will need to bathe in Dawn dish soap to get the oil off. I don't expect it at all, but just wanted to let you know what to use if they did get irritated. Good luck! Thanks for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

I'm not sure that you're going to be able to find the information that you are looking for, because we're not quite sure what percentage of essential oils are safe for cats. Peppermint and clove oils are both potentially toxic for cats without an established "safe" amount. I can't recommend applying essential oils directly to the fur/skin of a cat because of the potential safety concerns. I am attaching a website with more information about potential toxicity below. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/ If you are interested in using essential oils in cats, I would recommend using a product by Dr. Shelton. http://www.oilyvet.com/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

There is a chance of toxicity with ingesting dish soap. Dish soap is listed as a non-ionic detergent, and you will see vomiting and diarrhea if she digests it. I recommend trying to get her to wash the rest off, and the monitor her. If she does starting vomiting and having diarrhea, you need to take her to your vet right away. Your vet will have to administer treatment, as inducing vomiting is not recommended because it will do more harm than good. Next time you wash your cat, I'd recommend a pet shampoo to do it.

Unless she ate a large amount of it (1 tablespoon or more), she should be fine. You can call the poison control hotline ( http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/ ) to confirm as they will have the most up to date information if it would help you. Otherwise, monitor her for vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, or diarrhea. I don't expect she'll have any problems. Thanks for using PetCoach and please let know if this was helpful!

I am sorry to hear about your concern for your kitty! Ingesting a small amount of shampoo (provided it isnt' a medicated kind) would not be likely to cause any poisoning/toxicity in your kitty, but could cause some stomach upset. I would just recommend monitoring her appetite and energy level and watching for vomiting. If you notice changes in these then a visit to your vet is recommended.

Hello, thank you for your question about Sylvester. It is possible that the tea tree oil has a significant odor that your cat may be able to smell easily and may like which leads him to lick your hair. I would discourage Sylvester from doing this as tea tree oil is toxic to cats even in small quantities. If Sylvester develops any symptoms such as vomiting, weakness, unstable walking, or tremoring please have him evaluated by a veterinarian promptly. Hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as your cat doesn't eat/drink an excessive amount of this shampoo, she should be just fine. And as long as you didn't get any into her eyes, she should be OK. In the future, it is not recommended to use human shampoos on animals - there are special animal shampoos that are not as irritating if gotten into the eyes, and nontoxic if consumed. I recommend monitoring for any vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, or any neurologic signs such as tremors or seizures. These could indicate a toxicity. If she is squinting her eyes, this could mean you got shampoo in her eyes and caused damage to her corneas. If you see any of these signs, she should be seen by a veterinarian right away. I hope this is helpful!