My cat licks my hair after tea tree oil. Is it toxic for her?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ludo! Tea Tree oil is safe in very dilute concentrations. It depends on the concentration of the shampoo you used whether it has anything to do with Ludo's symptoms. The issue with cats is that they groom and can lick the tea tree oil off. Symptoms are usually drooling and nausea in mild cases to tremors and seizures in severe cases. Symptoms usually occur with a few hours to 12 hours after exposure. There is no antidote just supportive care and bathing the tea tree oil off. Sometimes the pet needs 3 days of supportive care to get off the toxicity. While you wait for your Vet to open Bath Ludo in Dawn. Then call when they open for an appointment. I hope this helps and I wish Ludo a speedy recovery!

Hi and thanks for posting! The Bio-Groom ear mite cleanser does contain Pyrethrins which can be toxic if consumed in large amounts. While licking a very small amount of it from his paw may not be enough to cause a serious problem, I would still keep on the look out. Concerning signs to watch out for are tremors, seizures, hypersalivation, panting, vomiting, and diarrhea. If you see any of these signs, I would recommend seeing a veterinarian right away.

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!

Hello. Cats are very curious, but very careful when tasting new things. It is very unlikely that she got more that a small lick begore deciding this was pretty nasty stuff. Essential oils can be toxic to cats, the problem occurs when people mistakenly apply them to a pet, & then a cat is almost forced to lick her coat. So investigating the soap pump will not be harmful to Squishy. Thanks for using 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.

The biggest problem with essential oils is not the smell, but when the oil gets onto the cat and they lick it off. This can happen when the oil is aerosolized or if it is sprayed or poured and the cat walks through it since they will then lick their paws. So, if you have sprayed or poured the peppermint oil in an area that Luna may walk through, then make sure you wash the area well. The strong smell is mainly a concern if a cat has asthma and is not associated with the toxicity aspect of essential oils. I am attaching a link to more information about essential oils below for your information. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/blog/essential-oils-cats/ I have used diluted peppermint oil in my house and my cats have not had any problem, but you need to be careful that they do not have any access to it. I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Hi there! The product you placed on her has a few essential oils in it but nothing else. These are generally not toxic but could cause an upset stomach if ingested. The only worry I would have is the product not working as non of these oils in the product are efficacious in treating and preventing fleas in cats. I would try a Rx from your veterinarian. If Bell appears very irritated with the product on her, then I'd give her a bath to wash off the oils. A product called Revolution or Comfortis works very well. You may to ask your vet about getting Bell on either one of those or something similar.