Are essential oil diffusers or humidifiers safe for my pets?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Our pets are very sensitive to the chemicals in essential oils (think how much more sensitive their sense of smell is!), and exposure to diffused essential oils can be dangerous. Cats are particularly sensitive, but it's best to avoid diffusing oils around dogs as well. If you must use diffused oils, do so in an enclosed room and keep the pets out to minimize their exposure. Hope this helps!

Hello. For the most part, this is safe. But do keep a door open & a window cracked to allow some fresh air to flow. And do not have the diffuser right next to your pets, either. This is better for you & your pets. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. For the most part, these diffusers are safe for cats, as long as there are regular air exchanges & some fresh air coming in all day. Most HVAC systems have automatic air exchanges, but if the weather is good, keeping a window cracked a bit is perfect. Some cats are very sensitive to odors, some do not care for them at all, so as long as the cats are not confined to a closed in room & can move to a different area, there is no harm in essential oils. One caveat, we have a diffuser mounted on a wall in our clinic & it malfunctioned ( exploded ) sending the contents all over a hallway. Fortunately, none of the office cats seemed to have walked through this, but that would be a concern if a cat ingests any of this. But otherwise, I would just enjoy the fragrance of your choice. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would avoid using essential oils directly on your dog as it could cause skin irritation, or be toxic, depending on the oil. If you use diffusers in your home, making sure Hudson is in a well-ventilated area away from it can help prevent inhalation that could cause irritation or illness.

In most cases, if it is a tiny amount going into the air it isn't problematic, the main concern is if your cat is getting the oils onto their fur and licking it off, or directly inhaling the diffuser.

When diffusing these oils, make sure that Chloe has the option to escape the room if she is uncomfortable. They should be safe, but we can’t guarantee that she won’t have a negative reaction to them.

None of these essential oils are toxic and the amount that would be inhaled through a room diffuser would be minimal. Keep in mind that dogs have a much better sense of smell than we do, and could get overwhelmed by a strong smell. You should make sure your dog can leave and go to another room if she wants to. I do not recommend using any essential oil topically or orally in pets.