This is a new adventure of mine. I have been using essential oils for myself, house and family for the past year or so. I have recently become more interested in using oils in my pets, both my own and in my patients since I a practicing veterinarian. There is a TON of information in internet land about both essential oils, as well as their use in pets. Most of this information is purely conjecture and posted by well meaning folks with no medical degree in veterinary medicine. As more and more vets are getting interested in essential oils, more information is becoming available as to safety, potential side effects as well as what oils are beneficial to what species. We have access to toxicity data that shows some pretty profound problems with oils, especially in cats. The problem is that there is no way to sort out the quality or concentration of the oils in those reports. As the 2 major EO companies (Doterra and Young Living) are becoming more widely used by veterinarians, we are starting to gather case reports using high quality medicinal grade oils in our pets. I hope to help share my experiences with oils in my pets and patients to add to the information out there.
As with any treatment that claims health benefits, oils can have unwanted side effects. Different species have different metabolisms, and cats in particular have a very different liver than we do. Dogs and cats both have a much higher percentage of their brains dedicated to the sense of smell and likewise should be more sensitive to more diluted oil mixtures.
In full disclosure, I am a wellness advocate for Doterra oils. While I believe Young Living also sells high quality oils, I chose Doterra so the blends I reference will be available from Doterra. Use caution when purchasing oils as quality varies tremendously. http://www.mydoterra.com/jenniferweaver/
