Are Plug-in Air Fresheners Safe for Dogs?
Dog owners are all familiar with that distinctive doggy smell that can accumulate in a home, especially during winter when windows are kept shut and dogs come in wet or muddy from walks. We often become so used to the smell ourselves we fail to notice it until perhaps a visitor remarks on it, and then we feel bad that our home has a pong.
Many people resort to using air fresheners to fragrance their homes. These could be plug-in devices, sprays, incense burners, essential oil diffusers or scented candles. Anything to take away that smell and make a home fresh and pleasant.
The problem comes when our dogs are exposed to these products. Many air fresheners are poisonous to dogs and they can react to them just by smelling them. A reaction can be subtle and may even be mistaken for the dog simply being tired, or getting old. In other cases, it can be serious and could lead to the dog dying. Before using air fresheners, you need to know the dangers they pose to your pet.
Dogs have very sensitive noses and are easily affected by air fresheners.
Air fresheners use chemicals when they spray fragrance that changes the smell of your home. These chemicals are often simply referred to as VOCs (volatile organic compounds). The term VOCs covers a wide range of substances, some natural and some not. These include ethanol (alcohol), acetone and formaldehyde. What these chemicals all share in common is that they vaporise at room temperature and release a scent.
VOCs are essential to air fresheners as they help to quickly and easily distribute scent about the room.
The problem with VOCs is that they can be hazardous to the health of both humans and animals. In 2011, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology reported that air fresheners were negatively impacting 20% of the US population and 34% of known asthma sufferers. They had received reports of allergies and asthma worsening after the use of air fresheners in homes.
Some of the symptoms reported in people who reacted to air fresheners included;
What makes plug-ins particularly bad for pets is that they are usually located low to the floor, at dog height. This means a dog could inhale more of the VOCs from a plug-in than a person, especially if they tend to spend most of their time in a room where one is installed. They are also more sensitive to some of the ingredients, such as ethanol. Ethanol is a type of alcohol and is toxic to dogs in relatively small amounts. Ethanol poisoning can be fatal if left untreated.
Other VOCs in plug-ins that can have nasty side effects include:
Over 100 different chemicals are used in air fresheners and many of them can have unpleasant consequences on human and animal health. Even fresheners labelled as green or natural are likely to contain VOCs – ethanol, after all, is a natural substance, yet very toxic to dogs.
Air fresheners are not required to list their ingredients, which makes it even harder to be absolutely sure what is in them.
Scented candles can emit hazardous chemicals
Air freshener sprays contain the same VOCs as plug-ins, but are generally used less intensely. They can still harm pets if inhaled. Pets should never be in the room when an air freshener spray is used, and if furniture is treated, it must be fully dry before a pet is allowed near it. However, the fragrance will linger for some time and can still be inhaled along with nasty chemicals.
Scented candles also contain VOCs, along with other hazardous substances. Many are made from paraffin wax which, when burned, releases chemicals known to cause cancer. The wick can also be a source of danger. Some wicks contain or are wrapped in metal. When burned these emit toxic smoke. According to the Hayward Score, which aims to improve the health of your home, burning a candle with a lead-core wick can release five times the amount of lead considered hazardous to children.
Smoke inhalation is another real risk for candle users. British woman Farrah Lorrel Fraser, nearly died when she fell asleep in a room with a scented candle. She was saved by her dog Badger, who scratched at her door and whimpered, waking her up. Farrah had black soot lines coming out of her nose and was coughing up black phlegm. She required oxygen therapy and was at serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Had Badger not woken her when he did, Farrah would likely have died.
Many owners looking for alternatives to chemical air fresheners and scented candles switch to burners or diffusers that use essential oils, or incense. Though these products are natural or organic, many of the most popular fragrances are toxic to dogs.
Marianne Whytes dog became very sick after being exposed to scents released by an oil diffuser:
However, the following day the little dog went downhill again, hid under a bed and didnt seem to recognise Marianne:
Mariannes dog was lucky, but vets are seeing more and more cases of pets being poisoned by essential oils used in diffusers, burners or incense. The number of these oils that are dangerous to pets is extensive, some of them are listed and worth reading up on. Cats and dogs can be affected by different oils, so an oil that is not harmful to a dog could still make your cat sick.
To be fully safe, it is better not to use any of these forms of natural air fresheners around your dogs.
Dried herbs such as lavender can be used to fragrance a home naturally
“If we are putting some kind of chemical into the air merely to mask scents, then we have to be concerned about the negative implications on our pets,” says holistic veterinarian Dr. Patrick Mahaney of California.
For those who seek a more natural, non-toxic approach, in recent years, there has been a resurgence in the homeopathic movement—an alternative medicinal approach that uses substances from nature. On its face it seems reasonable enough; eschew the manufactured chemical and embrace what the earth has to offer.
So, how do you know if the products you use around your home are relatively safe? Dr. Mahaney recommends doing some research on the ASPCA’s Poison Control Center Website. This resource covers all sorts of toxins that your pet might encounter, from air fresheners, cleaning products, human and pet medications, foods, plants, and other substances. In case of a poisoning emergency, there is a 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435, although a $65 consultation fee might be required.
Are there any products that are safe for making the house smell nice while being safe for pets? Dr. Mahaney recommends the Glean+Green family of products.Clean+Green manufactures a wide array of products for pets, including air fresheners and fresheners for carpets, flooring, furniture, cars, and litter boxes—and even a de-skunking spray.
However, these dangers don’t come from the air alone; they can also be caused by contamination from where they fall, where a pet might step, roll, or lick, or from products such as carpet shampoos and cleaners that are specifically made for surfaces.
Pet Wellbeings own Dr. Jan has been in veterinary practice for over 30 years. Since receiving her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, shes founded two veterinary clinics and lectured extensively on pet herbal therapy, nutraceuticals, acupuncture, rehabilitation and pain management. Dr. Jan has studied extensively in both conventional and holistic modalities, helping us to formulate all of our supplements. She is an essential part of Pet Wellbeing. And lucky for us, shes only one of the great team of people who make Pet Wellbeing so special. PREVIOUS POST
Which air fresheners are safe for dogs?
True or False? Air fresheners, plug-in diffusers and essential oil warmers can be hazardous to our pets.
Although researchers aren’t certain how toxic these are for our pets, there is evidence that air fresheners can cause respiratory illnesses and stomach upsets, and in more extreme cases, damage to the kidneys, liver and central nervous system.
There also is a suspicion that prolonged exposure might be linked to certain cancers, but researchers have not yet confirmed a direct connection.
The suspected problem with some air-freshener sprays and solids is two-fold. First is the exposure to the chemicals used to create the pleasant smells that cover up the bad. Spraying near your pet, or having diffusers constantly releasing the chemicals, can lead to illnesses for pets and for humans, too. Direct contact with the spray, or exposure to the residual droplets that land on floors, countertops and furniture, may cause health issues ranging from minor to more serious.
The second issue with air fresheners is the volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, contained in the products. VOCs have a very low boiling point, allowing solids and liquids to quickly vaporize into the air at room temperature. VOCs also are in paints and varnishes, formaldehyde and cigarette smoke. Some experts say that while we wouldn’t open up a can of paint and use the aroma to vanquish bad smells, we think nothing of spritzing something that smells of newly mowed meadows.
Switching to the use of essential oils isn’t a good alternative, researchers say, because they can be just as bad for some animals — primarily cats and birds. Some essential oils are OK, but it depends on the plant material that it was distilled from, and the concentration.
Essential oils, common in things such as shampoos and fragrances, have concentrations in products that range from 1 percent to 20 percent. Some products, however, may have concentrations up to 100 percent, which might be a toxic level to some pets.
Not much is known about the effects of exposure, but veterinarians recommend limiting or eliminating the use of air fresheners. If you use them, allow your pet the option of moving to another room to escape them, and always use them in a well-ventilated area.
If you continue to use them, use them sparingly and always follow the instructions on the packaging.