Why Aren’t Regular Candles Safe for Pets?
Regular candles are usually—and surprisingly—not safe for pets. Loren Lewin, founder and CEO of Companion Candles, told us, “Many store bought candles are made with paraffin wax (a soft, colorless solid derived from petroleum, coal or oil shale) which is not only bad for you, but also your pets.” On top of that, many fragrances are oil-based and contain carcinogens, mutagens and other toxins linked to cancer, an increased risk of birth defects and organ disease.
According to the National Candle Association, when candles burn, the wax becomes liquid and is “drawn up the wick.” The wax becomes so hot, it turns into a gas and is broken down into microscopic, inhalable, particles of hydrogen and carbon. So, whatever is in the wax and wick, you and your pets inhale. This is why ingredients matter.
Toxic Candle Ingredients to Avoid
Chemicals from paraffin may build up in the respiratory system of your dogs and may overwhelm their scent gland.
Soy wax is 100% natural and organic, avoiding the harmful fumes
Safe Candle and Scented Options
While some scented products should be avoided for you and your dog’s health and safety, at Homesick, we make safe candles with a natural soy wax blend and 100 percent organic cotton wicks for a smooth, long-lasting burn. If you’re wondering: “Are soy candles safe?” we can say with certainty they are.
Soy wax burns clean, and when you follow safe candle-burning practices, it produces little or no airborne particulates. And these delightful candles can help eliminate unwanted odors from your dog’s coat and leave your home smelling fresh. Like any candle, it’s best to keep an open flame away from happy dog tails to avoid the possibility of knocking them over and starting a fire.
If you’re concerned a strongly scented candle may irritate your pooch’s sensitive nose, try burning it in a well-ventilated room to keep your dog’s eyes and nose from becoming irritated.
Dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell that scientists believe is 10,000 times as acute as our sense of smell. For this reason, they may immediately pick up on the presence of a new scented candle and sniff it out.
Because some pets might find our candles’ scents so delicious, there’s always the possibility their strong noses might mistake it for a tasty snack. While ingesting these candles will likely result in nothing more than an unhappy stomach or diarrhea, it’s a good idea to keep your unlit candle out of your dog’s reach so they can avoid digestive distress and you can continue to enjoy delightful scents in your home.
If you’re looking for a fragrant solution that doesn’t pose a fire hazard, you can choose from one of our many reed diffuser scents that releases a wide range of delicious fragrances. A reed diffuser is a liquid air freshener that uses reeds to absorb the scent from the liquids and releases pleasant fragrances into the air. From tropical to energizing and comforting fragrances, reed diffuser oils offer an array of delicious scents to help mask pet odors and sprinkle your home with uplifting notes from your favorite aromatic ingredients.
Dr. Becker Discusses the Dangers of Scented Candles and Plug-ins
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Beth Turner is a veterinarian with over 20 years of experience. She graduated from North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine and following graduation, she began her career as an associate veterinarian and worked closely with the local shelter.
In 2007 she accomplished her dream of practice ownership, designing and building her own clinic. Another meaningful role, while running her clinic, was serving as her countys shelter veterinarian. This gave her the opportunity to help improve the lives of many animals in her community as well as work with the rescue she loved. She sold her practice in 2019 to move across the country.
A note for our readers: If you have an urgent question and are unable to ask your veterinarian, you can use the Ask a Vet service that will give you access to a veterinarian for 7 days for $1.