What Are Signs Of Tea Tree Oil Toxicity In Dogs?
Here are some common symptoms of tea tree oil toxicity you could see in your dog (or cat) …
You’ll notice these signs of tea tree oil toxicity within 2 to 8 hours after exposure. Some of them are severe symptoms of neurological problems
What If My Dog Has Signs Of Tea Tree Oil Poisoning?
If you see any of the above signs of toxicity, call your veterinarian immediately. (If you can’t get hold of your vet, call an Animal Poison Control Center.)
Your vet may tell you to bathe your pet to decontaminate the skin. And she might advise giving him activated charcoal if he licked or ate tea tree oil. Because of the high risk of liver damage, she may also recommend giving milk thistle or other herbs to protect against liver failure.
If your dog is vomiting, has seizures or becomes unconscious, head straight to the ER. Fast and aggressive treatment will be required as lifesaving measures. There’s no antidote for tea tree oil toxicity, so they’ll manage the poisoning with IV fluids and medications. Your dog could be hospitalized for as long as 72 hours. Severe poisoning can lead to death.
It Treats Ear Infections and Aches
Your pet may have an ear infection if they excessively scratch at their ears, frequently shake their head to will their ears to flop around or attempt to rub the insides of their ears on furniture, your hand, or the carpet.
Additionally, the dogs ear may be exceptionally smelly or have ear wax that is dark brown or pink in color.
Several studies have looked into using tea tree oil for dogs with ear problems.
A 2016 meta-review have found some evidence for the effectiveness of TTO for different ear infections and aches in dogs.
Other studies of lesser quality have also found a correlation between the use of tea tree oil for dogs, rats, and other animals and subsiding earaches, decrease in infection, and more (this, this and this).
Before treating your dogs ears with this recipe, gently clean his ears with a cotton swab or ear wipe specifically designed for animal care, which you can find online, at the vet’s office, or at your local pet supply store (see this ear cleaning guide). After cleaning, drop one to two petite-sized drops at the base of the dogs ear but not directly into the ear canal as this would prove very uncomfortable to your dog. They’re likely to shake their head in order to rid of the strange sensation. Don’t fret though, as this is to be expected and actually helps spread and distribute the oil around the pets ear.
Tea Tree Oil: Is It Safe for Dogs and Cats?
The article said that tea tree oil is not safe for dogs and cited a 2014 article written by the ASPCA that looked at toxicity cases of 337 dogs and 106 cats after exposing them to tea tree oil at 100% concentration.
Under no circumstances should ANY essential oil ever be applied to your skin, your dogs skin, or your cats skin at 100% concentration (undiluted) and certainly no animal should ever consume undiluted essential oils!
Unfortunately, the article didnt address why tea tree oil got a bad reputation, how it can be safely used, and when you should use tea tree oil dog shampoo for yeast and bacterial infections.