Heartbroken dog owner issues warning after her pooch is poisoned by diffuser

22 November 2019, 13:13

Something so simple that makes your home smell

A concerned dog owner has posted about the dangers of essential oil diffusers after her pet was left seriously affected and poisoned by hers.

Marriage Whyte, from Christchurch in New Zealand shared an urgent warning on Facebook after she figured out what was behind her pup's illness.

She wrote: "Saturday night I got home late and my dog didn't recognise me.

'Being a nanny I thought I woke him up and he was having a night terror.

"Sunday, he was still acting weird. I realized that I had been running my new diffuser and decided to turn it off.

"Sunday afternoon, he was feeling better."

Marianne continued: "Today at work, my dog sitter said that he wouldn't come out from under the bed. It was very odd as he is a happy dog.

"I came from work early and again, he was very confused about who I was. So I took him to emergency vet."

This is when the pet mum found out exactly what was wrong, and it was shocking: "It turns out that the tea tree oil I was using in the diffuser is toxic for dogs.

"Thankfully the test showed that his liver was ok but we weren't out of the woods yet. He was given fluids under his skin to get the toxins out."

Speaking about the dangers of the oils, she added: "The vet and the poison control are saying that they see these cases often now that the popularity of essential oil is growing.

"Please make sure that the essential oils you are burning are not toxic for your pets. "

Marianne proceeded to list the different kinds of oils that are poisonous for canines, and they are as follows:

Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
Birch (Betula)
Bitter Almond (Prunus dulcis)
Boldo (Peumus boldus)
Calamus (Acorus calamus)
Camphor (Cinnamomum camphora)
Cassia (Cassia fistula)
Chenopodium (Chenopodium album)
Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum)
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Goosefoot (Chenopodium murale)
Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana)
Hyssop (Hyssopus sp. with the exception of Decumbens)
Juniper (Juniperus sp. with the exception of Juniper Berry)
Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
Mustard (Brassica juncea)
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
Red or White Thyme
Rue (Ruta graveolens)
Santolina (Santolina chamaecyparissus)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Savory (Satureja)
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Terebinth (Pistacia palaestina)
Thuja (Thuja occidentalis)
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Confirming Marianne's warning, Dr Zoe Costigan, a vet from pet wellbeing specialist firm Itchpet.com told Tyla: "Some essential oils are poisonous to dogs. They are especially toxic when ingested and can be potentially harmful if inhaled as well"

"We need to be cautious when it comes to keeping these in our homes as dogs are very susceptible to the environment around them.

"The most common effects dogs experience when exposed to these oils include ataxia, depression, tremors, vomiting and hypersalivation," she shared.

"Oils that are harmful to dogs include (but not limited to) tea-tree oil, peppermint, pine, cinnamon, citrus, lavender and thyme."

She added that it's not just dogs who are affected, as cats are "even more vulnerable" to many of the oils.