Essential oils are loaded with benefits and have been all the rage in recent times, but they can prove toxic to our pets. Anatomically and metabolically, our pets are different from us and are more sensitive to essential oils. There’s no telling if the oils will benefit our pets the same way they benefit us, so it’s better to be safe than sorry. To help you do just that, we’ve enlisted some safety tips for using oils around pets:

• Seek professional advice
  Firstly, to ensure that your pet is out of harm’s way, it is important to seek a professional’s opinion. Vets are the most qualified people to tell us what is wrong and what is right for our pets, so speak to your vet before using essential oils on or around your pet.
• Keep your pet’s fur away
  Another safety tip for using essential oils around pets is to remember that these oils should not come in direct contact with your pet’s skin or fur coat. These natural oils are highly concentrated, so they can cause itching, redness, and/or burns when applied to your pet’s skin or fur coat directly. Plus, your pet may lick it off, and essential oils pose a greater chance of toxicity upon ingestion.
• Dilution is the key
  Some pet products contain one or more essential oils, but these products have very little quantity of the oils, and they are diluted. However, we are unaware of the dosage when using essential oils at home, which might prove harmful. So, always ensure that you dilute essential oils before using them, as it decreases their toxicity for your pet. Even while using diffusers, ensure that the oils are diluted.
• Store safe
  Wherever you store your essential oils, always ensure that your pets cannot reach them. You can’t keep your pet chained, so they are bound to move around the house at least half the time. So, ensuring that they don’t accidentally knock over the essential oil bottles or don’t poke and prod them is equally important to guarantee their safety.
• Make a safe zone
  If you have a pet and frequently use essential oils around the house, following a few safety tips is essential for using essential oils around pets. One of these tips is to have a dedicated space at home where your pet can rest when you are using the said oil. This will keep your pet from ingesting, inhaling, or coming into contact with the essential oil, which is a definitive win in keeping them toxin-free.
• Ensure good-quality oils
  The quality of a product greatly affects its results, and the same holds for essential oils. These oils generally cost a pretty penny, and if you’re buying it at a steal-the-deal price, ensure that the quality is not compromised. To get good-quality essential oils, ensure that it does not contain any additives—artificial or synthetic—and is of therapeutic grade. It’s recommended to look into the product’s manufacturing brand.