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A friend of mine introduced me to essential oils years ago and I immediately became hooked. I love things that smell pretty and I primarily use essential oils to make the house smell nice, to ward off anxiety and depression, and improve my mood.
When it comes to essential oils and my dogs and cat, I have no idea what I'm doing and, to be honest, I'm not really interested in learning a lot at this time because I only use essential oils in the diffusers and to make products (personal roller balls, cleaning products, paw balm, coat freshener, and dog shampoo). I'm nervous about using essential oils on my dogs because they can be dangerous and cause injury if you don't know what you're doing, so before I start putting them directly on my dogs, undiluted, I need to take a course and I haven't found one that I trust yet. Which leaves one option for this pet parent – animalEO.
When it's just for me and a few diluted products I make for my dogs, I have found two essential oil brands that I trust. After using Young Living for a few years and getting royally screwed by that company (I still love their Thieves household cleaner), I now use oils from Plant Therapy and Simply Earth. There are loads of quality brands out there, I'm sure, but these two brands have never let me down and I trust their quality and love their customer service. And because I love them so much, I kind of have an addiction and I thought it would be fun to go through my oils and share a list of all that I have. I knew I had a lot, but damn.
I use the Animal Desk Reference II: Essential Oils for Animals by Dr. Melissa Shelton to learn more about oils and to confirm that an essential oil is pet safe before adding it to a product that I'm creating for them.
My Essential Oil Collection
- The 70s
- A+ Attention
- Ajowain Fruit CO2
- Amyris
- Anise
- Anti Age
- Appreciation
- Aroma Boost RTU (animalEO)
- Away RTU (animalEO)
- Balance
- Balsam Fir
- Beauty Within (Simply Earth)
- Bergamot
- Organic Black Pepper
- Blues Buster
- Bouquet
- Breath Easy (Simply Earth)
- Buddha Wood
- Bug Fighter (Simply Earth)
- Bumps & Boo-Boos (Simply Earth)
- Butterfly Lily
- Candy Cane (Simply Earth)
- Carrot Seed
- Cassia
- Cedarwood
- Celebrate Collection (Excite, Jubilation, Revere)
- Chamomille Roman
- Cherry Cordial
- Chocolate Truffle
- Cinnamon
- Cinnamon Bark
- Cistus
- Citronella
- Citrus Burst
- Clarity
- Clary Sage
- Clear Skin (Simply Earth)
- Clove
- Confident K9
- Copaiba
- Coriander
- Cypress
- Cypress (Simply Earth)
- Dai Dai Flower
- Damiana
- Decalepis Hamiltonii Absolute
- Deodorizing
- Delight
- Digest (Simply Earth)
- Digize
- Douglas Fir
- Elemi
- Endoflex
- Energy
- Energy (Simply Earth)
- Eucalyptus Blue
- Eucalyptus Globulus
- Eucalyptus Radiata
- Evict RTU (animalEO)
- Evoke Collection (Fresh, Lively)
- Fall Season Collection (Harvest Moon, Fall Rain, Maple Leaf)
- Fantastic Franks
- Fennel
- Fitness
- Focus (Simply Earth)
- Frankincense
- Frankincense Carteri
- Frankincense Frereana
- Geranium
- Germ Fighter
- Ginger Lily
- Grapefruit
- Green Cardamom
- Happy Joy (Simply Earth)
- Head Soothing (Simply Earth)
- Ho Wood
- Holy Basil
- Honeybell
- Horse Whisperer
- Organic Immune Aid
- Inner Peace Collection (Cool, Calm, and Collected)
- Invigor Aid
- Island Sunset
- Ishpingo
- Juniper Berry
- Key Lime
- Kumquat
- Laurel Leaf
- Lavender
- Lavender Infused Frankincense (SMELLS AMAZING)
- Lavandin
- Ledum
- Let it Go
- Lemon
- Lemon Eucalyptus
- Lemon Myrtle
- Lemon Verbena
- Lemongrass
- Lime
- Love Vanilla
- Magnolia Flower
- Mandarin (Simply Earth)
- Mandarin Green
- Marjoram
- May Chang
- Mercury Retrograde
- Moldavian Dragonhead
- Oakwood Chip
- Orange
- Organic Lemon Eucalyptus
- Spiced Orange
- Orange Sweet
- Orange, Sweet (Simply Earth)
- Organic Palmarosa
- Patchouli
- Dark Patchouli (Simply Earth)
- Peach Artemisia
- Persian Lime
- Peru Balsam (A FAVORITE)
- Petitgrain
- Organic Pink Grapefruit
- Palmarosa
- Peace & Quiet (Simply Earth)
- Peppermint
- Pine Scotch
- Pink Berries CO2
- Relief (Simply Earth)
- Relax
- Ripple Reducer
- Rosalina
- Rosemary
- Sea Fennel
- Sichuan Pepper CO2
- Organic Silver Fir
- Surrender (Young Living)
- Sleep Tight
- Sleepy (Simply Earth)
- Spearmint
- Spiced Cider
- Spirit
- Summer Season Collection (Sun Kissed, Endless Summer, Mountain Fun)
- Tangerine (Simply Earth)
- Tea Tree
- Thyme
- Timber (Simply Earth)
- Tranquility (Simply Earth)
- Tropical Passion
- Turmeric Fresh Tex
- Tutti Fruitti
- Vetiver
- Wood Spice
- Wintergreen
- Organic Ylang Ylang Complete
Storing My Essential Oils
I found some wooden storage boxes on Amazon; they hold 75 bottles each of various sizes. I have four of them and my oils are organized alphabetically. I once tried organizing my oils by type (citrus, woodsy, spice, etc.) but this became complicated and I couldn't find an oil that I needed. So now, it's alphabetical. And when I find an oil that is my favorite, I buy it in a 30 ml bottle; especially if it's a blend and part of the Oil of the Month club because it may not be available forever. I store my 30 ml bottles in a separate box since I'm reaching for them all the time.
Can you see that I have a problem yet?
Essential Oils that are Safe to be Used with Dogs
I have over 150 different oils in our home, but are they all safe for use around our pets? I'm sure that folks will disagree, but, yes, these oils are safe to use around my pets. I use them on myself, I diffuse the oils, and there are a few oils that I'm comfortable using to make products for my dogs. Before I use ANY only in a product for my dogs, I check the Animal Desk Reference II: Essential Oils for Animals by Dr. Melissa Shelton.
In 2020, I began using Dr. Shelton's line of essential oils and these are the only oils that I will use directly on my dogs. At the moment, I use the following animalEO oils:
- Aroma Boost RTU (ready to use) collection
- Away RTU drops
- Evict RTU drops
- Cistus to control bleeding
- Calm-a-Mile
Away and Evict keep the bugs away. Aroma Boost and Cistus will be used to help Sydney. And Calm-a-Mile is used on Rodrigo and Apollo.
Essential Oil Subscription Boxes
Did you know that there are monthly and quarterly essential oil subscription boxes? Yeah, I have two, one that arrives monthly (Plant Therapy) and one that arrives quarterly (Simply Earth). Plant Therapy's service is an essential oil of the month program that introduces members to new oils. I receive a bottle (or a set) with a detailed insert explaining all about the oil (origins, uses, etc.). Simply Earth allows you to choose how often you get a box, I chose quarterly, and their subscription comes with FOUR oils, recipes on how to use the oils, and additional ingredients and supplies to make products for yourself. And every now and then, you receive a Bonus Box that comes with full sizes supplies (coconut oil, carrier oils, etc).
Essential Oil Blends to Freshen the Home
Although we clean our home regularly, having five dogs and a cat does come with some pet odors and I love to diffuse oils to freshen the house. While it's easy to choose a citrus scent, you can do a little Googling and find a blend of oils that freshen the house while improving the atmosphere. And with five active dogs, I love a blend that calms everyone down.
I found this blend on the site Loving Essential Oils. This blend promotes an emotionally balanced home, something that is needed during this pandemic.
- 2 drops Lavender
- 2 drops Bergamot
- 1 drop Juniper Berry
Diffuser Essentials shares several essential oil mixes and I'm going to try this one:
- 2 drops citronella
- 2 drops rosemary
- 1 drop tea tree
And this one:
- 3 drops Bergamot
- 2 drops Juniper
- 1 drop Patchouli
Other cool essential oil blends that I found on the blog What Mommy Does include:
- Orange + Grapefruit + Bergamot
- Orange + Peppermint
- Ylang-ylang + Jasmine
Isn't Tea Tree Unsafe to Use Around Pets?
This is a common misconception which Dr. Melissa Shelton discusses on her website and in her book. While you won't find me putting tea tree oil on any of my pets, it is safe to diffuse in a room. If I were to add it to a blend that I was using on my pets, I would first consult with a veterinarian educated in the proper use of essential oils.
Doesn't Rosemary Essential Oil Trigger Seizures in Dogs?
You may have read that rosemary will cause your dog to have seizures, but this warning is referring to rosemary essential oil. And, to be safe, I avoid rosemary extract when cooking for my dogs. Sadly, with the growth in popularity of essential oils, we're seeing low-quality products hitting the market. This is why I only shop with three brands that I trust: animalEO (essential oils formulated by a holistic veterinarian), Plant Therapy, and Simply Earth.
I create products for myself that use rosemary essential oil, but I don't use this oil on my dogs.
So, are you an essential oils addict?
