Tea Tree Oil for Cats and Dogs

Tea Tree Oil for Cats and Dogs

My new kitten has ringworn. I want to protect my dog. What strength of tea tree oil should I use to make a shampoo for my dog? Also, for cleaning around the house where the kitten has been

Editors Reply

Thanks for asking about using tea tree oil on cats and dogs, it's been a huge concern of mine for a few years now, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to address it one more time.

Essential Oils, as promoted by a few certain companies, can be dangerous for animals or humans, so be sure you know what you're doing when you apply and oil or add it to foods or drinks, or worse yet, ingest the oil undiluted or in capsule form. There are very few essential oils that you should ingest in their pure form.

Tea Tree Oil is great when used properly. It is primarily used externally, diluted, and on people and large animals. Ingesting pure tea tree oil, or putting it undiluted on the skin of a small animal like a cat or small dog can have serious side effects.

Some side effects may include tremors, vomiting, stupor, lethargy, and general clumsiness. There have been cases of pets dying from overexposure to tea tree oil. If this happens, get your pet to a veterinarian immediately for treatment.

Even a shampoo designed for pets can cause trouble if its made with a high concentration of tea tree oil. Many animals have a central nervous system that cannot handle the tea tree oil, and it can kill them.

I really do not recommend tea tree oil for any cat, but especially keep it away from kittens. Tea tree oil can damage a cats central nervous system, and an overdose can be deadly. Their systems cannot handle it.

Side effects in cats and dogs can include stupor, tremors, vomiting, clumsiness and bumping into things, and lethargy.

If you have a large dog, an extremely diluted mixture of tea tree oil might be used, but I would still recommend seeing your local vet to get something for them that is appropriate for animals.

If you want to add tea tree oil to a cleaner, mix a few drops into a teaspoon of your favorite cleaner, and then add it to the rest of your cleaner. Try not to create a toxic environment for your cat and dog.

James Beane, Owner and Publisher here at Tea Tree Wonders