A dog owner in New Zealand has issued a warning after her pet was poisoned by a common household diffuser. Marianne Whyte took to social media to alert fellow dog owners after her pup suffered from essential oil poisoning.
Whyte explained that her dog became disoriented and failed to recognise her after she used a diffuser with tea tree oil. She turned off the diffuser and saw improvement, but the dog later refused to come out from under the bed and was taken to an emergency vet.
The vet confirmed that tea tree oil is toxic to dogs, and the dog received fluids to flush out the toxins. Whyte shared a list of essential oils that are dangerous for dogs, including tea tree, peppermint, and cinnamon.
Vet Zoe Costigan from Itchpet.com warned that essential oils can be toxic if ingested, absorbed through the skin, or inhaled. Symptoms of poisoning include skin irritation, vomiting, behavioural changes, and seizures.
Many followers thanked Whyte for raising awareness, with some noting that certain oils are also toxic to humans and should only be used by qualified aromatherapists.
