There have been a number of occasions where I’ve read on various forums of people (and in some cases as advised by their vets) advocating the use of Tea Tree oil when treating conditions like skin irritation or hot spots for dogs. Tea Tree oil is indeed wonderful stuff but it can, in fact, be quite toxic for dogs. Its not unusual for humans to use it at 100% strength, totally undiluted and while it is no doubt very good for us, I’m not sure that people realise that there are any toxicity-related problems when using it with our dogs and cats.
Should it be used on our pets without diluting it?
Are the dangers of using Tea Tree possibly worse than what we are using it for?
Could it cause adverse reactions and if so, what should we be looking out for?
Reactions that have been commonly documented include depression, lethargy, weakness, incoordination, muscle tremors and excessive drooling/salivation so we really ought to know what we are doing BEFORE we do it.
One of our Rhodes 2 Safety followers sent me the following link which I think is well written and does focus on the above considerations. We really should be better informed when choosing remedies and treatments for our animals and this includes if and when we opt for using things like Tea Tree Oil. I’m not saying don’t use it, but I am suggesting caution, dilution and a better understanding of the effect it has on our animals – in fact, is there a better option out there?
I myself always prefer to go down the herbal route rather than the pharmaceutical one when ever that direction is available so please don’t think I’m poo-pooing the more natural remedies – I simply want us all to THINK more and stay safe.
