Wondering who your official Plant Therapy Aromatherapists are? You can get the full introduction to our whole team on our Meet Our Aromatherapists page! Because Plant Therapy is dedicated to being transparent with our customers, we knew we wanted to introduce you to the team behind answering your essential oil questions.
Without further ado, let’s see what you asked us with this month’s topic: Pets!
Who’s the aromatherapist behind Pup & Pony?
Janine Vineyard Nathan says:
I am wondering who formulated these blends and if they have been certified for essential oil use with animals? Have to ask.
Emilee Hughes, Certified Aromatherapist, Animal Aromatherapy Practitioner and Product Manager
Hello Janine!
This is actually a really great question, and I appreciate that you care about this issue. I’ve got answers to both parts of your question for you!
I’m Emilee, one of Plant Therapy’s Certified Aromatherapist and Animal Aromatherapy Practitioner for Plant Therapy! I am the Product Manager for our Pup & Pony product line. What that means is that I was responsible for the formulation and development of this exciting new line, and Plant Therapy made sure I was trained and educated by some of the best people and courses available (just like all our aromatherapist team).
I’ve studied with Animal Aromatherapy Expert Kelly Holland Azzaro, taken Veterinary Medical Aromatherapy courses from Dr. Nancy Brandt, and learned from Nayana Morag, the founder of Essential Animals. And of course, I’m a proud mom! My dog’s name is Dillinger James Pickle Juice Moose aka Dill. Plus, my father-in-law is also a rancher so I get to spend some time with horses.
Here at Plant Therapy, we are dedicated to providing the absolute highest-quality essential oils and are committed to educating our customers on their uses, safety, and efficacy. As essential oil safety experts and animal lovers, it is our responsibility and goal to provide safe and effective products to support our four-legged furry friends on their journey to wellness.
In working with local rescues and being animal caregivers, we have identified some of the most common issues dogs and horses are facing today and have created Plant Therapy’s line of Pup & Pony products to support and address some of those concerns.
But like everything we do at Plant Therapy, we take continuing education very seriously, and we will continue to seek out education on essential oils, aromatherapy, and using essential oils with animals whenever we can.
Which oils are not safe to use with pets?
Alex Ramos wants to know:
What oils are absolute no’s!!
Jessica Cobb, Certified Aromatherapist & Content Manager
Hi Alex!
This is a really great, responsible question. As a pet owner myself, this was one of the first things I asked because even before I invested in Pup & Pony essential oils (which I use on my own dogs!) I wanted to know which oils to avoid, asap!
The short answer (and also the best one we have) is that if it’s not one of the approved list of essential oils from our Pup & Pony approved essential oils chart, we don’t recommend using it with your animals. And then, we only recommend using those essential oils with dogs and horses at this point.
We know there are so many loyal customers who would love to use essential oils with their cats, birds, or whatever other kinds of pets you own (snake lovers, we’re looking at you…) but we really can’t recommend it. This is for a variety of reasons, but Plant Therapy’s Pup & Pony products were created specifically for dogs and horses and our list of Pup & Pony approved oils are intended for use with dogs and horses only. We do not recommend using these products on or around any other animals. There are many reasons why we don’t currently recommend essential oil usage with these animals, which may include the animal’s metabolic system, the size of the animal, delicate pH levels, as well as sensitive respiratory systems.
Bonus tip: If you want to use essential oils that are not Pup & Pony approved around your animals, try these handy tips.
We’ll go even more into which oils are ok to use in the next question!
Which oils are safe for both kids and pets?
Lisa Crume asks:
I’d like to see a list on your site that shows which EOs and blends are safe for both dogs and kids. I want to gift some of your EOs to friends and most of them have both. I want to make sure whatever I get for them is safe for the whole family, furkids included. 💚💚💚
Katrina Scampini, Certified Aromatherapist
Hi Lisa!
This is such a great question, and the answer is more complex than you’d think. There is a lot of overlap between KidSafe essential oils and Pup & Pony approved oils, but they’re not the same by any means. There are some essential oils that are totally KidSafe, but not safe for use with pets, and some Pup & Pony approved oils are not safe for kids! Obviously, kids and pets have very different bodies and olfactory systems, making this overlap hard to pinpoint.
We took the guesswork out of comparing our Pup & Pony approved oil list with our KidSafe approved list, and have them right here for you. Check it out:
Pup & Pony blends that both KidSafe and safe for pets:
Essential oils that are KidSafe and Pup & Pony approved (for both kids and pets)
- Bergamot
- Black Pepper
- Caraway Seed C02
- Cardamom
- Cedarwood Atlas
- Chamomile German
- Chamomile Roman
- Citronella
- Clary Sage
- Copiaba Oleoresin
- Coriander Seed
- Cypress
- Fir Needle
- Frankincense (all of them)
- Geranium Bourbon & Egyptian
- Ginger Root C02
- Pink Grapefruit
- Helichrysum
- Juniper Berry
- Jasmine Absolute
- Kumquat
- Lavandin
- Lavender
- Lavender Fine
- Lemon
- Lemon Steam Distilled
- Lime Steam Distilled
- Mandarin
- Sweet Marjoram
- Neroli
- Blood Orange
- Sweet Orange
- Palmarosa
- Patchouli
- Petitgrain
- Rosalina
- Rose Absolute
- Sandalwood
- Spearmint
- Tangerine
- Vetiver
KidSafe Blends that are also Pup & Pony approved:
- A+ Attention
- Calming the Child
- PoopEase
- Silky Soft
- Skin Soother
- Shield Me
- Sore No More
- Tension Tamer
- Happy Place
Essential oils that are KidSafe, but not Pup & Pony approved:
Oils that are Pup & Pony approved, but not KidSafe:
- Carrot Seed
- Elemi
- Eucalyptus Globulus
- Eucalyptus Radiata
- Sweet Fennel
- Lemongrass
- Lime
- May Chang
- Melissa
- Myrrh
- Niaouli 1,8-Cineole
- Nutmeg
- Peppermint
- Peru Balsam
- Rose Otto
- Rosemary 1,8 Cineole
- Thyme Linalool
- Ylang Ylang Complete
- Ylang Ylang Extra
Bonus tip: If you want to use our Pup & Pony blends on your pets but still have kids at home, try these easy (and totally safe) techniques:
- Use our Paw Pal Diffuser with properly diluted essential oil.
- Dilute and apply Pup & Pony blends directly on your dog or horse.
- Create a linen spray and lightly spray your dog or horses linens.
- Try incorporating essential oils into your dog/horse’s bath time routine.
If you have questions for our Certified Aromatherapy team, head on over to our Safe Essential Oil Facebook Group and watch for our monthly post for your chance to get featured and have your questions answered!
And of course, it goes without saying, but aromatherapy does not replace veterinary care. If your animal has a medical condition or takes prescribed medications then we suggest working with your vet before using essential oils as an added benefit.
hello! thanks so much for this article, it made me feel a lot safer trusting plant therapys approved pet oils. i was curious what makes your eucalyptus pet safe as many sites have said its not safe around dogs? there is so much conflicting info on the web that its hard to know whats correct! i am making wax melts, not putting directly on the dog.
I am in the beginning stages of creating my own blends for our canine friends and I cannot thank Plant Therapy enough for all the education you share on your blogs and website. From your DIY recipes, charts and other visual aids, to your product sheets and test reports on your EOs I ALWAYS know the information I am reading is true with scientific evidence. Thx again <3
Wondering why vanilla oleoresin, or the new vanilla botanical extract isn’t dog safe?
Hi Brooke, Vanilla isn’t Pup & Pony approved because of the ethanol content found in these oils.
Can you use the respir aid EO blend in an inhaler or diffuser for a dog’s nasal congestion? Thanks!
Respir Aid is not safe to use around dogs. You can find a full list of Pup & Pony Approved oils here, as well as usage recommendations to make sure you are properly introducing and using EOs around your pup.
I have a couple questions. I’m very new to EOs and trying to learn as much as I can. Wondering if someone can share with me what the best env friendly emulsifiers are, to use in making a spray solution with EOs. Couple applications I’m trying to find natural remedies for is to soothe irritated skin and to make bug spray – both for a dog. And would someone know a good recipe to prevent shedding.. again for the same 80 lbs dog. I was thinking of a spray moisturizer with EOs.
Thx in advance!!
I’ve read numerous articles that list peppermint as NOT being safe to diffuse around dogs but it is on your list of approved oils. Is there something different about plant therapy’s peppermint or can you explain, please? Thanks!
Peppermint essential oil can be safely used with dogs and horses when following our Pup & Pony guidelines. Peppermint is a strong essential oil so it is important to be conservative and follow our recommendations when it comes to dilution and diffusion guidelines. When used properly, Peppermint essential oil can be incredibly beneficial for supporting circulation, alleviating discomfort, supporting the digestive system, and keeping our pets safe for unwanted pests.
Love the Pup and Pony Line! I am impressed by the amount of education the staff has taken and makes me feel even more confident in your products!
Love, Love, Love the Pup and Pony line. Grateful for the list on what is safe diffusing around kids and pets. I have put my EO’s in order and will help when I reach for what I need. As most oils can be use for the same things. You really don’t have to hoard the all. Thanks PT for being the safe company for the whole family, 4 legs or 2 legs..
Not sure if this posted so I’m trying it again. Is Jessica’s bonus tip worded correctly? It doesn’t make sense to me.
Hi Kelly! Jessica here – and yes it’s worded correctly! It is a bit confusing though, basically, it’s referring to oils that are not approved for animals, and what to do if you still want to use them. I hope that makes more sense!
Please review under the “not” safe for pup at all section. It states in the bonus tips how to spray your pets, use the tag around the neck, and more. If they are not safe around the pet, I’m not sure I should be putting them directly on the pet and diffusing them. Could you explain this part to me.
Bonus tip: If you want to use essential oils that are not Pup & Pony approved around your animals, try these handy tips:
Separate your dog or horse from other sensitive animals when diffusing.
Use our Paw Pal Diffuser with properly diluted essential oil.
Dilute and apply Pup & Pony blends directly on your dog or horse.
Create a linen spray and lightly spray your dog or horses linens.
Try incorporating essential oils into your dog/horse’s bath time routine.
Hi Joyce, thank you so much for catching that. It looks like that section was made in error. It’s been updated with all the correct info!
Thank you for this list. I now know what oils I can diffuse with my dog.
Thank you so much for this very informative blog. I love my dog and very much needed this info.
This was a very informative article and I intend to save it for future reference. I’ve been wanting to purchase Paw Balm to replace another similar product I’ve been purchasing, but I have one question? Is Paw Balm safe if the dog licks their paws? With the essential oils in the mix, I wanted to check, because even when I massage the product in well, there will inevitably be some licking of the paw. Thank you!
Our Paw Balm contains Lavender, Frankincense and Helichrysum essential oils. Just make sure that the balm has completely absorbed before they start licking their paws.
I just purchased Paw Balm, and it will be arriving tomorrow! I was thrilled to find this product and can’t wait to try this on my fur baby!
Is there any type of vanilla that is safe for dogs?
Contact customer satisfaction ([email protected]) and they can help you with this more. 🙂
This is so helpful! Thank you for the lists comparing Kidsafe to Pup & Pony approved oils!
Congratulations Emilee on your certification! Thank you so much for clarifying the oils safe for all of our kids, fur included! I have so many people ask me and now I can inform them, with certainty, which ones they can use around their families! Kudos to PT for yet another reason to keep me as a customer
Looking forward to the day when there will be clear information about diffusing around cats as well. Thanks for starting down the road of animals aromatherapy!!
Please refer to this blog post for more comprehensive information about cats and essential oils.
I’m happy to see some common sense info on essential oils and pets. Thanks!
Amazing information, great chance to keep learning about the right oils to use on dogs and other animals. Keep it coming.
Thank you for dog vs kids comparisons! Super helpful pt:)
I’ve been searching for info on oils that are safe to use around dogs for a long time, so this is awesome info to have. Thank you!
Great charts! Thank you so much!! I would love to be able to make a bug and tick repellent that works for humans and dog too. Perhaps a blog post on that? One that is kid safe too? (we do not need kid safe in our home, but others do). Thanks so much!
That’s an excellent idea!
Thank you! awaiting for such information about cats!
You can actually check out this post for more information about essential oils and cats!
Thank you for so much useful information and all in one place! I have 4 dogs and several horses that could really benefit from this line!
This was very informative. I printed off the safe list and will keep it handy. Thanks for providing all this information!
Excited to give some of these a shot.
Wow! Thank you for a lot of useful information in one place. And the kid safe / paw safe overlap – just what I needed.
You are amazing!!!
Thanks for this summary! This was a great, informative follow up from the previous Pup and Pony post.
This is great news that you are learning how to care for our dogs. I love the idea to make this list of pup and kid safe oils so that we can easily save it. Thank you for this list
I was so excited when I read that plant therapy would be having a line for my furry babies. I’m so happy about this post as well! I had so many questions answered!
I love this information. I am printing it to add to my oil binder so it is always close at hand.
What a great article. I am super excited to see this new line of oils and the paw diffuser is stinking cute. Do you plan to develop a blend that would be safe to use to repel ticks? We live in Maine and struggle every year with them. Have already picked some off our dog this year.
Hi Matthew! You never know what the future holds! In the meantime, there are some safe options. Please email [email protected] for more information.
Are the safe oils for dogs the same for cats? Thanks!
Any oils that are good for dogs and ticks? Have a lot of ticks around here and one recently found on dog.
There are definitely options! I would email in to get more, safe information on that. You can email [email protected]
Thank you for the kidsafe/dog safe comparison! Makes things so much easier rather than flipping between to charts 🙂
Thank You PT for this awesome list! I only use kidsafe blends in the living area and kids rooms but we have 2 dogs and a cat. Especially love the kidsafe but not pet safe list cause it’s short and thankfully not ones I have diffused around them!
I’m been hoping you would create these for my dog. This article is full of information that I can use.
Thank you
The announcement that some of Plant Therapy’s aromatherapists were becoming certified in animal aromatherapy, and the Pup & Pony launch were quite possibly the most exciting oily news I’ve ever received! I love that I have a source I can trust to provide information about the do’s and don’ts regarding EO usage for my fur babies.
Thank you so much for sharing this! It’s great to have as a reference for my friends/family with animals so they can know which oils are safe to use.
It is so nice to see the pup and pony oil list. We have a grooming business and check our shampoos very well.
Is anything safe for use around cats?
Hi Lisa, please check out this blog post about essential oils and cats. It goes into more detail about their physiology as well as tips for keeping our kitties safe.
I love the list of kidsafe & petsafe oils in this post! Saving that for a easy reference!
So much great information. No pup or pony yet, but wonderful to have the knowledge to share with others!
This blog is full of so much helpful information. I’ve use oils on my little dog before and now I’m going to start introducing different ones.
Great info! We recently got a dog and this info is very helpful.
Great info! We recently got a dog so this post is very helpful!
Normally I rotate oils but how does this work with dogs. Can you use something like k9 confident every day or do you need to alternate with something else so that a dog doesn’t get immune to it?
Hi Laura! You should always pay attention to how your pet is responding to any of these blends. But yes, Confident K9 is absolutely safe to use every day!
I love the list of oils that are kidsafe & petsafe! With both kids & a dog this is list is getting saved to my phone, can it become a download if it isn’t already?
We do have a download for all the Pup & Pony approved oils. You can find it here. As for a download for both KidSafe and Pup & Pony oils, we don’t have one yet, but that’s an excellent idea!
I just purchased the k9 confident and the paw balm. I’m looking forward to using it continually on my 3 dogs. All three are in training classes and active in public, so being calm is essential. Thanks for the tips.