Lavender Oil

[zobothehobo]

Hi all! I could really use some support/help right now.

So I've been aware that lavender oil is toxic to cats when licked, drank, eaten, or applied to their skin but I didn't realize it could be toxic if burned (in hindsight that sounds so stupid I wouldn't have realized it) so I've burned it three times in the past two days in my bedroom and now I'm worried for my two cats.

The only symptoms I can notice is that one (who has been sick with an infection near her anus) is complaining a lot... She's otherwise okay so it seems and it could just be her existing infection... And the other was a bit lethargic today but still has the energy to play and run around... just not quite as much as usual... maybe he's got like 80% of his usual energy...

Does anyone have any experience getting lavender OUT of the air? I cannot find anything about a problem like this online... I google and it just tells me how to put it IN the air.

Otherwise, I could really just use some "it's gonna be alright" vibes. I'm going to call my vet in the morning and ask her if there's anything else I should be doing... But so far all my research has lead to "If there's no digestive symptoms (drooling, vomiting, diarrhea), then you're probably fine as long as you stop the use of the oil" so I'm hoping that we're all good. But it's scary when you've accidentally done something that could hurt your little ones, you know?

 

[cat princesses]

I have never come across this before - I have a diffuser in my house and oil warmers and I was not aware that using lavender for home fragrance would be an issue. I'm curious what others have to say. My best GUESS would be that for home fragrance, it's fine. To be safe, I would store the bottles of oil or similar in a drawer or cabinet so that there is no risk of contact.

 

[artiemom]

all essential oils are poisonous to cats.. and animals.. I do not know more than that. I have just gone by those guidelines.. sorry, If I cannot be of anymore help..

 

[LTS3]

Does anyone have any experience getting lavender OUT of the air? I cannot find anything about a problem like this online... I google and it just tells me how to put it IN the air.

Open the windows and let the fresh outside air in and dissipate any lavendar fragrance in your home. Turn on a fan to help keep the air moving to dissipate the fragrance.

 

[zobothehobo]

Open the windows and let the fresh outside air in and dissipate any lavendar fragrance in your home. Turn on a fan to help keep the air moving to dissipate the fragrance.

Thanks! That's what I did, glad to know I was doing it right!

 

[zobothehobo]

Update: I just called my vet and she said that as long as i'm not diffusing it, it's probably okay. She said that if they're not experiencing the major symptoms I've already mentioned or labored breathing, we should be good!

 

[artiemom]

Great! I would still take LTS3 's advice and open up the windows to let the fresh air in! Fresh Air is good for so many things!

 

[cat princesses]

This is good to know so using any oils in a diffuser is bad?

 

[zobothehobo]

Great! I would still take LTS3 's advice and open up the windows to let the fresh air in! Fresh Air is good for so many things!

Oh for sure! Also they loved hearing the birds more clearly this early morning through the screen so I think as long as they don't start scratching at the screen, now that it's warm... that's gonna be a thing in my bedroom!

 

[zobothehobo]

This is good to know so using any oils in a diffuser is bad?

I've tried googling and I keep coming across conflicting info on this, which is why I called my vet. If you're really curious and/or you've got a diffuser that you want to use... I suggest you call your vet and ask them.

From what I can tell, the difficult part is that these oils contain chemicals that a cat's liver can't break down. They apparently lack an enzyme in their livers that we have that makes it possible for us to break it down but not for them... so it builds up in their liver and then becomes poisonous.

There's consensus on that. What's not got consensus on the internet is which oils have what chemicals that are toxic, how much of those oils is okay over what period of time, and how those chemicals get ingested.

 

[Kieka]

Oils are just one of those iffy things with cats.

I use two drops of lavender oil on my dryer ball (I am allergic to most chemicals in common cleaners so my laundry is otherwise unscented). I've figured in that context it is 2 drops heated and whatever is left on my clothes won't be harmful at that point. The oils are on the balls and some goes out the dryer vent too. It can't be any more harmful then the chemicals left by standard softeners (look up the chemicals in laundry softeners some time).

I also use the doTerra breathe blend sometimes in my bath water, a felt pad necklace, or directly on my skin when I am having problems. Usually though that is away from the home and the shower gets rinsed well after so there isn't much reside (plus none of mine like showers/tubs).

I don't feel comfortable with having a constant diffuser going. There just isn't enough research to confirm how much is safe and which exactly are safe. Even if a specific oil is safe the difference between oil brands and quality is also a factor. I use doTerra and refuse to let my Mom bring in lesser quality oils just because I don't know what is in them.

 

[pdgal9]

Wow, interesting information - thanks for sharing. Although there's not enough research it's better safe than sorry