Top 20 Essential Oils for Dogs

The following essential oils are recommended by canine aromatherapist Kristen Leigh Bell.

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1. Carrot Seed (Daucus carota). Skin care, first aid, healing, scarring, skin conditions. Super gentle.

2. Cedarwood, Atlas (Cedrus atlantica). Improves circulation, helps deter fleas. Skin care.

3. Chamomile, German (Matricaria recutita). Also called blue chamomile. Skin-soothing anti-inflammatory. Burns, allergic reactions, skin irritations.

4. Chamomile, Roman (Anthemis nobilis). Intensely calming and antispasmodic. Wound care, teething pain.

5. Clary sage (Salvia sclarea). Different from common garden sage. Gentle, sedating, calming.

6. Eucalyptus radiata (Eucalyptus radiata). The gentlest, best tolerated, most versatile eucalyptus (there are many). Anti-inflammatory, antiviral, expectorant. Diffuse as room air cleaner, deodorizer, flea repellent.

7. Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens). Tonic, antifungal. For skin ailments, yeast overgrowth, fungal ear infections. Ticks dislike all rose fragrances, including this one.

8. Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Fresh, warm, spicy (don’t settle for ginger that smells stale, musty, or rank). Motion sickness, indigestion (see Peppermint), useful in massage oils for sprains, strains, dysplasia, arthritis.

9. Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum). Horrible smelling, incredibly effective essential oil (some people and dogs do like it). Also called Immortelle or Everlasting. Heals skin conditions, cuts, abrasions, wounds, injuries. Relieves pain.

10. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). Used by the makers of pet aromatherapy products more than any other essential oil. Gentle, antibacterial, antipruritic (anti-itch), stimulates rapid healing, acts as a central nervous system sedative, very relaxing, deodorizing.

11. Mandarin, Green (Citrus reticulata). The sweetest essential oil, very relaxing. For fear, anxiety, stress. Avoid red mandarin, which is not the same, and use only organic green mandarin. This is not a distilled oil but is pressed from the rind of the fruit.

12. Marjoram, Sweet (Origanum marjorana). Pleasing, smooth herbal fragrance, calming, antispasmodic effects, strongly antibacterial. A recommended replacement for tea tree oil in blends for pets. Bacterial skin infections, wound care. Repels insects. Reduces undesirable behaviors of intact males.

13. Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha). Ancient resin with deep, warm, earthy fragrance. Anti-inflammatory, antiviral. Puppy teething pain, irritated skin. Boosts immune system. Opoponax myrrh (Commiphora erythraea) has similar properties and repels ticks.

14. Orange, Sweet (Citrus sinensis). Popular, uplifting, pleasant. Calms, deodorizes, repels fleas, treats skin conditions. Use organic sweet orange oil to avoid pesticide residues. Pressed, not distilled.

15. Peppermint (Mentha piperita). Digestive aid; stimulates circulation for injuries, sprains, strains, arthritis, dysplasia. Insect repellent. Relieves pain and itching. To prevent nausea and motion sickness, mix one tablespoon vegetable oil, seven drops ginger, and eight drops peppermint; give three drops orally.

16. Ravensare aromatica (Cinnamonum camphora). Gentle, antiviral, antibacterial.

17. Rose (Rosa damascena). Expensive, wonderful, makes any shampoo, spray, or grooming product luxurious. Stabilizes central nervous system. Calming. Add one to two drops to blends for itchy, irritated, or dry skin.

18. Thyme linalol (Thyme vulgaris, chemotype linalol). Common garden thyme has six known chemotypes, or chemical profiles. Thyme linalol is the most gentle and useful. Relaxing, antibacterial, antifungal without the harsh skin irritation associated with common thyme. Balancing tonic.

19. Thyme thujanol (Thyme vulgaris, chemotype thujanol). Like thyme linalol plus immune system stimulant, liver detoxifier, antiviral. Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD, founder of the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, recommends applying thyme thujanol immediately after a tick or tick bite is discovered in order to help prevent Lyme disease. For immune-boosting blends or when a powerful antibacterial is needed without caustic, skin-irritating effects.

20. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis). Relaxing, helpful for separation anxiety or fear of loud noises, storms, fireworks, new situations.

Read “How to Identify and Buy Therapeutic-Quality Essential Oils” for more information.

A RECIPE FOR “CALM DOG MIST”

When she manufactured pet products, Bell’s best-seller was Calm Dog Mist. To make it yourself, place one teaspoon vegetable glycerin, one tablespoon grain alcohol or vodka, one teaspoon sulfated castor oil, and 10 drops grapefruit seed extract in an 8-ounce cobalt blue, green, or opaque spritzer bottle. Add three drops valerian, two drops vetiver, four drops petitgrain, three drops sweet marjoram, and two drops sweet orange essential oil. Add seven ounces spring or distilled water (fill to top).

If desired, add several drops of flower essences such as Rescue Remedy or gemstone essences such as rose quartz. Shake well before using. Calm Dog Mist can be spritzed into your hands and massaged into the dog’s neck and chest, sprayed on bedding, or misted into the air.

28 COMMENTS

  1. My little girl is having some unrelenting coughing and it continues. What oil is good for putting in a diffuser that will help coughing? I need it to stop and the vet says nnothing more than she needs to lose weight. Is there an oil that i can give her orally too?

  2. I would try Eucalyptus radiata: Soothing to the respiratory system and supportive to antiviral function, Eucalyptus may be diffused around your pooch when they seem to have come down with a cold. I would also use lavender to calm and relax her muscles.

    • A drop of lavender in the corner of the puppy pad. Do this on every puppy pad she uses. Her little nose will use it as a beacon to find the proper place to pee.
      Once you put the drop on the paper put her on the paper and let her smell it, if you see her trying to pee immediately take her to the pad let her smell it and let her P on it . Once you get her to peeing on the pad you will notice very quickly that the lavender oil is withdrawing her to it. If you want her then to train for peeing outside you would take the fresh puppy pad outside with the lavender oil drop you some rocks to keep the pad from blowing away and if you sit with her out in the yard she will know that smell and if she hast to P shit and will be going outside. It doesn’t take puppies long to learn what you want from them.
      With her being blind it sharpens all of her other senses. My pup acclimated to pad training and then pad training outside using just a drop of lavender. Hopefully, this doesn’t affect other places he may be using lavender she might take that as an invite to pee

  3. My 6 year old Maltese has had seizures for 5 years. My holistic vet has been treating her with a seizure formula he makes plus two drops of frankincense rubbed on her belly twice a day. She has not had a seizure in over a year since changing to this vet. Do you sell frankincense ?

  4. Please do your research and be sure to use ONLY pure unadulterated therapeutic-grade essential oils. The majority of essential oils sold over the counter at drug stores, big box stores, and chains are adulterated and harmful to pets (and humans). Full disclosure, I am a doTERRA Wellness Advocate, but I am not replying here to sell you doTERRA. I am first and foremost an animal lover and an animal advocate, and a loving dog mama, so once I was introduced to essential oils I researched and questioned and talked to a lot of experts in the fields of animals and essential oils. I currently have 3 go-to books that we recommended to me, for all things pets and essential oils. And Joy Smith on Facebook is incredibly knowledgeable and has an amazing training video.Joy is my go-to human for all things pets and essential oils. Joy is a vet tech and energy healer, and an amazing human being. I think there is a charge but it’s nominal and totally worth it! My tried and true reference books: SpOil Your Pet by Mia Frezzo DVM and Jan Jeremiah, MSc,; Holistic Aromatherapy for Pets by Kristen Leigh Bell; and my absolute favorite: Animal Desk Reference, Essential Oils for Animals by Melissa Shelton DVM, Holistic Veterinarian.
    Hope this helps!
    PS, I use doTERRA peppermint oil with my pets,, because I am 100% certain of the purity and lack of pesticides etc. I use a diluted mix of peppermint, lavender, and lemon oils to treat seasonal discomfort. Peppermint is strong so a little goes a long way even with humans. There was talk about using Melaleuca or Tea Tree oil, this one must be used sparingly and ALL oils must always be diluted with pets, even doTERRA or any pure unadulterated oil, this oil lingers in their liver longer and therefore can be harmful. It might be on the do not use list for cats. I’d have to look that one up. I have two dogs. We use the doTERRA oils with them for everything from anxiety to ticks and fleas to wound care.
    Cats and dogs have different oils on the don’t use or use sparingly lists, it’s vital to do your research and educate yourself or talk to a holistic veterinarians or YOUR veterinarian before using any oils with pets as animals are much more sensitive to the oils and respond differently than humans.
    AromaTools.com has some excellent resources on all things animals/pets and essential oils. I think Youroiltools.com has some decent resources as well.
    One last thing: diffuser use with pets. When using a diffuser with pets, please make sure that room is well ventilated, and it is critical that the pet has room to roam, they must be able to leave the room with the diffuser, never lock a pet in a room with a diffuser going. If a pet does not like or is bothered by certain smells they must be able to go to a different room. ♥️🐾

    • Thank you for this information Elaine. I also use doTERRA oils. Could you please list the oils to definitely NOT use in the diffuser and also any that you definietly would recommend to use please and thanks again for info 🙂

    • Thanks Elaine for the wonderful insight. My sister does sales for dōTerra for many years. So I am very comfortable with your very valid response to this thread. I know how much my sister believes in what she is doing, always studying, making new recipes. She is in Texas now I miss her so much.

    • Comments like this make me not trust MLMs even more. If an oil is toxic to dogs, it doesn’t matter what BRAND it is. Peppermint is on many lists as being toxic to dogs. Nowhere have I seen “Toxic unless it’s ____ Brand.”

  5. My 5 month old American bulldog has rashes on the tops of his feet and in his belly. He has gotten to the point of itching and drawing blood. I have been giving him Claritin for about two weeks, per vet recommendation, but it’s not getting any better. Does anyone have any suggestions?

  6. Peppermint and eucalyptus are dangerous for dogs. Regardless of their purity the substances in them do not react well with dogs. In humans it opens up your nostrils and clears sinuses but dogs should not have them. Im assuming it has to deal with their superior nose

    • Dr Richard Pitcairin, considered the “guru” of veterinary homeopathy does have uses for peppermint and eucalyptus unn his well known book, Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. I have been using doTerra therapeutic oils including peppermint and eucalyptus on my 12 yr old pup for years with no issues. So, leads me to think that the “toxicity” is dependent on grade, use and dosage.

  7. My medium size older dog got her paw accidentally stepped on yesterday and cried at the time and I have been comforting her and she’s walking fine.., but also lifting the paw and if u rub it to hard, she pulls away! but I think it’s just a bad bruise, not sure what oils to use on the front paw to hasten the healing and maybe help the pain! Any help is appreciated as I use Doterra oils in myself regularly but have never used on my animals! Thank you Lea

    • Lea, I have used doTerra oils diluted with fractionated coconut oil on my senior Westie when he hurt his shoulder..blend of lavender, frankincense.. ..these are also the ingredients of the DoTerra Immume Booster Spray for dogs. 1 drop frankincense with 2 drops lavender. I dilute with doTerra fractionated coconut oil when I apply oils topically..

  8. My dog has had on going ear infections for two years and what essential oils are good for that to kill the yeast and then to maintain good ear health. I know allergies cause all these ear infections. He is on essential oil blend from Hollistic vet now and I am praying the essential oils will kill the yeast and inflammation. He is deaf from using medicated crap the vets give.

  9. I was recommended by a friend to use lemongrass essential oil on my pet for flea & tick season,my friend also mentioned if this bother my dog to dilute this with a carrier oilI was planning to use coconut oil1tsp.carrier oil & 3-5 drops essential oil,mix & apply,I was planning to apply this to the back of her neck.Then I read lemongrass is toxic to dogs & causes seizures.I have a 16 lb King Charles Cavalier.please help I’m looking for natural preventatives I connected my Vet she does not recommend this as it’s not proofed.all my vet recommendeds are drugs with chemicals

  10. Comments like this make me not trust MLMs even more. If an oil is toxic to dogs, it doesn’t matter what BRAND it is. Peppermint is on many lists as being toxic to dogs. Nowhere have I seen “Toxic unless it’s ____ Brand.”