A dog owner has issued a stark warning after a frightening experience, highlighting household items that are toxic to dogs. The warning, which is a must-hear for all pet owners, comes in the wake of an incident involving a newly purchased item that turned out to be dangerous.
As reported by Pensionist, many items we keep out of reach of our beloved dogs are assumed to be largely harmless, such as diffusers that make our homes smell pleasant. However, it turns out that the scents wafting around the room can actually make your pet very sick.
Marianne Whyte from New Zealand took to social media to issue an urgent warning to fellow dog owners after her puppy was poisoned by an oil diffuser. Her Facebook post quickly went viral, with pet owners praising her for issuing the warning.
Whyte explained, "Saturday night I came home late, and my dog did not recognize me. Thinking I had woken him from a nightmare, I realized on Sunday he was still acting strangely. I had been running my new diffuser and decided to turn it off. By Sunday afternoon, he was better."
A Visit to the Vet
The next day, Marianne's dog sitter told her that the little guy had refused to come out from under the bed. When she returned from work, her beloved pet once again did not seem to recognize her.
"I took him to the emergency vet. It turns out the tea tree oil I was using in the diffuser is toxic to dogs. Thankfully, tests showed his liver was okay, but we were not out of the woods yet. He received fluids under his skin to flush out the toxins. The vet and poison control say they see these cases often, now that the popularity of essential oils is growing. Please make sure the essential oils you are burning are not toxic to your pets."
Beware of These
Marianne went on to share a long list of oils that dog owners should avoid, including Anise, Birch, Bitter Almond, Calamus, Camphor, Clove, Garlic, Goosefoot, Horseradish, Juniper, Mugwort, Mustard, Oregano, Pennyroyal, Red or White Thyme, Rue, Tea Tree Oil, Thuja, Wintergreen, Wormwood, and Yarrow.
The Vet Agrees
Her post was quickly shared over 99,000 times, with more than 13,000 people commenting. Many thanked her for sharing, saying they had no idea they should not use the oils.
One person wrote, "Thank you for sharing, Marianne. I had no idea about this."
"Thank you for making me aware, I didn't think about this danger," commented another.
Veterinarian Zoe Costigan from the company Itchpet.com, specializing in pet wellness, echoed Marianne's warning. She said, "We need to be careful when storing essential oils in our homes, as many oils can be potentially toxic to our pets. Essential oils, as well as being used in room diffusers, are found in many products such as shampoos, air fresheners, insect repellents, and can be accidentally ingested, absorbed through the skin, or inhaled by animals."
