Hi Janelle, you ask about where I get my information. I’ve formed my understanding from the fact that a lot of veterinarians urge caution with the use of essential oils on pets (e.g., Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Texas A&M University Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences department). I won’t bother linking to another source as an example, since you express doubts that I know much about research. So I’d just encourage you to research what veterinarians and veterinary associations are saying, if you’re genuinely interested.

For what it’s worth, I shared that link because I thought it might interest you. As an academic editor with R1 research training, I do understand the importance of peer review and triangulating sources. I simply didn’t see a reason to compile a whole list of articles for a stranger on the internet. ;) Regardless, what struck me was that, even in the abstract alone, if you read between the lines of what it’s saying directly about dermal/oral exposure, you also see that roughly 1 in 10 of these poison cases were animals who got poisoned not through deliberate exposure by their owners. Which is yet more reason for pet owners to be cautious. I’m glad your dog was okay with what you were using.

I respect the desire for a “balanced and reasonable view,” so I’ll just highlight this: at no point did I say that no pet should ever be exposed to any essential oil. I simply commented (to the author) that people should also be aware that some essential oils — even just the vapor — can harm pets. I’m not sure why you rebutted that with an anecdote about your dog liking (some unnamed) oil or a pregnant woman who said something within earshot once about lavender. Perhaps you assumed that I was anti-EO (for some reason?). If your intention was to help me “see the light,” you can rest assured that I don’t need convincing. I’m happily stocked up on essential oils and have gotten quite a few friends on board over the years too. ;)

Bottom line: yes, essential oils can be great, and I never (even remotely) implied that they’re not… but that still doesn’t change the fact that some oils are very dangerous for pets. Even in small doses. Even just in the air.

So people should be careful about even casual exposure for pets, unless they’ve gotten the all-clear from a vet on that specific oil. My aim here, from my very first comment to the author, has been to raise awareness for anyone who might’ve had no idea that some oils, even vaporized, might harm their pets. And I wanted them to know that this is a scientific, veterinarian-acknowledged fact.

It is not paranoia, nor should it be conflated with such. Nothing imbalanced or unreasonable there. Nothing in need of rebuttals.

At the end of the day, I’m not trying to persuade you, so I don’t really have anything else to add. I just wanted readers to know. I’ve shared some relevant info, and now anyone interested can do the research themselves. Thanks for sharing your stories! :)