Indiana Woman Warning Pet Parents After Essential Oils Led to Her Dog’s Tragic Passing

There are people who have pet dogs and then there are people who have fur babies. Courtney Duffy, the owner/operator of Fire Chicken Food Truck in Evansville is one of us who considers her dog part of the family. So, last week when she posted on Facebook that her adorable Australian shepherd Tanzi was not doing well, my heart went out to her.

"Tanzi is needing some prayers and good vibes, he has pneumonia. I had put eucalyptus in my diffuser yesterday and Tanzi vomited last night. Which the vet said he probably aspirated on his vomit. Please beware, my ignorance thought all my new oils were safe for everyone. Now I'm feeling like the worst doggy Mom on the planet.  Also I have removed the diffuser and toxic oils out of our home. As embarrassing as I feel right now I want to make sure that the information gets out! Obviously I will be informing his vet in the morning so maybe they can post information in the office with many people have these diffusers and maybe forget to look up information as I did."

I've known Courtney for many years and she would never do anything to willingly hurt her dog. She just had no idea she had a silent killer in her home that was making her pup sick.

And unfortunately, it led to Tanzi crossing the rainbow bridge yesterday. Now, Courtney wants to educate everyone she can of a seemingly harmless thing that many unaware pet parents use in their homes.

I talked with Courtney today about Tanzi's passing.

"He was just such a fun little boy and of course he's going to be greatly missed. I'm about to post some videos of him with the frisbee. He was such a show-off. The vet asked if he could open Tanzi up and take a look at his lungs. He called to let me know that there was nothing that could have been done to fix him. The front is of his right lung was completely terrible. He was concerned that something else was going on in our area because another young dog came in last weekend with a very similar situation in his lungs. He said it definitely was from aspiration and not bacterial."

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Which Essential Oils are Toxic to Dogs and Cats?

I'll be honest, I'd heard that some can be toxic but never thought to look it up. Apparently, there are several scents that can be harmful.

According to goodrx.com, 

The essential oils that are toxic to dogs are:

• Cinnamon oil

• Eucalyptus oil

• Pennyroyal oil

• Pine oils

• Sweet birch

• Tea tree oil

• Wintergreen

For cats, toxic essential oils include:

• Cinnamon oil

• Citrus oil

• Clove oil

• Eucalyptus oil

• Pennyroyal oil

• Peppermint oil

• Pine oils

• Sweet birch

• Tea tree oil

• Wintergreen

• Ylang Ylang oil

They go on to say that no essential oils should be used around birds.

What are the Symptoms of Essential Oil Illness in Dogs and Cats

You know your pet and even though they can't speak, they will tell you when they aren't feeling well. If you notice them acting out-of-the-ordinary, it's best to take them to the vet immediately. Oil poisoning symptoms can be pronounced or subltle. They include lack of coordination and weakness, depression, tremors or seizures, skin irritations, drooling, breathing problems like cough or wheezing, or stomach issues like vomiting and diarrhea. Essential oil toxicity can lead to aspirated pneumonia, stomach ulcers, and can cause organ failure.

Read More: What I Learned About Grief When My Dog of 16 Years Passed Away

My heart hurts for Courtney and anyone else who is dealing with the loss of a beloved pet. If you are dealing with grief over the loss of a pet, you aren't alone. According to The Washington Post a 1988 study in the Journal of Mental Health Counseling found that dog owners placed their dog as close as their closest family member and the closest of all in 38 percent of cases. The article goes on to state that this notion that mourning a pet is silly can lead many to not grieve their loss properly. But research has shown that losing a pet can be as hard, if not harder, than losing a human loved one.