Should I Use Essential Oils on or Around My Pet Bird?

Essential oils are becoming much more famous today as a way to do many things, from easing anxiety to healing various medical conditions.

Essential oils were originally used in aromatherapy, but they have since been considered very potent and natural options for regular medicine, and more people now use them in their homes.

Some people have even been discovered to use essential oils around their pets for different reasons.

Are essential oils safe for your bird?

Essential oils are made from highly concentrated plant substances, which are considered very useful to humans. These oils offer human users a wide range of health and wellness benefits, and some holistic vets have decided to include them in their work.

However, the use of essential oils in treating animal conditions and illnesses is relatively new. No significant evidence proves that using essential oils in treating animals is indeed effective.

So, if you share your living space with your cat, bird, or dog, it is still very vital that you take certain precautions. Bird lovers must consult a vet before using your essential oils on your feathered friend.

Any form of treatment or alternative medicine may not be as harmful to other pets as it is to birds, so if you do not get approval from a vet, do not try to use it.

Which essential oils are safe for your pet birds?

Did you know that pet birds such as macaws, parakeets, and parrots can suffer serious medical conditions that humans deal with, such as cough, diarrhea, flu, fatigue, and even stress-induced sicknesses?

This is why it isn’t surprising that pet owners who believe in the potency of essential oils attempt to treat these conditions in their pets using them.

Suppose pet owners use essential oils carefully and appropriately, like making sure they are well diluted and avoiding your bird’s eyes when you spray them with essential oils. In that case, you cannot avoid using these oils in your bird care or home.

Nevertheless, every pet owner must know that certain essential oils are dangerous to pets in general (especially birds). Oils like tea tree oil have been discovered toxic to these creatures.

The essential oils that are safe for your feathered friend include Oregano, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, lavender, lemon, grapefruit, Clary sage, chamomile, roman chamomile, and cedar wood.

Using essential oils in the air

If you must use essential oils in the air as a bird owner, a cold air diffuser is one of the safest ways. Good oils to use are lemon, geranium, and lavender.

When you diffuse essential oils, you can potentially add the benefits of these oils to the air so you and your pet can breathe them in and have the goodness absorbed in your bloodstream and that of your pet.

Using essential oils in this manner will greatly help eliminate molds and bacteria and reduce anxiety and stress for your pet. To use the diffusion method, make sure not to use more than three or four drops of essential oil at a time within a one-hour frame.

Also, avoid using essential oils in a room without ventilation, as it would be very dangerous. Misting is another thing essential oil is useful for.

Sometimes, you may want to freshen up the room where your pet’s cage is, and an essential oil mist is the healthiest option. Regular air fresheners may be too harsh for your pet. However, all the ingredients needed for a DIY essential oil mist are water or flower hydrosol like lavender hydrosol, bird-friendly essential oil, and rubbing alcohol in a small spray bottle.

You need only a few spritzes around your room, and everything else will fall into place. Do not forget to avoid spraying too close to your bird (always spray away from the animal). When essential oils get into your pet’s eyes, it could cause a lot of damage to the animal’s eyes.

Consuming essential oils

Humans consume essential oils to get the best of their healing properties. However, putting essential oils in your bird’s water is nerve-safe because you want them to benefit from it.

Water and oils don’t mix, so there is a high chance that the oil will be too concentrated and potentially cause harm to your animal.

If you want to moisten your pet’s food using essential oils like oregano, use only a toothpick drop. Oregano oil is great at helping to boost your bird’s immune system. The regenerative antioxidants in oregano oils have been discovered to be potent enough to heal lots of respiratory diseases that birds are susceptible to.

Topical treatments using essential oils

While it’s OK for you to sometimes apply essential oils to the skin of pets like dogs, on no account should you ever apply essential oils to the feet or feathers of your pet bird. Applying oils to your bird’s feathers will make the feathers heavy, which may cause stress.

This method can only be beneficial when you want to clip your wings or nails, and you must only use frankincense oil, lavender oil, or cedarwood oil. On days when you have a lot of unfamiliar people in the house, you can also use essential oils to help your bird relax, but make sure the oil is properly diluted.

Add one teaspoon of fractionated coconut or olive oil with one drop of essential oil.

If your bird has a wound, these oils can also be applied topically; with an essential oils salve, you can keep the wound moisturized and prevent any infection by bacteria. To make your essential oil salve, all you need to do is mix an oil such as lavender with shea butter, then apply it to your bird’s wound using a popsicle stick twice daily.

Cleaning with essential oils

Essential oils can clean your bird’s living area and purify the air around it. As anyone who has been a bird owner for a while can tell you, taking care of these wonderful creatures can be stinky business sometimes.

And using essential oils can greatly help you eliminate the bad smell instead of using store-bought cleaners with artificial fragrances. To make an effective cleaning solution for your bird cage, you must get a natural cleaner like white vinegar and mix it with essential oils.

The bottom line is that oils are wonderful for both humans and pets. However, there are specific ways that they should be used to avoid causing danger to your animals.

Now that you know the best ways to use essential oils with your pet, nothing should stop you from enjoying the goodness of these natural products. If you have any other useful tips that you would like to share, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below.