Like many people, you might have a love for lavenders. They smell great, they have a beautiful look, and they can really brighten up the look and feel of any garden. As a dog owner, though, it always pays to know what plants your dog can handle and what they cannot. Adventurous in the extreme, most dogs are pretty happy to sniff or chew on just about anything. This includes lavenders. But is that a good thing? Should dogs stay away from Lavenders?
The main thing to note quickly is that your dog should avoid contact with lavender plants. Lavenders are not something that dogs can handle well. Why? Because they contain a small but potent enough quantity of linalool. This is toxic to both dogs and to cats.
While small amounts of exposure are not going to put your dog at great risk, and could even help some dogs to feel less anxious or worried, it is surprisingly easy for a dog to pick up lavender poisoning. As such, you should definitely look to stay away from the lavender plant on a regular basis when out and about with your canine companion for walks.
Should dogs stay away from Lavenders?
The general consensus is that you should avoid active time around lavenders for dogs. The small amounts of linalool in a lavender plant are enough to put your pet’s health and wellbeing at risk. While toxicity is often hard to create with lavenders and linalool, a dog left unattended around lots of lavender could run into a few problems for sure.
Your dog would probably need to eat quite a lot of lavender plants to end up in trouble from the stuff, however. Lavender poisoning can be spotted if your dog has issues going to the toilet, starts vomiting, is noticeably eating less food, or has a fever. Another sign is you could notice their abdomen looks really swollen and red.
Therefore, you should look to try and focus on any signs of lavender poisoning as a priority. If your dog spent a lot of time around lavender plants, then you should absolutely keep a close eye on their health and wellbeing moving forward.
Treatment can often include giving them various solutions, including antihistamines, but you should see a veterinarian ASAP. The sooner you can spot these signs, the easier is it to point it back to the lavender plant. Then, you can act, find a solution, and make sure that your dog is not at anything like the risk first assumed.
If you notice any of the signs, act quickly. You should also avoid using any products on your dog that contains lavender essential oils. While small quantities of lavender aromatherapy can be nice, it is not something that we highly recommend you use on your dog.
Other treatments can be just as effective at reducing stress without creating the same fears over toxicity or side effects. So, keep this in mind and make sure your dog can be given all of the treatment and support it needs to overcome its condition and feel better in the long term.