Household Scents That Can Be Harmful to Your Dogs
We associate dogs with several things—games of catch, cuddles on the couch, and adorable photos for your social media accounts. But if there’s one activity we can all agree that dogs love, it’s sniffing: whether it’s your face when you come home or every individual blade of grass on walks.
But as powerful as dogs’ noses are, they can often get our canine companions in trouble when there are scents in our homes that are harmful to dogs. When we’re aware of these scents, we can keep our dogs—and their noses—safe.
Artificial Air Fresheners
We love our dogs, but they aren’t always easy on our noses. As pet owners, it’s natural to want to cover up the musky scent of a wet dog with a can of air freshener or a lit candle. Unfortunately, as pleasant-smelling as they are, these common household scents can harm dogs and people.
Artificial air fresheners contain chemicals like ethyl acetate, benzaldehyde, and methylene chloride and are known to increase the number of VOCs in the air. These may cause several health problems in your dog, such as:
- Lethargy
- Watery eyes
- Throat irritation
- Headaches
- Coordination trouble
In more serious situations, artificial fresheners may even impact your dog’s central nervous system. So when you’re looking for ways to freshen up your homes, consider opting for more natural ingredients.
Certain Essential Oils
Those looking for a natural alternative for artificial air fresheners often turn to essential oils. And, generally, diffusing oils is often a better alternative for dogs. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Some oils may still be toxic to dogs when diffused, such as:
- Peppermint
- Wintermint
- Eucalyptus
- Ylang-ylang
- Cinnamon
- Tea tree
- Citrus
Also, keep in mind that you should avoid putting your animal in direct contact with oils, including (and especially) consuming them.
Oil-Based Paints
Anyone who has worked with oil-based paints knows that they have a harsh scent that’s hard for us to take. And if we have trouble handling oil-based paints, imagine how much more difficult this is for our dogs, whose noses are tens of thousands of times stronger than ours.
Fortunately, removing this scent from your home is as simple as using animal-friendly paints that are water-based. This is especially true if you’re using the paint in a place your dog is likely to spend a lot of time, such as a doghouse. ECOS Paints has a wide variety of water-based paint colors and finishes for your next home project that are better for you and your dog.
