Is using an essential oil diffuser safe for rabbits?

[TheLittleBunns]

I recently moved my rabbit, Kodak into my bedroom. I got an essential oil diffuser for Christmas and have been using it almost every day up until I moved him in here. The only oils I have are tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint. Are these safe to use in the diffuser with my rabbit in the room? What oils are safe and not safe?

[LBJ10]

Tea tree is definitely a no. But I would be wary of ANY essential oil though. A lot of them are high in phenols and other compounds that can accumulate in a rabbit’s body over time. This is the same reason pine and cedar wood shavings are not recommended for rabbits and other small animals.

[Azerane]

Eucalyptus is also definitely a big no as well. I know for a fact that diffusing essential oils can be fatal to cats (including tea tree, eucalyptus and lavender), I can only assume that there’s just as much risk to rabbits. I know that rabbits can eat lavender, but eating something and inhaling the essence are a little different.

I personally wouldn’t risk it.

[sarahthegemini]

Sorry to hijack but is this the same for wax burners?

[Heaven]

Ditto scented candles? Incense?

Don’t want to harm him but my buns free roam space is also my bedroom which has the perpetual faint smell of hay otherwise…

[Wick & Fable]

I use candles very often (wick candles; haha) and Wick has had no issues. Never used essential oils, though I would err on the side of caution and just go with candles that are out of reach of your rabbit.

I imagine wax burners would be safe as well, if not safer than candles since there’s no smoke. Unless wax burner tabs are compositionally different than regular burning candles, I think they’re safe.

Wick has been exposed to varying candle scents, including frangipani, bamboo, pine, beach smells, etc..

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Heaven]

Update, pure beeswax candles that burn with a clean flame aren’t harmful & give off a honey scent I just panic ordered £40 worth online and moved all my strongly scented paraffin candles to the kitchen, haha.

[Azerane]

I suspect scented candles and incense might also pose a risk. I’m not sure on the wax melts. I think the trouble with them is there’s not always an obvious immediate effect, it’s more that it causes harm over time.

To be honest I’ve been too scared to burn anything (beeswax included) since we got our parrot, as bird respiratory systems are extremely sensitive and they can just drop dead in a moment from things like that.

[Heaven]

Ah yeah, like when they used to take canaries down the mines!

[LBJ10]

For rabbits, I don’t think they would simply drop dead after using one of these products. As Azerane said, it effects them over time. Phenol-containing products, like essential oils, would be harmful long term because phenols will accumulate in the body after repeated exposure. Candles, on the other hand, can contain petroleum-based products and other chemicals (toluene, benezene, etc.) which are also harmful.

[Wick & Fable]

Oh no! I love candles and use them quite often. I’ll start cutting down and amping up ventilation….

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I’ve heard that any scents like incense, candles or oils can be harmful over time so I avoid them. Some are more toxic than others. A lot of this info going around on FB recently regarding cats. I assume if it’s harmful to cats, it’s harmful to buns.

[DanaNM]

Posted By Azerane on 1/22/2018 1:49 AM

Eucalyptus is also definitely a big no as well. I know for a fact that diffusing essential oils can be fatal to cats (including tea tree, eucalyptus and lavender), I can only assume that there’s just as much risk to rabbits. I know that rabbits can eat lavender, but eating something and inhaling the essence are a little different.

I personally wouldn’t risk it.

Whoa, I had no idea lavender could be fatal to cats! I use it a lot…. do you know how much they have to be exposed to for it to be harmful??

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[DanaNM]

Following up on my own question, found this info with good Q& A with vets at the bottom about diffusers and other uses (like lotions, etc.).

https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/lavender-poisoning-1

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[LittlePuffyTail]

Thanks for the link, Dana. I do use Lavender essential oils in my bath and a scented cream before bed (I’m high strung!!! ), so interesting read.

[DanaNM]

Posted By LittlePuffyTail on 1/23/2018 6:08 PM

Thanks for the link, Dana. I do use Lavender essential oils in my bath and a scented cream before bed (I’m high strung!!! ), so interesting read.

No prob, I feel ya! I often will just put a drop on my forehead to help me sleep… and I made a homemade linen/room spray, and homemade deodorant…. Ooof! Will definitely be careful with the spray from now on! 

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Heaven]

I wonder if there’s a bunny safe way to keep our homes smelling fresh?

[GarfyTheLop]

What about reed diffusers?

We’ve always had one in bunnies room and now i’m panicking. I always light a scented candle too, I had no idea!

[Heaven]

@Garfy I imagine reed diffusers would be the same since they’re releasing tiny droplets of oil into the air which our buns would likely inhale…

[GarfyTheLop]

Okay I’m at work but I’ve just text my boyfriend to move everything out of the living room where Garf is haha

Our vet is the definition of a crazy bunny lady so when we go on the 1st I’ll ask her about it all just to make sure

[sarahthegemini]

Posted By GarfyTheLop on 1/24/2018 4:15 AM
Okay I’m at work but I’ve just text my boyfriend to move everything out of the living room where Garf is haha

Our vet is the definition of a crazy bunny lady so when we go on the 1st I’ll ask her about it all just to make sure

Could you update this thread after speaking with your vet?

[GarfyTheLop]

Posted By sarahthegemini on 1/24/2018 9:36 AM 

Could you update this thread after speaking with your vet?

Of course I will  

[Deleted User]

Any scented products we can use? I have been using the reeds for a while now. I like a nice smelling flat lol

[DanaNM]

I’m super interested to here what the vet says about reed diffusers, I just bought reeds to make one! Doh!

I feel like it might be different than the sonic diffusers as it’s just exposing the oil to air, but still might not be great….

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Heaven]

@Emma I think pure 100% beeswax candles are okay because they burn with a clean (ie not sooty) flame and don’t have any scented toxic additives. Otherwise I would keep the room very well ventilated if you are using reed diffusers or preferably not in the rabbits room at all.

[Ellie from The Netherlands]

Interesting topic, essential oils can definitely irritate a rabbit’s lungs. Sadly our resident junkie down the hall is trying a new way to cover up his constant pot use: diffusing an overwhelming amount of oil which smells like peppermint or eucalyptus. The hallway stinks awfully now, of both pot and whatever unholy concoction he’s using to try and cover it up with.
I had to pull the plug out of my house’s ventilation system, because Breintje was sneezing and wheezing in the living room

[ThorandSif]

My Thor has had problems with blocked tear ducts since birth. On Christmas, my daughter brought him down freaking out because he had a HUGE amount of goop in his eye and his nose was goopy too. She cleaned his nose and got the goop out along with a dried section that was in the shape of his tear duct. He was gnashing his teeth as well. The next day he was fine and that is when we figured out he was allergic to candles, incense and her paints AFTER she went back to school. He still gets eye boogers but they are small and Sif keeps his eyes clean. I would be very careful with any kind of scents around them.

[Allanah]

Okay I went down this massive rabbit hole (pun not intended). I have been using diffusers with eucalyptus oil in them for the past few days to keep my bunnies room smelling nice and just realised this could be so bad for them and then I found this thread. Did anyone find a safe way to keep bunny rooms smelling fresh?

[DanaNM]

This is a very old thread, but you definitely should not be using an essential oil diffuser around rabbits. Since this thread is old, I’m going to close it as you are unlikely to get responses from the OP and we ask members not to reply to old threads to avoid confusion.

The best rabbit-safe tips for keeping the room smelling fresh are to keep up with your litter box changes, use a good litter (I recommend pine pellets for odor control), and add an air filter to the room. Any thing fragranced can be dangerous or at minimum irritating to rabbits. Using a high quality rabbit food also will make their urine less smelly.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

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