When you first use them, a pet might immediately withdraw from the area or cower. A pet might cough, sneeze, produce discharge from the eyes and/or nose, or suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or lack of appetite. Long term effects are also possible.
Many people buy and use air fresheners in an effort to address pet odor issues in their homes. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including air and fabric sprays, plug-in “burners,” and solids. While they can scent the air in your house, they don’t actually eliminate odors and can seriously impair the air quality there.
The EPA1 states that formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, aerosol propellants, and p-dichlorobenzene are the four main components of air fresheners. Air fresheners cause bad health health problems.
Petroleum distillates are produced in the petrochemical industry, which results in groundwater, soil, and air pollution. The effects on human health include:asthma can cause asthma.
Your home’s air quality is extremely important. In reality, air fresheners that are meant to “improve” indoor air quality by making your home smell better make it more toxic. According to studies, using air fresheners indoors can aggravate breathing issues like asthma and allergies. Your home is a relatively enclosed space, so introducing things that worsen the air quality could be harmful to your family and add to the toxic cocktail of chemicals that gets trapped in your system.
Due to their faster metabolism, air fresheners can be harmful to pets as well. Additionally, those who suffer from pulmonary diseases like asthma, allergies, or COPD may be particularly at risk.
Everybody’s house occasionally becomes a little stale. However, you can choose much healthier alternatives to air fresheners if you want to make your environment more pleasant. Here are a few suggestions. open windows for home air quality.
1. Make a pomander. Place an orange in a paper bag and keep it somewhere cool and dry for about six weeks, or you can cure it in a low-heat oven for about an hour. For a delicate scent, hang it with a ribbon or place it in a pretty bowl.
2. Open the windows. Every house can benefit from a good airing out. Open your windows for a few hours on a day when there is good air quality and a light breeze. To encourage a cross breeze that moves the air, open windows on every side of the house.
3. Simmer spices. Whole spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg can be simmered on the stovetop or in a simmering pot.
4. Odor absorbers: Place a box of baking soda or other neutral odor absorbent in a smelly area, or sprinkle some vinegar and baking soda on particularly pungent areas (like the garbage can) to mask odors.
5. When you spray some vinegar on a surface and wipe it away, it can eliminate odors. natural home air freshener.
6. Use bulk herbs, flowers, and spices to make your own potpourri, and place a small amount in a bowl.
7. Use essential oils. To subtly scent a room, dab a little on a warmer or light bulb.
8. To freshen up your drain, put some citrus peel in the garbage disposal and turn it on.
10. Wherever you want your house to smell better, place a bowl with a cotton ball that has been soaked in vanilla.
Are Plug-in Air Fresheners Safe for Dogs?
All dog owners are familiar with the distinct dog odor that can develop in a house, especially during the winter when windows are kept closed and dogs arrive from walks drenched or muddy. We frequently grow accustomed to the smell that we fail to notice it until someone else, like a visitor, mentions it, at which point we regret having a pong in our house.
To scent their homes, many people turn to air fresheners. These might be scented candles, plug-in gadgets, sprays, incense burners, or essential oil diffusers. Anything you can do to eliminate that odor and create a fresh, welcoming home
When our dogs are exposed to these products, there is a problem. Dogs can react to many air fresheners just by smelling them because they are poisonous to them. A subtle response could be misinterpreted as the dog just being worn out or getting older. In other instances, it might be severe and result in the dog’s death. You should be aware of the risks air fresheners present to your pet before using them.
Dogs’ noses are extremely sensitive, making air fresheners easily irritate them.
When air fresheners spray fragrance, they use chemicals that alter the smell of your home. Frequently, these substances are referred to as “VOCs” (volatile organic compounds). VOCs are a broad category of substances that include both natural and artificial substances. These include ethanol (alcohol), acetone and formaldehyde. All of these substances vaporize at room temperature and emit a scent, which unites them.
VOCs are necessary for air fresheners because they facilitate the quick and easy distribution of scent throughout the space.
The problem with VOCs is that they can be hazardous to the health of both humans and animals. In 2011, the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology reported that air fresheners were negatively impacting 20% of the US population and 34% of known asthma sufferers. They had received reports of allergies and asthma worsening after the use of air fresheners in homes.
Among the signs that people who reacted to air fresheners reported were;
Plug-ins are particularly harmful to animals because they are typically placed low to the ground, at dog height. This implies that a dog might breathe in more VOCs from a plug-in than a human, especially if the dog spends most of their time in a room with one installed. Additionally, some of the ingredients, such as ethanol, cause them to be more sensitive. Alcohol is a type that includes ethanol, and even small amounts of it can be harmful to dogs. Ethanol poisoning can be fatal if left untreated.
Among the other VOCs found in plug-ins that may have negative side effects are:
Air fresheners contain more than 100 different chemicals, many of which can have negative effects on both human and animal health. Since ethanol is a natural substance but extremely toxic to dogs, even air fresheners that are advertised as green or natural are likely to contain VOCs.
Since air fresheners are not required to list their ingredients, it is even more difficult to know for certain what they contain.
Scented candles can emit hazardous chemicals
The same VOCs are present in air freshener sprays as in plug-ins, but they are typically used less frequently. They can still harm pets if inhaled. When using an air freshener spray, pets should never be present in the space. If furniture has been treated, it must be completely dry before a pet is allowed near it. The scent, however, lingers for a while and can still be inhaled along with harmful chemicals.
Scented candles also contain VOCs, along with other hazardous substances. A lot of them are made of paraffin wax, which when burned releases chemicals that are known to cause cancer. The wick can also be a source of danger. Some wicks contain or are wrapped in metal. When burned these emit toxic smoke. Burning a candle with a lead-core wick can release five times the amount of lead deemed dangerous for children, per the Hayward Score, which aims to improve the health of your home.
Smoke inhalation is another real risk for candle users. British woman Farrah Lorrel Fraser, nearly died when she fell asleep in a room with a scented candle. She was saved by her dog Badger, who scratched at her door and whimpered, waking her up. Farrah had black soot lines coming out of her nose and was coughing up black phlegm. She required oxygen therapy and was at serious risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Had Badger not woken her when he did, Farrah would likely have died.
Many owners seek out alternatives to scented candles and chemical air fresheners, such as incense or burners or diffusers that use essential oils. Many of the most popular fragrances are poisonous to dogs even though these goods are natural or organic.
After being exposed to scents from an oil diffuser, Marianne Whyte’s dog developed severe illness:
The little dog, however, appeared to not recognize Marianne the next day and went back to hiding under a bed.
Mariannes dog was lucky, but vets are seeing more and more cases of pets being poisoned by essential oils used in diffusers, burners or incense. The number of these oils that are dangerous to pets is extensive, some of them are listed and worth reading up on. Cats and dogs can be affected by different oils, so an oil that is not harmful to a dog could still make your cat sick.
Avoid using any of these natural air fresheners around your dogs to be completely safe.
Dried herbs, like lavender, can be used to naturally scent a home.
For those who seek a more natural, non-toxic approach, in recent years, there has been a resurgence in the homeopathic movement—an alternative medicinal approach that uses substances from nature. On its face it seems reasonable enough; eschew the manufactured chemical and embrace what the earth has to offer.
Are there any products that are safe for making the house smell nice while being safe for pets? Dr. Mahaney recommends the Glean+Green family of products.Clean+Green manufactures a wide array of products for pets, including air fresheners and fresheners for carpets, flooring, furniture, cars, and litter boxes—and even a de-skunking spray.
It is obviously much more crucial to get your pet to a vet in an actual emergency than to simply speak with one on the phone.
Ive not authored this article, but I contributed my veterinary perspective to David F. Kramers work. This article originally appeared on PetMD as How Air Fresheners Can Affect Your Pets Health.
According to Dr. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Mahaney, are one of the main offenders in the ingredient list for the majority of air fresheners. Due to their low boiling point, VOCs are organic chemicals with a high vapor pressure at room temperature. This makes these substances easily evaporate into the air from a solid or liquid state. This transformation is called volatility. In other words, air fresheners are designed to be volatile, which causes them to decompose into smaller parts and disperse into the air, changing the scent.
Although researchers aren’t certain how toxic these are for our pets, there is evidence that air fresheners can cause respiratory illnesses and stomach upsets, and in more extreme cases, damage to the kidneys, liver and central nervous system.
The effects of exposure are unknown, but veterinarians advise limiting or quitting using air fresheners. If you do, always use them in a well-ventilated area and give your pet the option to leave the room if necessary.
The concentrations of essential oils, which are widely used in products like shampoos and fragrances, range from 1 percent to 20 percent. However, some products may contain concentrations of up to 100%, which may be toxic to some pets.
Long-term exposure is also suspected of being related to some cancers, but this has not yet been proven by researchers.
Researchers claim that switching to the use of essential oils is not a good alternative because some animals, primarily cats and birds, may react negatively to them just as badly. Depending on the plant material it was distilled from and the concentration, some essential oils are acceptable.
FAQ
What scent is toxic to dogs?
Dogs should never be left alone with liquid potpourri or essential oils, such as oils of cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang. Both ingestion and skin exposure can be toxic.
Are plug ins OK for dogs?
Many pet owners are worried about pet odor, specifically litter box odor. To help cover up the odor, they use plug-ins and spray air fresheners. However, according to the Natural Resource Defense Council, are they actually safe?
Can plug ins make dogs sick?
Dogs can react to many air fresheners just by smelling them because they are poisonous to them. A subtle response could be misinterpreted as the dog just being worn out or getting older. In other instances, it might be severe and result in the dog’s death.
Can a dog be allergic to an air freshener?
Sprays and fragrances for the home Scented candles, air fresheners, and perfumes could also cause allergies. Due to a dog’s keen sense of smell, these scents may cause an intense reaction. Sneezing, biting, redness, itching, and/or wheezing are signs that your dog is allergic to commercial scents.