Warning: Toxicity of tea-tree oil

[Tatiana]

Am copy + pasting only one link (http://www.veterinarywatch.com/Abstract-tea-tree-oil.htm), but the topic has been discussed on several other forums and the reason I'm posting this here is to serve as warning to all of us to be wary of well-meaning advice... One of the other members markets all-natural products and has repeatedly suggested using tea-tree oil shampoo on dogs that show signs of allergies or skin irritations... The fact is that tea-tree oil can be detrimental to our pets... It can be fatal to cats and birds, and our dogs can get violently ill from licking and grooming themselves after being bathed... It can make a dog's autoimmune deficiency far more acute, and why it hasn't been recalled from the market entirely is beyond my comprehension, but please don't use tea-tree shampoo on your dogs, even if they have fleas, as there are far superior and safer products available.

Am all for "green", all-natural, eco-friendly, holistic and homeopathic products, but we also need to remember that Mother Nature has her own order... Just as some plants and herbs can be curative, there are others that can be toxic... Tea-tree oil may certainly do the trick of killing fleas, but what good is it if it harms your beloved pets?

Cheers all : )

[fran and dari]

That is a GREAT reminder.. Thank you for posting this...
I have two friends whose dogs had adverse reactions.. One 's dog became totally paralzyed for 24 hours until the residue of the Tea tree oil was flushed from his body.. The other used a commercial preperation for a hot spot.. and her poor dog suffered a burn worse than the initial problem that it was being used for..Both people followed the instructions for use as well..

We do need a reminder that herbs and homeopathic treatments are still Medicenes and must be treated as such..
Once again, this is a very timely topic.. and Thank you for taking the time to remind us..

[Samia Blaine]

great reminder! thanks tatiana

cripes i have a lot of posts to go through on here!

[Devin C.]

Good reminder. I'm going to send this to all my friends.