what to watch for in tea tree oil toxicity in kittens
Tea tree oil is an essential oil from the Australian tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia and is sometimes promoted equally a natural or herbal handling for fleas in pets. Although products containing low concentrations of tea tree oil are non expected to be a problem in pets, the use of pure tea tree oil directly on the skin is potentially very serious in pets and should never be used. Exposure may cause ataxia, salivation, lethargy, coma and tremor. Dermal exposure to tea tree oil may also event in dermatitis as the oil is irritant to skin. Fifty-fifty a few drops of pure tea tree oil practical dermally can cause clinical signs, and deaths have occurred in pets treated with pure tea tree oil. Treatment includes dermal decontamination and supportive intendance.
Tea tree oil is sometimes used by owners as a 'herbal' or 'natural' treatment for fleas, merely information technology is potentially hazardous, specially when used undiluted. Poisoning has even occurred when pure tea tree oil has been added to h2o and sprayed on pets.
Source of tea tree oil
Tea tree oil, likewise known as melaleuca oil, is an essential oil obtained past steam distillation from the leaves and terminal branches of the Australian tea tree, Melaleuca alternifolia (Carson et al, 2006). Essential oils are produced past plants and give the found their characteristic odour. Some people discover the camphor-similar odour of tea tree oil unpleasant. Essential oils are volatile oils that evaporate at room temperature (compared with fixed oils which do non). Tea tree oil is a colourless to pale yellow liquid containing a complex mixture of compounds including terpene hydrocarbons; more than 100 individual compounds take been identified in tea tree oil (Hammer et al, 2006).
Biological effects of tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is used in skin care products for its antibacterial and antifungal backdrop; it also has antiviral, antiprotozoal and anti-inflammatory activeness (Carson et al, 2006). Use of the extracted oil rather than constitute material itself began in the 1930s post-obit the publication of papers demonstrating its antimicrobial activeness (Carson et al, 2006).
There is no adept quality evidence to testify that tea tree oil is efficacious in any dermatological condition in humans (Ernst and Huntley, 2000; Cao et al, 2015).
Availability
Pure tea tree oil is readily available in 'health food' shops, typically in a 10 ml opaque bottle with a dropper top (Figure 1). The limerick of tea tree oil sold is regulated by an international standard which sets maximum and minimum concentrations of fourteen components (International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 2004). Tea tree oil is sold in an opaque bottle because when exposed to calorie-free, air and heat, tea tree oil undergoes oxidative deposition, yielding compounds that can increase the risk of agin dermal effects.
In terms of human being products, the European Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association (COLIPA) recommends 'that tea tree oil should non exist used in cosmetic products in a mode that results in a concentration greater than 1% oil being applied to the trunk. When formulating tea tree oil in a corrective product, companies should consider that the sensitisation potential increases if certain constituents of the oil get oxidised. To reduce the formation of these oxidation products, manufacturers should consider the apply of antioxidants and/or specific packaging to minimise exposure to light (COLIPA, 2002).
Tea tree oil is an active ingredient in numerous products such equally facial washes, spot treatments, hand wash, hair care products and shower gels for humans. Products for pets include shampoos, skin creams, lotions and balms, insect repellents and ear cleaners. In the UK in that location are no licensed veterinary medicines containing tea tree oil.
Employ of tea tree oil in companion animals
At that place is very express data on the use of tea tree in the management of diseases in companion animals. Small studies have evaluated the upshot of tea tree oil in various skin conditions in dogs.
In a report on the antifungal effect of tea tree oil on the yeast Malassezia pachydermatis isolated from dogs with cutaneous skin disease, all the strains tested showed high susceptibility to tea tree oil (Weseler et al, 2002).
In an open, multicentre study in 53 dogs with chronic dermatitis and pruritus a 10% tea tree oil cream was practical twice daily for 4 weeks. Assessment by investigating veterinarians showed a good or very proficient response to treatment for 82% of the dogs, moderate in 7.8% and unsatisfactory in nine.8%. At the end of the study a strong and significant reduction in signs and resolution of major signs were observed. 4 dogs were withdrawn from the report for poor efficacy, not-compliance, concurrent disease or persistent licking of the application site. There were adverse events in ix dogs, three of which were withdrawn. But two of the adverse events were assessed as maybe related to tea tree oil. One had local irritation and hyperaemia and the other had mild reversible hyperaemia, erythema and pruritus at the site of application (Fitzi et al, 2002).
A ten% cream was also evaluated in a randomised, double-bullheaded controlled trial in 57 dogs with localised pruritic dermatitis. The tea tree oil cream (28 dogs) or the command cream (29 dogs) was applied twice daily. Subsequently 10 days, success rates of 71% for the tea tree oil foam and 41% for the control cream differed significantly. By day 10, the tea tree oil cream caused significantly more rapid relief than the control cream for pruritus (occurring in 84% of dogs) and alopecia. Past day xx there was clinically meaning improvement in the severity of dermatitis in both handling groups. Just 1 adverse issue was reported in the tea tree oil group, only was not considered causally related to the study drug. 5 other dogs withdrew from the study: two due to lack of efficacy (1 in each grouping), one due to not-compliance (tea tree oil group), one due to inappropriate inclusion (control group) and one due to a mild concomitant disease leading to exclusion (tea tree oil grouping) (Reichling et al, 2004).
These studies demonstrated a positive effect of 10% tea tree oil cream in dogs with chronic dermatitis and pruritus, merely it is worth noting that there appear to be no studies evaluating tea tree oil handling in cats or any studies on the use of the oil in the control of fleas.
Clinical signs
The various constituents of essential oils are highly lipophilic (fatty soluble) and therefore are relatively speedily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and across the skin. The oils are local irritants of mucous membranes, just the machinery of systemic toxicity remains unknown. Most exposures are dermal or oral and dermal; oral exposure alone is less mutual (Khan et al, 2014).
Signs of essential oil toxicity in companion animals can occur within 2–8 hours (Villar et al, 1994) and typically less than 24 hours (Genovese et al, 2012), but can initially be non-specific and hands overlooked. Recovery often occurs inside 24 hours, but can exist longer.
Hypersalivation (particularly in cats), low, lethargy, ataxia, weakness, tremor, muscle fasciculation, paresis and abdominal discomfort may occur in pets following oral or dermal exposure to essential oils (Thornton, 1990; Villar et al, 1994; Bischoff and Guale, 1998; Kaluzienski, 2000; Khan et al, 2014). Vomiting and hypothermia occur occasionally (Bischoff and Guale, 1998). In astringent cases there may be plummet, coma and convulsions (Thornton, 1990). The breath, vomitus, urine and faeces may smell strongly of the oil. Hepatic and renal effects may occur following exposure to some essential oils (Bischoff and Guale, 1998). In addition, essential oils are volatile and can exist aspirated into the lungs resulting in aspiration pneumonia (Wismer and Means, 2012).
Essential oils are also irritant to the skin and may cause erythema, dermatitis, pruritus, rash, baldness or burns (Norris, 1990; Khan et al, 2014).
Adverse furnishings have been reported in cats and dogs with other 'natural' products containing essential oils used for the control of fleas, even when the production was used as directed (Genovese et al, 2012).
Adverse effects reported in cats
In a review of 106 feline cases of pure (100%) tea tree oil exposure the well-nigh common signs were hypersalivation (44%), ataxia (23%), sluggishness or listlessness (20%), coma or recumbency (16%), tremor or muscle fasciculations (9%), hypothermia (8%) and dermatitis, pruritus or rash (2%). The issue was known in only six cases and all six cats recovered (Khan et al, 2014).
In a example serial three Angora cats became unwell later on being shaved and treated with 100% tea tree oil; threescore ml was used in total on the iii cats. Inside 5 hours cat 1 was hypothermic and uncoordinated. On admission on the 24-hour interval of awarding cat 2 was comatose with dehydration and hypothermia. Cat 3 was alert, nervous, mildly ataxic and trembling. All cats had elevated liver enzymes and were noted to accept a strong odour of tea tree oil and were washed with a detergent. Cat iii recovered within 24 hours of access and cat 1 recovered after 48 hours. Cat 2 improved over days two and iii but remained ataxic, dehydrated and obtunded. On day 3 information technology began to regulate its own body temperature, but was found expressionless that evening. Pooled urine from all the cats was positive for terpinen-4-ol, a component of tea tree oil (Bischoff and Guale, 1998).
Death occurred in an viii-calendar month-old chinchilla cat 14 hours after she had been sprayed with a h2o and tea tree oil mixture as a flea repellent. Signs included collapse, laboured respiration, pregnant abdominal pain, dermatitis, depression and a strong odor of the oil (Norris, 1990).
Adverse effects reported in dogs
In a review of 337 canine cases of pure tea tree oil exposure the about common signs were depression, lethargy, listlessness or existence subdued (54%), paresis or weakness (45%), ataxia (43%), tremor or muscle fasciculation (10%), vomiting (vi%), coma, collapse or recumbency (5%), dermatitis, pruritus or rash (4%), and elevated liver enzymes (2%). Where the result was known 24 dogs (94%) recovered at home (with bathing and observation), ii recovered with veterinary care and ii died (Khan et al, 2014). In one fatal instance a 7.5-yr-one-time English Sheepdog was accidentally given 0.3–0.4 ml of tea tree oil intravenously. He immediately collapsed and died in asystole. In the other reported fatal case a 15-year-onetime miniature poodle was treated dermally with approximately 28.5 ml of pure tea tree oil applied over 3 days. After the third dose he became ataxic and was taken to a veterinary practice. He appeared to recover with supportive intendance and was discharged, simply died at home sixty hours afterward the final application (Khan et al, 2014).
Partial paralysis of the hind limbs, ataxia and depressed behaviour was reported in two dogs treated with only 7–eight drops of 100% tea tree oil as a flea repellent applied along their spines. Signs resolved apace with decontamination and they both recovered (Kaluzienski, 2000).
A cross breed was euthanased approximately 4 days after xxx ml of tea tree oil was rubbed into a raw eczematous skin surface. Initial signs included intense thirst and respiratory distress. She progressed to vomiting, clutter, drowsiness, convulsions, putrid diarrhoea, constricted pupils, dehydration, increased respiratory charge per unit, abdominal hurting and muscle fasciculation and was euthanased after failing to respond to supportive care (Thornton, 1990).
Management
Treatment of essential oil toxicity is supportive. Emesis is contraindicated if the oil has been ingested, every bit essential oils are volatile and there is a hazard of aspiration pneumonia if vomiting occurs (Villar et al, 1994; Wismer and Ways, 2012). Activated charcoal tin exist given (Alpert, 2016), simply its efficacy in essential oil toxicosis is unknown and the corporeality ingested is often pocket-sized. Activated charcoal is contraindicated in animals with central nervous system depression or vomiting, considering of the risk of aspiration.
If the tea tree oil has been practical dermally, decontamination is essential. If the owner applied the oil they should be asked about the amount of oil given, the concentration of the oil and where it was practical. The creature should be washed promptly with water and detergent, as essential oils are not readily soluble in water. Tea tree oil has a strong scent, and then this can exist used as a guide to decide the effectiveness of dermal decontamination, and collaring may be useful to prevent further grooming. The creature should be examined carefully for whatsoever signs of dermal irritation, which should be treated with antihistamines or corticosteroids, as required (Khan et al, 2014).
Animals should be assessed for evidence of aspiration, eastward.g. cough, noisy animate (which could occur following ingestion or maybe from grooming), and in those with heavy contamination and meaning signs, liver enzymes should be monitored.
Further management is supportive. Methocarbamol can be given for tremor or muscle fasciculation, and diazepam is the drug of option for convulsions. Liver protectants could exist considered in severe cases (Khan et al, 2014).
Poison centres collect information on adverse reactions to and inappropriate use of essential oils. A poison information centre will also be able to propose on appropriate management in a specific case.
Prognosis
Prognosis is practiced in animals with mild signs of tea tree oil exposure that resolve rapidly following decontamination, just in animals with heavy contamination and neurological or prolonged signs failing to reply to supportive intendance, the prognosis is more than guarded.
Prevention
If an owner asks about the employ of tea tree oil for the direction of fleas or a pare status, they should exist brash that pure (100%) or concentrated tea tree oil should never be given orally or applied directly to the skin or fur, fifty-fifty when mixed in water (the oil is non miscible with water); even a few drops of 100% tea tree oil applied dermally has caused clinical signs in companion animals. Cats may be more at risk of agin furnishings considering their grooming behaviour may lead to a higher exposure subsequently dermal awarding (Khan et al, 2014), and because metabolism of the terpene in tea tree oil involves glucuronidation (Kohlert et al, 2000) and cats are poor glucuronide conjugators. In add-on, animals with liver illness may exist more at take chances of toxicity. Alternative treatments for the management of fleas should exist discussed with the owner.
Products containing tea tree oil and formulated for use on the skin or fur are not expected to crusade essential oil toxicity, since the concentrations used are modest.
Decision
Some owners may find natural or herbal products attractive as treatments for fleas in pets, and pure (100%) tea tree oil is readily available. Natural does non mean condom, however, and dermal application of tea tree oil can cause poisoning which typically manifests as neurological (clutter, tremor, lethargy, weakness, blackout) and dermatological signs (dermatitis, pruritus or rash). Cats and dogs had died after dermal application of tea tree oil, and even a few drops can cause clinical signs. If a pure or concentrated essential oil has been applied, the skin should be done promptly with detergent and water. Direction is supportive.
Fundamental POINTS
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Tea tree oil is an essential oil promoted as a 'natural' or 'herbal' handling for fleas in pets.
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Tea tree oil applied to the skin tin cause neurological and dermal effects, particularly when undiluted oil is used.
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Even a few drops of pure 100% oil can cause clinical signs in pets.
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Deaths have been reported in companion animals post-obit dermal application of tea tree oil.
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'Natural' does not hateful rubber.
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Source: https://www.theveterinarynurse.com/review/article/tea-tree-oil-exposure-in-cats-and-dogs
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