# Essential oils?



## Sylvester7812

So I have an essential oil diffuser in my room and I also keep my hedgehog in here. It just recently dawned on me that I use my oil diffuser and never thought about if it was safe for hedgehogs. Are there certain oils I should avoid or are they not good for him in general?


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## autumnfox

I do not believe it would cause any health issues, but since hedgehogs have a very good sense of smell, it may be too strong and irritate them. I would recommend only occasionally using or stop using a diffuser in the same room as your hedgehog.

I live in a one-room apartment and I love candles. I know that it may bother my hedgehog so I only occasionally use them when she is sleeping (tucked away somewhere), never when she is awake.


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## Sylvester7812

Yea I’m not like a heavy user with essential oils but I do have it on from time to time during the day while he’s asleep and I’ve never had an issue but it’s good to double check 😊


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## AlexWG

Just watch which oils you use. Tea tree oil is toxic to hedgehogs, and is a common one people use. 

My hedgehog really likes lavender, and doesn't find it too strong in the diffuser, or her bath water... Yeah... I tried it once to calm her down in the bath, and she was calm alright, just wanted to drink all the bath water so that won't be happening again.

Citrus oils may also be a bit "strong" smelling, and be careful with lemon grass since it has disinfectant properties, but if you stick to basic ones like lavender and stuff you should be ok. Just no tea tree! Very bad for the hogdogs.


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## Kalandra

I recently read an article on the dangers of diffusers with pets, specifically with cats and birds as they tend to be very sensitive. 

I don't use diffusers but from what the article stated is that active diffusers expel micro droplets of the oil and if your pet gets into that material it can get lodged on their fur and skin. With cats this is particularly dangerous as cats lack an essential enzyme in their liver and makes many oils toxic to them.

The article stated that if you are going to use a diffuser to use a passive version instead of an active. Something to add to your research.


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## akitka

Not much research has been done on the safety of essential oils with pets, but they have been known to give cats and dogs seizures, and I think they are known to be harmful to birds as well. Keep in mind just because something is from a plant or organic doesn’t mean it’s safe. Essential oils can contain a lot of active ingredients and it’s hard to know what will be toxic to a hedgehog.


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## Hedgielover411

My hedgie, Theodore, lives in my room too, and I also use a diffuser. As long as you do your research on which oils are safe for hedgies, you’ll be good to go (I often use lavender in my room and it’s perfectly safe for hedgies). Hope this helps!

Good luck!!!


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