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A Michigan woman's online account of her family cat's brush with eucalyptus oil used in a diffuser spurred concern among fellow pet lovers on social media — and experts say those worries have some truth to them. Sue Murray said in her 7 January 2018 post that she had unwittingly poisoned the cat, Ernie, by using a diffuser in her house with eucalyptus oil to alleviate her head cold. She said: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) lists essential oils like eucalyptus, orange and lemon (among others) as being among the leading causes for tremors among cats. The group also has warnings on its website for products that may contain essential oils. According to Tina Wismer, the medical director for the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, cats exposed to essential oils can absorb it through their skin or orally. In some cases, she said, owners inadvertently put them at risk by applying substances with a high concentration of essential oils on their cats while trying to treat other problems, such as an open wound or ear mites: Before using products containing essential oils on their pets, she said, owners should make sure that they are labeled for use with that specific species: Owners using diffusers like Murray did, Wismer explained, should move their cats to another room while doing so and avoid using the device for extended periods of time in order to minimize the risk that oil droplets could get onto their fur. The most common symptoms for cats exposed to essential oils, she said, were drooling, vomiting, coughing, and sneezing. While any animal can potentially have an issue with oils spread by diffusers, she said, birds are even more susceptible than cats: Another post circulating online in February 2018 described a dog owner's account of her pooch's acting weird after being exposed to essential oils: We asked Wismer about this case as well, and she told us: In 2014, another Facebook user, Julie Muzynoski Miklaszewicz, also shared her story about her cat being affected by a diffuser, though in her case the animal lived, although it suffered chemical burns after knocking the device over.
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