We all love to light a scented candle from time to time. Whether it’s for the aroma, ambience or to soothe and relax. While we’re cosy by our candle, we tend to forget about the effect it will have on our dogs. Sparking the question, are scented candles toxic to dogs?
The answer is yes… some can be and this is why!
We all do our bit to make sure that candles are out of reach so it’s not knocked over by an enthusiastic waggy tail or licked as some dogs just love to lick everything! But did you know, the wick, the wax, and the aroma could affect our dog’s health?
Many scented candles emit nasty toxins and chemicals into the air. These toxins can be harmful to both humans and dogs. We both breathe these nasties in and then they travel around our bodies via our bloodstream.
A dog’s sense of smell is around 10,000 – 100,000 times better than ours, so a reaction can be a lot more severe for them. Some dogs will try to leave the room, act out of character, become more thirsty… lethargic, depressed and in some cases vomiting and diarrhoea. Even minor reactions can be really unpleasant for our beloved pets… after all they can’t tell us that the scented candle is affecting them or go and put it out themselves!
Candles aren’t regulated and companies don’t have to list the ingredients used, making it difficult to know what toxins emit once the candle has been lit?
Just like us, dogs could also be allergic to various parts of the candle, such as the scent and chemicals that go with it, the wax and even the wick!
Here’s a breakdown of exactly what you should look for in a candle (and what to avoid).
Suggested Ingredients To Avoid:
There are many ingredients you should look out for while selecting your scented candles, not just for the health of your pooch but for your own safety too.
Lead: If the wick has a metal core, containing lead this could affect the central nervous system. Symptoms that your dogs affected include chomping at the jaw and in-coordination.
Paraffin wax: Found in the majority of candles. Made from petroleum waste, best not look into what that is. If inhaled, this could cause nausea and headaches, it also releases carcinogens when burned.
Acetaldehyde, Formaldehyde, and Acrolein: these nasty toxins reduce the air quality we breathe.
Benzene: This is a known carcinogen and comes from the burning soot in a candle.
Toluene: This could come from the soot and is dangerous to the central nervous system.
In addition to this, avoid artificial scents and colours.
Dog-Friendly Candle Alternatives
The good news is, there are many natural, alternative scented candles that aren’t harmful or toxic… like our Pet Scents range, made specific with our pets in mind, so very much pet friendly. Not only do these have scents derived from natural ingredients and essential oils, but they also have a longer burn time and therefore last longer.
The best candles (like ours) to buy that have little, to no effect on us and the dogs, should be beeswax, coconut wax, natural soy or vegetable-based wax. The wick should be lead-free, we recommend sticking to 100% natural cotton (unbleached), paper or wood.