Study summary
Concentrated tea tree oil toxicosis in dogs and cats: 443 cases (2002-2012)
Read the original paper- Study type
- Other
- Year
- 2014
- Sample size
- 443 subjects
- Species tested
- Dogs and cats
- Published in
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
How it was tested
A retrospective case series drawn from a poison-control database, 2002 to 2012.
Summary
A retrospective review of ten years of ASPCA poison-control records on concentrated (100%) tea tree oil exposures in dogs and cats, looking at how they happened, what signs followed, and who got sickest.
Key findings
Across 443 cases (337 dogs, 106 cats), most exposures (89%) came from people deliberately applying the oil, often to treat a skin problem, at doses ranging from a drop to 85 mL. The common signs were drooling, lethargy, weakness, and tremors, starting 2 to 12 hours after exposure and sometimes lasting up to three days. Younger, smaller-bodied cats were the most likely to become seriously ill.
Limitations
Retrospective poison-control data carries reporting and recall bias, relies on self-reported doses, and has no control group.