Rabbits and essential oils

Question
Hello!
I've been trying to find information on which essential oils can harm rabbits and which can be used in vaporisers or aromatherapy diffusers in the same room with a rabbit. The only information I was able to find was that lemon oil can be deadly.
I make and use my own hand creams with different essential oils and I would like to make sure I'm not harming my bun. As he has frequent respiratory infections I'd also like to know if it's safe to use essential oils like eucalyptus or tee tree in vaporisers or diffusers. My vet didn't really know the answers to those questions, I hope you can help me.
Thank you in advance! Dora

Answer
Dear Dora,

Because rabbits have very sensitive respiratory systems, and because your bunny already has a history of respiratory infections, I really would avoid most essential oils around him.  A person with asthma is much more sensitive to aromas and airborne chemicals than a healthy person, so even if essential oils might not be considered harmful to a normal, healthy human lung, one can't necessarily say they would be safe or pleasant for a person with a chronic respiratory condition.

The same would go for a rabbit.  If there is any chance or doubt that the oils might cause irritation or discomfort, I would not use them around the rabbit.  Make sure he gets lots of fresh air and ventilation.  It is not recommended that strong aromas be used in a closed-in household where rabbits live.  They are simply far more sensitive to smells than we are, and have much smaller bodies and lungs with which to deal with them.

In short, I would hazard to say that there are *no* oils that would be 100% safe and harmless to a bunny who already has had respiratory problems.  Eucalyptus and tea tree oils could be among the worst of the lot.

I hope this helps.

Dana