candles and scented sprays

Question
QUESTION: Are candles (scented and not) and scented household sprays harmful to rabbits?
Does it make a difference to use soy and/or beeswax candles?
If those are not good, are there any safe ways to add scent without any health hazards?


ANSWER: Dear Jennifer,

This is an excellent question, and I'm glad you are concerned enough about your bunny's respiratory (and other) health to ask!

I would definitely *not* use scented sprays.  Aerosols can be harmful to the respiratory tract of small animals, and I just would not take the chance.

Scented candles might be all right, but it is *very* important to use very high quality candles that don't contain cheap, synthetic fragrances that can be so strong as to cause headaches.  I do know of a bunny whose caregiver constantly had half a dozen of those cheap, supermarket brand candles going--berry scents, flower scents, etc. and the poor bunny just languished until I told her to stop.  And then the bunny got better!

Aromatherapy candles are usually going to be the safest bet.  Be sure the wicks are safe, and do not contain heavy metals (candles made in China or other overseas places with little regulation often have dangerous, lead-containing wicks!)  An excellent company whose candles have proven safe for us are the candles made by Aroma Naturals:

http://www.aromanaturals.com/

Their scents are fantastic, and you can get soy or regular candles (I don't think that soy or beeswax are necessarily safer than regular paraffin.

You can usually buy this brand at a good health food supermarket sucha s Wild Oats/Whole Foods, where you can sniff them in person and find the ones you like best (my personal favorites are "serenity" and "tranquility"--but they're all good).

Other aromatherapy brands you can get at Wild Oats are probably also good.

Hope that helps!

Dana

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much! Thanks for the link. There are couple of stores nearby that sell those candles so I can check them out first hand.  Can't wait.

The other thing is, I sometimes use non-aerosol sprays like "Air-Therapy" (they are organic type from health food stores and trader joes) but now that the aerosol danger is eliminated, what about the amount of particles that will float down onto the floor? I know this may have to do with how much someone sprays, but in general, could this be harmful? I am assuming lime and orange, because of the acidic nature, could cause irritation IF the amount of the particles that landed were many.   I know this may be something you may not know, but I thought I would at least ask.

Thanks again!!!  

Answer
Dear Jennifer,

I don't know the ingredients in the sprays you describe, so can't really say whether they would be harmful.  Herbal oils are not necessarily non-toxic, and plants produce them to deter herbivores.  So sometimes they are actually toxic "on purpose" if you ask the plant!

Certain citrus oils are harmful to rabbits (e.g., limonene), as are other aromatics such as those found in eucalyptus and other plants.  The  miniscule amounts a bunny might encounter after a spray has been applied might not be overtly toxic, but I'm  not sure I'd add that to the environment when safe aromatherapy candles will provide plenty of pleasant fragrance.

Too much aromatic vapor of any kind can cause headaches and respiratory irritation.

I hope that helps.

Dana