ATTN Pet Owners- Teak Oil Can be Dangerous for Your Pooch
News flash. Teak oil can be poisonous to dogs, cats, and other household pets. It's commonly used to oil teak furniture to prevent fading to a silvery patina. Teak oil poses a serious threat to your extended member of the family and several pet owners have come across this discovery.
Teak oil is commonly recommended and is widely available at local nurseries and hardware shops. Some teak oils will indicate that they can be harmful with notes or a large "X" displayed prominently on the label. The root cause of the danger, a little known ingredient known as Naphtha.
What is Naptha
Naphtha is a colorless and sometimes reddish-brown aromatic liquid very similar to gasoline. It is composed of liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons and can also be a distillation product from petroleum, coal tar, or peat boiling.
Naphtha is primarily used to produce high octane gasoline and is also used as a solvent in the chemical industry. Products that contain naphtha include lighter fluid, camp stove fuel, and some cleaning solvents like teak oil.
Frequently Asked Questions: Teak Oil Safety for Pet Owners
No. Many teak oils can be poisonous to dogs and cats. The danger often comes from naphtha in some teak oil formulas. Labels may even flag hazards with a large “X.” Keep pets away from treated areas and products.
A petroleum-derived solvent with carcinogenic properties. Naphtha is a hydrocarbon mixture used in lighter fluid, camp-stove fuel, and some cleaners, including certain teak oils. It helps the product penetrate—while raising safety concerns for pets.
Skin burning/rash; nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea if ingested. The CDC notes naphtha can damage liver and kidneys in animals. Watch for odd behavior, vomiting, or shaking—even without direct contact in some cases.
Give water immediately to dilute the oil in the stomach. Provide water right away to reduce concentration. Remove access to the product and treated surfaces while you monitor your pet closely.
Yes—some pets reacted to aroma exposure alone. Reports include odd behavior, vomiting, and violent shaking without direct contact. Sensitivity varies, so keep pets away from application areas and drying pieces.
No. It will not stop natural patina—and can cause mildew. Over-application may promote mildew, and teak will still weather to a silvery patina over time.
Use a teak sealer to help prevent fading. The article recommends teak sealer over oil. It helps preserve color; or skip products entirely if you prefer teak’s natural silver patina.
Naphtha has carcinogenic properties. It's very difficult to test the effects of naphtha on living organisms because it is so hard to separate the individual chemical from other chemicals included in the solution.
Symptoms of Teak Oil Poisoning
- If you get naphtha on your skin, it can cause a burning sensation and/or rash within a few minutes.
- If ingested, teak oil may cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. The CDC explicitly states that naphtha can cause damage to the liver and kidney in animals. If your dog does ingest it, you should have him/her drink water immediately so that the oil content is diluted within the stomach.
Symptoms and Effects of Naphtha screen shot taken from cdc.gov.
Some pet owners have noticed their pets behaving oddly, vomiting, and shaking violently. This was without even coming into direct contact with the oil. Simply the aroma was enough to induce negative reactions in some cases. Obviously, this may vary on a case by case basis.
Alternative Solutions
When I wrote my Teak Furniture Maintenance Guide, I wasn't even aware about Teak Oil Poisoning. Lucky for my conscience, I always advise people to use teak sealer instead of teak oil and not just because of the risk of teak oil poisoning. Teak oil will not prevent fading and it can sometimes cause mildew due to over application.
Teak sealer in contrast, will prevent teak furniture from fading to the grayish patina. That's not always bad because some people actually like the patina. Case in point, use teak sealer and not teak oil. It can cause mildew, it won't protect the original hues, and it can be harmful to your pets. For more tips on maintaining teak furniture, you can read the complete guide.
More on Teak Furniture:
- Teak Furniture Care and Maintenance
- How to Remove Watermarks from Teak
- Is Wi-Fi Killing Your Plants
- These Tree Houses Will Make You Wish You Were a Kid Again
