Frankincense

A resin from Boswellia trees, used as incense and an essential oil. One of the gentler oils around dogs when diffused or well diluted; never give it by mouth, and take far more care around cats.

Is frankincense safe for dogs? Generally yes, used the right way. Frankincense is one of the gentler essential oils around dogs: it is not on the Pet Poison Helpline's list of oils most dangerous to pets, and a little diffused in a ventilated room the dog can leave, or a well-diluted drop on the coat, rarely causes problems. It is still a concentrated essential oil. It should never go on a dog undiluted, never be given by mouth as an oil, and it is a different matter for cats.

One thing most pages on this miss: frankincense essential oil and the frankincense supplement sold for joints are not the same thing, and the dog research is on the supplement. Below: what frankincense is, how the oil and the resin differ, form-by-form safety for diffusers, skin, incense and licking, how to use it around a dog, why cats and birds are the exception, and what to do if something goes wrong.

What Frankincense Is

Frankincense (also called olibanum) is the dried gum resin of Boswellia trees, mainly Boswellia sacra and B. carterii from Oman, Somalia and Ethiopia, B. frereana, and the Indian species B. serrata. The bark is cut, the resin weeps out and hardens into the golden "tears" sold as incense, and those tears are either burned, steam-distilled into an essential oil, or extracted into a powdered supplement.

The essential oil is mostly small, volatile aroma molecules called terpenes — the same family found in hemp, pine and citrus. The dominant one is usually alpha-pinene. In a 2023 analysis of Ethiopian frankincense oil, alpha-pinene ranged from 5.5% to 56.4% of the oil depending on the batch, alongside thujene, carene and limonene (Plants, 2023). That spread is worth knowing: two bottles both labelled "frankincense" can smell and behave quite differently.

Frankincense Oil vs Boswellia Supplement: Not the Same Thing

This is the distinction that decides most of the questions owners ask. The resin contains two very different groups of compounds, and they end up in different products.

Frankincense essential oil is what steam distillation carries over: the light, volatile terpenes. It is used for scent — diffusers, incense, diluted topical blends. There are no published studies of frankincense essential oil in dogs, cats or horses.
Boswellia extract is a powdered extract of the whole resin, standardised to boswellic acids such as AKBA. These are large, heavy molecules that do not evaporate, so they stay behind in the still and are essentially absent from the essential oil. Boswellia extract is given by mouth with food, and it is what the canine joint research used. Our Boswellia entry covers it in full.

So when a page says "frankincense helps dogs with joint pain" and then tells you to rub the oil on your dog's hips, it is borrowing evidence from one product and applying it to another. The one canine study — an open, multi-centre trial of 29 dogs with chronic joint and spinal disease in Switzerland — used a Boswellia serrata resin extract at 400 mg per 10 kg of body weight, once daily in food, for six weeks; 71% of the 24 eligible dogs showed an overall benefit by week two, and five dogs had brief diarrhoea or flatulence (Reichling et al., 2004). It had no placebo group, so it is encouraging rather than conclusive. None of it tells you anything about the essential oil.

Is Frankincense Safe for Dogs? Form by Form

In a diffuser

The lowest-risk way to use it, provided the setup is right. Dogs' noses are far more sensitive than ours, so a scent that is pleasant to you can be a lot for them. Use a water-based ultrasonic diffuser, a few drops, a ventilated room, and a door left open so the dog can walk away. Run it for 30 to 60 minutes rather than all day, and never in a closed room, a crate area or a car. Dogs with asthma, chronic bronchitis or a flat-faced (brachycephalic) airway — pugs, bulldogs, French bulldogs — are the ones to be most careful with.

Diluted on the skin or coat

Possible, but rarely necessary. If you do it, dilute heavily: about 1 drop of frankincense oil in 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) of a plain carrier oil, which works out to roughly 0.5% to 1%. Patch-test a small area and wait 24 hours. Keep it away from the face, eyes, nose, genitals and any broken or irritated skin, and put it somewhere the dog cannot lick, because whatever goes on the coat ends up in the mouth.

Undiluted

No. Neat essential oil on skin can cause redness, irritation and, with repeated use, sensitisation, and a dog will lick it off within minutes.

By mouth

Do not give frankincense essential oil orally. Essential oils are concentrated many times beyond the plant, the dog has no way to spit out the taste, and swallowed oils irritate the mouth and stomach. If you want frankincense for joints, the oral form is a Boswellia extract made for animals, served by weight with food.

Burning frankincense incense

The resin itself is not toxic to smell, but smoke is smoke. Burning incense puts fine particles into the air that irritate a dog's airways the same way candle and cigarette smoke do. Burn it occasionally, in a ventilated room, with the dog able to leave, and not at all around a coughing, asthmatic or flat-faced dog. Keep loose resin tears out of reach: a dog that chews and swallows a lump of resin can get an upset stomach.

If your dog licks some

A lick of a diluted blend is unlikely to do more than cause a bit of drooling or lip-smacking. A dog that gets into an open bottle of neat oil is a different situation — see "What to Do if Your Pet Is Exposed" below.

How to Use Frankincense Around Your Dog

Start with the room, not the dog. Passive diffusion in a shared space is the safest way to use any essential oil. You get the scent; the dog chooses how much of it to be near.
Always leave an exit. A dog that leaves the room when the diffuser goes on is telling you something. Respect it.
Go low and short. A few drops in the diffuser's water, 30 to 60 minutes, then off.
Dilute anything that touches the dog. About 0.5% to 1% — 1 drop in 1 to 2 teaspoons of carrier oil. Never neat.
Not on the paws. The human practice of putting frankincense on the soles of the feet does not translate: dogs lick their paws constantly.
One oil at a time. "Calming" and "joint" blends often mix frankincense with tea tree, wintergreen, eucalyptus or peppermint, which are far more of a problem for pets. Read the full ingredient list.
Store it like a medicine. Cap on, high shelf, out of reach. Most essential-oil poisonings come from a dog or cat getting into the bottle, not from normal use.

Frankincense and Cats: Be Much More Careful

Cats are the exception to almost everything above. The Pet Poison Helpline explains that cats lack a key liver enzyme they need to break down and clear many compounds in essential oils, so oils that a dog tolerates can build up in a cat. Its list of oils most dangerous to cats includes pine oils, citrus oil (d-limonene), tea tree, eucalyptus and peppermint. Frankincense is not on that list, but its main components are the same pine-type terpenes, alpha-pinene and limonene, so it is not an oil to assume is safe for cats either.

Never apply frankincense oil to a cat, diluted or not. Cats groom everything off their coat.
Do not diffuse it in a room a cat cannot leave, and skip it entirely around cats with asthma.
Watch for respiratory signs: open-mouth breathing, coughing, wheezing, or drooling in a cat after a diffuser has been on is a reason to turn it off, get the cat into fresh air and call the vet.
Birds are more sensitive still. Their respiratory systems are extremely efficient at taking in anything airborne. Do not diffuse or burn frankincense in the same room as a pet bird.

Our Cat Safety entry covers the wider list of what cats process differently.

Frankincense for Horses

Frankincense oil appears in some equine fly sprays, balms and liniments, usually at low concentrations alongside other oils. As with dogs, keep it out of the eyes and off broken skin, and patch-test a new product. For joints, the horse research again concerns Boswellia extract fed by mouth, not the oil. A small placebo-controlled study of 16 show-jumping horses fed a commercial supplement containing Boswellia serrata, curcuma and mullein for 10 days found lower blood markers of inflammation; because it was a combination product, the effect cannot be put down to Boswellia alone (Beghelli et al., 2023). The European Food Safety Authority judged an olibanum (Boswellia serrata) extract safe as a feed flavouring at up to 100 mg per kg of complete feed for horses and 330 mg/kg for dogs (EFSA, 2022). If your horse competes, check your federation's rules before adding any herbal product.

Signs of an Essential Oil Reaction

Mouth and stomach: drooling, pawing at the mouth, lip-smacking, vomiting, diarrhoea.
Skin: redness, itching, rubbing or scratching where the oil was applied.
Breathing: coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, fast or laboured breathing; open-mouth breathing in a cat.
Nervous system: wobbliness, unusual lethargy, muscle tremors — signs of a larger exposure that need a vet now.

What to Do if Your Pet Is Exposed

Fresh air first. Turn off the diffuser and move the animal to a ventilated room or outside.
Wash it off. For oil on the skin or coat, wash with a little mild dish soap and lukewarm water and rinse well. Water alone does not shift oil.
Do not make them vomit. Inducing vomiting after an essential oil can cause the oil to be breathed into the lungs.
Call for advice. Your vet, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center on (888) 426-4435, or the Pet Poison Helpline on (855) 764-7661. Both may charge a consultation fee. Have the bottle in hand so you can say what was in it and how much.

What to Look For When Buying Frankincense Oil

The Latin name on the label, such as Boswellia sacra, carterii, serrata or frereana. "Frankincense fragrance oil" is a synthetic scent, not the essential oil.
A single-oil product, not a blend, if it is going anywhere near a pet. Blends are where the cat-toxic oils hide.
A batch test report (GC-MS), which lists what the oil actually contains. Given how much frankincense composition varies, that is the only way to know.
A dark glass bottle with a dropper insert, which protects the oil from light and makes it hard to pour out a large amount by accident.
Skepticism about "therapeutic grade" and "safe to ingest" claims. There is no regulated grading for essential oils, and no essential oil should be fed to a pet.

When to Talk to Your Veterinarian

Before using frankincense around a dog or cat with asthma or any breathing problem, a seizure disorder, liver disease, sensitive or broken skin, or a pregnancy, and before giving any oral Boswellia product to a pet on medication — boswellic acids can affect how some other drugs are moved through the body. Bring the bottle to the appointment so the vet can see exactly what is in it.

Where Hemp Fits — and Where It Doesn't

Frankincense oil is a scent, and that is all the evidence supports it being. If you came to this page because your dog is stiff, slowing down or uncomfortable, the products with canine joint data are given by mouth: Boswellia extract (one open study), fish oil (the strongest supplement evidence), green-lipped mussel, and full-spectrum hemp. Our own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort, overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM with Colorado State University researchers, found that 30 of the 32 dogs that completed it showed a benefit and 94% of owners reported an improved quality of life.

We do not put essential oils in any HempMy Pet product, partly for the cat-safety reasons above. Our hemp seed oil tinctures are served by weight with food — the 250mg bottle ($49) for dogs up to about 40 lbs and cats, and the 1000mg bottle ($99) for bigger dogs — and the large-dog hemp treats ($32) are the no-measuring option. See hip and joint mobility, hemp for dogs, hemp for cats and hemp for horses, and the serving guide for amounts by weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is frankincense safe for dogs?

Generally yes, in small amounts used sensibly: passive diffusion in a ventilated room the dog can leave, or a heavily diluted drop on the coat. It is not on the Pet Poison Helpline's list of the most dangerous oils for pets. Never apply it undiluted, never give the oil by mouth, and be far more cautious around cats and birds.

Can I diffuse frankincense around my dog?

Yes, with care. Use a water-based diffuser, a few drops, 30 to 60 minutes at a time, in a ventilated room with the door open so your dog can leave. Avoid closed rooms, crates and cars, and skip it around dogs with asthma, bronchitis or a flat-faced breed's airway.

Is frankincense incense safe for dogs to smell?

The scent itself is not toxic, but the smoke is an airway irritant like any smoke. Burn it occasionally, in a ventilated room, with the dog free to leave, and not at all around a dog with a cough or breathing problem. Keep loose resin tears out of reach so they are not chewed and swallowed.

What is the safest essential oil to diffuse around dogs?

No essential oil is risk-free, but frankincense and lavender are the two most often described as lower-risk for dogs when diffused briefly in a ventilated room the dog can leave. Tea tree, wintergreen, pennyroyal, pine, cinnamon, clove, peppermint and eucalyptus are the ones to keep away from pets. If a cat shares the house, be stricter still.

Can I put frankincense oil on my dog's skin?

Only heavily diluted — about 1 drop in 1 to 2 teaspoons of carrier oil, roughly 0.5% to 1% — after a 24-hour patch test, away from the face, genitals and broken skin, and somewhere the dog cannot lick. In most cases there is no reason to put it on the dog at all.

What happens if my dog licks frankincense oil?

A lick of a diluted blend usually causes nothing more than drooling or lip-smacking. A dog that swallows neat oil from a bottle may drool, vomit or seem wobbly or lethargic. Do not make the dog vomit; rinse the mouth area, keep the bottle, and call your vet or a pet poison line.

Can dogs eat frankincense?

Do not give a dog frankincense essential oil by mouth. The oral form used in canine research is a Boswellia resin extract made for animals and given with food — in the one canine study, 400 mg per 10 kg of body weight daily. A dog that chews a piece of incense resin may get an upset stomach; call the vet if it keeps vomiting.

Does frankincense help dogs with joint pain or anxiety?

The joint evidence is for oral Boswellia extract, not the essential oil: an open study of 29 dogs found improvement in most within two weeks, without a placebo group. There are no studies of frankincense oil for joints or anxiety in dogs. A calming scent may be pleasant for the household, but it is not a treatment.

Is frankincense safe for cats?

Treat it with caution. Cats lack a liver enzyme needed to clear many essential-oil compounds, and frankincense oil is largely alpha-pinene and limonene, the same terpenes found in pine and citrus oils, which are on the Pet Poison Helpline's list of oils dangerous to cats. Never apply it to a cat, and do not diffuse it where a cat cannot leave.

What essential oils are not safe for cats?

The Pet Poison Helpline lists wintergreen, sweet birch, citrus (d-limonene), pine, ylang ylang, peppermint, cinnamon, pennyroyal, clove, eucalyptus and tea tree as oils of particular concern for cats. Concentrated oils, diffusers in closed rooms, and anything applied to the coat carry the most risk.

When should you not use frankincense?

Around birds; on or near cats; on undiluted skin; by mouth as an oil; in a closed room or car with a pet; around dogs with asthma, bronchitis or a flat-faced airway; and on broken or irritated skin. Talk to the vet first for a pet with a seizure disorder, liver disease or a pregnancy, or before giving an oral Boswellia product to a pet on medication.

Is frankincense safe for horses?

Low-concentration frankincense in equine fly sprays and balms is generally well tolerated; keep it out of the eyes and off broken skin. The oral equine research is on Boswellia extract, mostly in combination supplements. Competition horses should be checked against their federation's rules before any herbal product.

Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its certified-organic Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards. Every batch is third-party tested, and the company's 90-day dog study was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS with Colorado State University researchers. This entry is general information, not veterinary advice. Last updated 19 October 2026.