Most animals are even more sensitive to the effects of the oils than humans. They often seem to have a natural affinity to the healing influence of the oils. Adjust dosage proportionately, based on body weight. If the protocol for a human being (at about 160 lbs) calls for 3-5 drops, then a horse (at 1600 lbs or more) could use as much as 10 times that amount, while a dog (at 16 lbs) would use as little as one tenth that amount. Generally speaking, if you have never put oils on an animal before, you should start carefully, applying them only to the feet, paws or hooves (on the frog and cornet bands) at first. In the case of cats and small dogs, essential oils should ALWAYS be diluted before applying because they are actually MORE sensitive to the bio-chemicals in the oils than humans. Be careful to avoid high phenol oils such as oregano and thyme on cats because they can be extremely sensitive to these stronger oils. They should only be used in high rates of dilution (90%) and the diluted oil should only be applied to the paws.

Use Special Caution with Cats: Cats metabolize things very differently from dogs and other animals. Certain oils are potentially toxic to cats and could result in injury or even death, if applied incorrectly. For example, cats generally have adverse reactions to citrus products and citrus oils are sometimes used to deter cats from an area. Also, cats are very sensitive to strong odors. A safe alternative, when in doubt, would be to mist them lightly with floral water. Consulting with a veterinarian is a good policy before applying oils to cats for the first time.