CBD is everywhere lately. You won’t just find CBD oil at a niche health shop. You can get now CBD water, CBD cosmetics, and CBD food, among a wide range of other products for humans. And it’s now spread into the world of pets.While you might know someone, or lots of people, who give CBD oil to their dog, you must be careful about what you give to your dog. The same is true for humans: you shouldn’t just give your dog any old CBD product. Here’s what every pet owner should know about CBD for pets.
What Does CBD Treat in Dogs?
CBD treats mostly the same issues in dogs as it does in humans. Pet owners often turn to CBD when they want to help their dog deal with:
Anxiety
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Pain
Inflammation
Noise phobias
As a result, pets are eager to learn more about the use of dog CBD oil for conditions like:
Osteoarthritis
Epilepsy
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
There are even studies demonstrating the benefits of CBD in dogs with these conditions.
So, if your dog is very anxious, aging, or struggles to eat, it’s worth asking your vet about the value of CBD. Remember: your vet can’t suggest CBD to you (unless you lie in California), so you need to bring it up first. Although it’s tempting to skip the visit and save on the vet bill, you should always ask your vet before starting your pet on CBD. It’s especially vital to do so if your pet is already taking medicine to treat the symptoms or conditions above.
How Do You Choose the Right CBD for Your Dog?
One of the reasons vets are reluctant to come right out and recommend CBD – despite the known benefits – is that CBD is mostly unregulated. Unfortunately, the CBD market is still a little bit like the Wild West. There are too many companies making false or unsubstantiated claims, failing to list ingredients, or leaning into marketing hype. Because of this, it’s essential to do plenty of research into the CBD brand and product you’re interested in. Treat it as you would a medication or therapy.
Always Choose a Tested and Verified Product
Your first stop should be either your vet or one of the pharmaceutical companies who test their products of safety and efficacy. If you go another route, the CBD should have third-party lab verification. While CBD is mostly seen as safe, your dog can experience side effects, usually sedation. So, it’s essential to choose wisely. Use Products with less than 0.3% THC
CBD oil should contain less than 0.3% THC, which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
Depending on your state, you may find CBD products with a higher concentration of THC. However, these products are not pet-friendly.
Skip the Added Ingredients When Possible
You want to skip added ingredients in any product – and the same is true when choosing CBD oil for dogs.It’s a good idea to avoid products with artificial colors and flavors. You also want to avoid:
Vegetable glycerin
Propylene glycol (PG, PPG)
Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 400
Medium-chain triglycerides
Read those labels carefully, and steer clear of anything you wouldn’t want to find in your food.
Go Organic When You Can
Cannabis plants (the plant behind CBD oil) are a type of plant known as bioaccumulators. As a result, they absorb contaminants out of the ground and hold on to them. So, if a cannabis plant grows in soil contaminated with heavy metals or petrochemicals, it will show up in the CBD oil. If you eat most foods, you will have exposure to these kinds of toxins. However, you can avoid them by choosing products that come from organic farms that focus on soil quality. Buying organic – when you can – means you typically get a better quality product as well as one mostly free from toxins.
Remember to Monitor Your Dog While They Try CBD
Once you decide CBD is the right option for your dog, and you find a product you like, you then need to trial it. You shouldn’t just give your dog a CBD product without analyzing its effects.
It’s a good idea to keep a CBD journal for the first week of using the product. Note your dog’s behaviors, mood, and any potential side effects you might see. You should also keep notes of whether and how the CBD improved your dog’s symptoms. You’ll need to weigh up your observations after a week to see whether the product – or even CBD itself – is well suited to your dog.
A few of the things you should note include:
Brand of CBD product
Dosage given
Time given
Observations of their behavior
You should also re-start your journal whenever you change your dog’s dosage or the CBD product.Remember that you want to give them the lowest possible dose that still gives them the benefits of CBD. Although overdosing on CBD isn’t an issue, you don’t want to give your pet too much CBD over 12 hours.
Is Your Pet a Good Candidate for CBD Oil?
CBD for pets is growing in popularity. And if you have an anxious dog, a dog who struggles with inflammation, or a pet who struggles to eat or keep food down, then CBD oil for dogs could help them feel more like themselves.It’s always a good idea to talk to your vet about CBD before trying it with your dog. While there are a lot of stories suggesting that CBD is excellent for pets, it’s challenging to provide blanket recommendations because the industry is unregulated. You should also remember that your vet may not be able to recommend CBD on their own, so it’s up to you to ask! Are you looking for more information on caring for your dog? Visit the rest of the blog for more tips on keeping a happy, healthy dog.
