Now that cannabidiol, or CBD, is a widely available product, many people are discovering the health and wellness benefits of this natural cannabis component. The good news for pet owners is that animals can also benefit from CBD in many ways, and there are products available specifically for common pets, like dogs, cats, and horses. Read on to learn more about how CBD can help your pets and how you can administer it safely. You can also visit dailymom for more information.
What Is CBD Oil for Pets?
When you buy cbd pet oil, you’re getting an extraction of CBD from marijuana or hemp. The extraction is diluted with a carrier oil that is safe to consume, like coconut oil or vegetable oil. Sometimes manufacturers add other ingredients, like smoke or bacon flavor, to make the oil more appealing to pets. If the CBD-oil is a full-spectrum product derived from marijuana rather than hemp, it may contain trace amounts of THC as well. There is generally no difference in quality between products for pets and for people, but pets and humans should not take the same amount of CBD since the proper dosage depends on weight.
What Is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, one of the cannabinoids in marijuana and hemp plants. Unlike THC, the cannabinoid that makes people high, CBD has no psychoactive effects. However, it has many medicinal and therapeutic benefits for humans and other animals. There is evidence that CBD can help people manage pain, lower blood pressure, relieve anxiety, improve their sleep, lower inflammation, and even fight cancer. In recent years, veterinarians and animal science researchers have been investigating the benefits of this natural supplement for animals.
How Does CBD Oil Benefit Pets?
Pets can use CBD for all of the same reasons that humans use it, to treat pain, anxiety, and many other conditions. Research on the therapeutic benefits of CBD for pets is ongoing, but many pet owners have reported success in treating their pets with CBD. The following are the top five reasons why people give CBD oil to their pets.
- To reduce anxiety. Pets are as prone to anxiety as humans are, and their symptoms can include excessive barking, chewing, panting, shivering, and self-harm through licking and biting their skin. Many pet owners turn to CBD as an alternative to prescription medications that have more side effects and cost more money. A dose of CBD can also provide a quick fix for anxiety-inducing events, like fireworks and thunderstorms.
- To treat seizures. CBD has well-known benefits for humans who suffer from seizure disorders, like Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two severe forms of epilepsy. Dogs and cats can also experience seizures due to idiopathic epilepsy, brain tumors, liver disease, and kidney disease, and CBD can be an effective treatment. A 2019 study at Colorado State University demonstrated that CBD can reduce the frequency of seizures in dogs.
- To relieve pain. Just like humans, animals suffer pain from injuries and arthritis, and chronic pain can greatly decrease their mobility and quality of life. Although there is not yet a large body of research supporting CBD as a pain therapy for pets, many pet owners report positive results. It is not clear whether CBD relieves pain or helps animals to relax deeply enough that they react less to pain symptoms.
- To stimulate appetite. A decrease in appetite is often a sign of illness in animals. But when they stop eating, they stop taking in the nutrition they need to heal. CBD oil can stimulate appetite and reduce nausea at the same time, making it easier for animals to maintain a healthy diet.
- To maintain internal balance. Another benefit of CBD is that it helps the body to maintain homeostasis. The body’s endocannabinoid system works to achieve balance in terms of energy, body temperature, metabolism, and other functions. CBD supports the function of the endocannabinoid system in pets just as it does in humans. Thus, giving CBD to a healthy animal can help the animal stay well.
What Is the Correct Dose of CBD For Pets?
As of now, there is no standardized dosage of CBD for pets. However, some veterinarians are recommending giving animals 0.1 mg of CBD per pound of the animal’s weight. For example, if you have a 40-pound dog, you can safely give your dog 4 mg of CBD oil per day. If a bottle of CBD oil contains 200 mg and 30 ml of liquid, for example, you can measure out 0.6 milliliters of liquid for a 4 mg dose. Be aware that overdosing can be a danger. While there have been no reports of death from overdosing CBD, animals can suffer side effects like extreme lethargy.
What Other CBD Products Are Available for Pets?
Pet owners can find an array of CBD products designed for animals. Besides oil drops and capsules, one of the most popular options is CBD-infused dog chews. Other edible products include peanut butter and soft snacks. There are also topical products for skin problems, such as hot spot CBD sprays and moisturizers for paw pads, as well as ear cleaning kits. Topical products made for animals are safe for them to ingest.
Are There Any Safety Considerations?
Before giving any CBD product to your pet, there are two things you need to consider. First of all, CBD products for pets should contain little to no THC. Even a small amount of THC can be toxic for pets, especially small animals. Symptoms of THC toxicity can include confusion, agitation, seizures, and even death. Another consideration is the fact that CBD is metabolized in the liver. Thus, pets with liver disease may need a much lower dose than healthy animals.
Final Thoughts
Though CBD is not a miracle drug, it shows great promise in helping animals as well as humans live happy and healthy lives. When you’re giving your dog or cat any kind of medicine, quality is crucial. To be sure you’re not getting any harmful ingredients, look for a certificate of analysis (COA), which is a list of ingredients and their weights provided by an independent laboratory. A COA will reveal the presence and amount of THC and other cannabinoids, and it will give you confidence that the product you choose is completely safe for your pet.
