5 Things To Know About CBD Oil and Its Effects on Pets

Cannabidiol, or simply CBD, was discovered in 1940, and ever since then, the curiosity regarding this phytocannabinoid gradually grew. As a result, CBD is one of the most prevalent cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, alongside tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Most people are already aware of the benefits and effects they can get with CBD use. However, CBD products recently got another useful purpose, as more people became interested in the effects of CBD on animals.

If you have a four-legged friend, you’ll surely benefit from learning about CBD oil and its effects on pets, so keep reading.

About CBD oil for pets

Before we focus on the top five things you should know about CBD dog treats and cats, it’s essential to discuss the effects this special oil has on pets.

Cats and dogs, the most common pets, have an endocannabinoid system, allowing them to experience CBD oil’s benefits. Moreover, the effects pets get from CBD are similar to those of humans.

With that said, you can use CBD oil for treating different health conditions in pets, including inflammation, pain, seizures, anxiety, and arthritis. Besides that, CBD oil can also increase appetite, improve joint health, and make pets’ coats soft and shiny.

After the 2018 Farm Act removed CBD from the controlled substance list, people have been interested in trying different CBD products for themselves and their furry friends.

If you’re planning to give CBD oil for pets a go, here are the top five things you should know.

1.   Always check the Certificate of Analysis

A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is the most crucial piece of information you need to check when shopping for CBD oil. This certificate gives details about third-party lab test results, which check the quality and presence of specific product ingredients.

For instance, COA can inform you about the presence or absence of THC content in CBD oil. Moreover, COA focuses on three tests, and you should examine all of them. They are:

• Pesticides test: Even organic CBD products can contain pesticides from other crops, so you should ensure no pesticides can be found in your CBD oil product.
• Heavy metals test: Pollutants and heavy metals, such as lead, can be toxic and cause even more health problems for pets using CBD oil.
• Microbial test: Your CBD oil shouldn’t contain pathogens like E. coli or salmonella.

2.   Go with CBD oil without THC content

As mentioned above, COA informs you about the presence or absence of THC content in CBD oil products. Since CBD can be found in hemp and marijuana plants, the THC level can vary between products.

Since people can handle THC better than animals, this psychoactive cannabinoid should be avoided when shopping for CBD products for pets. THC is what gives the users the well-known “high” effect.

Besides that, THC is toxic for animals and can lead to numerous side effects, such as diarrhea and vomiting. Therefore, you should always make sure your CBD products for pets have zero THC.

3.   Go with broad-spectrum CBD over CBD isolate

If you’ve been researching different CBD products, you probably noticed you have three options to choose from – full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, or CBD isolate. CBD isolate contains nothing besides pure CBD, while broad-spectrum CBD products also contain other natural cannabinoids and terpenes. 

Both options have unique pros and cons, but it’s always better to go with broad-spectrum CBD when it comes to pets. While CBD isolate doesn’t have severe effects as THC, other cannabinoids and terpenes found in broad-spectrum CBD surely make a difference.

4.   Don’t get tricked by hemp oil

CBD oil and hemp oil are known to be organic, all-natural products with loads of benefits, so it’s not uncommon for people to mix them up. However, hemp oil contains very little or no CBD content, so it’s not therapeutic for pets. You should know that before purchasing hemp oil, believing it’ll provide your furry friend with the same effects.

Nevertheless, many manufacturers add CBD into their hemp seed oil, so check the COA and learn more about the ingredients found in the product.

5.   Be careful with the dosage

Lastly, you should be extremely careful with the dosage once you purchase a suitable CBD product. Since there’s no extensive research on CBD pet use, there’s still no definitive guide that can help you with dosing CBD oil for your pet.

However, early research suggests that the correct dosage of CBD products for dogs should be 2 mg/kg, so it depends on their weight. It’s a reasonably good starting point, after which you can modify the dosage by monitoring your pet and tracking its response to the CBD oil product.

Conclusion

CBD products are slowly taking over as more people become familiar with the countless benefits this therapeutic cannabinoid can offer them and their four-legged friends. Now that you know enough about CBD oil for pets, you can start your hunt for the perfect product and make your pet healthier and happier.