It’s interesting to see how the questions I get about CBD every day has changed so much in the past year. Six months ago, I would get flooded with questions asking me if CBD was dangerous and if it would get them high. Now I see more questions like "Can I give my CBD oil to my cat and dog?"
This is a really good question and the answer is a bit tricky. So let’s find out the best CBD oil for pets and see if we can or can’t give them our own.
What’s in CBD oil?
There are two main types of CBD products: CBD Full Spectrum & CBD Isolate.
The vast majority of CBD products are full spectrum. This means that besides it having CBD, it also has the other 100+ cannabinoids found in hemp, as well as, the terpenes which are the essential oils responsible for the aroma.
While CBD has the most pronounced therapeutic effects, the other cannabinoids and terpenes provide their own. They mostly overlap and reinforce CBD’s therapeutic properties, but not always. Since they can bring along their own healing properties, we have a CBD product that can treat more conditions.
The second thing they do is they make CBD easy to absorb into the bloodstream. The terpene, myrcene, is one of the most abundant terpenes in hemp, and this is great because it plays a large role in allowing CBD to pass the blood-brain barrier with ease. We call this synergic relationship between the phytocannabinoids and terpenes the entourage effect.
Because we now know that there is more to CBD oil than CBD we are starting to call it full spectrum hemp or phytocannabinoid (PCR) oil. When isolated, CBD can be difficult to dose, as it requires a high dose that you can over hit for diminishing returns.
But our pets can’t talk, and this makes it incredibly tricky for us to tell if their dose is working or not. Full spectrum allows dosages, both high and low, and this is why 99% of pet CBD oil is full spectrum CBD.
This is the first reason you might not be able to give your pet your CBD product.
The More You Know: It’s not a surprise that CBD needs the other phytocannabinoids and terpenes to work. If it wasn’t for endocannabinoids that both, us and all mammals create, even full spectrum CBD oil wouldn't do much to improve health. CBD attaches to FAAH enzymes which prevents them from breaking down endocannabinoids which naturally attach to cannabinoid receptors found throughout our bodies.
CBD can attach to some receptors and promote health, but the majority CBD oil’s healing properties come from protecting endocannabinoids and allowing them to attach to cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoid system plays a vital role in repairing an organism from daily wear and tear, and this affects all aspects of health.
How Much CBD is In CBD Oil?
Our pets weigh less than us. I know, way to state the obvious, right? But I mention it because with so many of them hovering around the 10-20lb range, CBD oil formulated for pets is less concentrated than people CBD oil.
Now, if you and your pet are the same weight or they are larger, your CBD oil is fine for them as long as it’s full spectrum.
All of our CBD and hemp products share the same high-quality phytocannabinoids rich oil, except for our isolate CBD of course. Our Pet CBD comes in a 125 mg concentration that is perfect for smaller pets under 40lbs.
Will my pets see the same benefits?
The answer is a resounding yes! All mammals have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) which is an internal system that promotes homeostasis repairing and stabilizing all aspects of our body. Homeostasis regulates sleep, appetite, protection against germs, you name it.
The ECS is composed of its own cannabinoids called endocannabinoids, that attach to cannabinoid receptors activating the system. What CBD is mainly doing is protecting the endocannabinoids from being broken down before they can attach to the receptors. If an endocannabinoid doesn’t make an attachment to the cannabinoid receptor, then we start seeing more illnesses, and other issues occur.
How Much CBD Should I Give My Pet?
Because pets have such vast weight differences, some math is involved when figuring out which dosage is appropriate for them. But this is 2018, so check out our handy CBD dosing calculator that does all the math for you.
Remember when our teachers told us that we wouldn’t have calculators where ever we go? Not, not only do we have those, we have calculators that can figure out the best hemp CBD dose for our pets What a time!
When using our calculator, you only need to know the total amount of CBD in the bottle — we put it right on the label — as well, you need a rough estimate of their weight. It’s completely fine if it’s off.
For more information on CBD Oil for Pets, click here!