With the CBD industry on the rise, it’s not hard to see why pet parents and researchers alike are curious about the possible benefits it could have for animals. CBD infused pet treats are easier to find than ever, and come in all sorts of tasty flavors to make your furry friend happy. Research on CBD and pets is still scarce, and you should always consult your veterinarian before trying CBD for your pet, but we have reason to believe that CBD could be a great natural solution to help pets with a range of possible health conditions.
How CBD can Help Pets
CBD is one of the two active components in hemp plants. Unlike THC, CBD is completely non-psychoactive. For humans, CBD works by interacting with our Endocannabinoid system to relieve symptoms like pain, anxiety, and insomnia, which interrupt the body’s homeostasis, or resting state.
CBD is very similar to endocannabinoids produced naturally in the human body, which means it can bind to our endocannabinoid receptors to jumpstart the Endocannabinoid system’s response and neutralize symptoms that could be causing discomfort or irregularities in the body. CBD can also make endocannabinoids harder to break down, extending the ECS response for long-lasting relief.
All animals have been found to have an Endocannabinoid system, not just humans. This is why it’s possible for CBD to have similar effects on pets, but no conclusive evidence has proved this to be the case.
Regardless, CBD pet treats are becoming more common, and many pet parents use CBD to relieve symptoms like anxiety, chronic pain, and seizures in their animals. While CBD shouldn’t be used in place of medication, many pet owners testify that CBD pet treats have helped improve their animals’ quality of life.
Choosing the Right CBD Treats for Your Pet
If you’re interested in trying CBD for your pets, it’s important to know what to look for. Be sure to look for a reputable CBD brand with publicly available lab test results. While it is possible to give human CBD products to your animals, some products made for humans can contain ingredients that might be toxic to animals, like essential oils, chocolate, and artificial sweeteners. This is why it’s important to check the ingredients on human CBD products before trying them on your animals, or to only buy CBD products made for pets.
CBD pet products come in many different forms, like tinctures, capsules, and treats, so you can choose the kind that works best for your furry friend.
Safely Serving CBD to Your Pet
Be sure to consult your veterinarian before using CBD products on your pets, as it can interact with other medications. If your pet isn’t on any medications and your vet gives you a green light, get a product you think your pet will like and see how it goes.
Just like all CBD products, you should start your pet on a small dose to see how they respond to it. Oils or tinctures with a dropper are best for this, as it’s easier to measure the dose and slowly increase it over time.
Depending on what issues your pet has, it could take anywhere from thirty minutes to a few weeks to see the effects. Keep a close eye on your animal’s behavior and mood, and stop dosing if you notice anything unusual. CBD impacts every animal differently, so it might take some playing around with different products and doses to find the best one for your pet.
While there’s still a lot to learn about CBD products and their impact on animals, many pet owners have reported great results from using lab-tested, pet-safe CBD for their furry friends. If you’re interested in using CBD for your animals, be sure to consult your veterinarian and find a reputable brand with products you can trust.