How To Give CBD Oil To Dogs

CBD oil is more than just a buzz-term popping up in every conversation and news article related to health and wellness–it’s also a beneficial supplement for your canine companion. If you’re using CBD oil in your own healthcare routine, it’s worth considering it as an option for your dog. 

Dogs can benefit from CBD oil much in the same way humans can. Dogs, as well as humans, possess an internal system, called the endocannabinoid system, that governs biological processes like sleeping, eating, pain, anxiety, and mood. CBD oil works by interacting with receptors in the endocannabinoid system. 

What Type of CBD Do I Give My Dog?

As the market becomes increasingly flooded with pet-oriented CBD oil products, it can be tough to separate high-quality products from products that are mass-manufactured and contain ingredients that aren’t great for your pet. Some CBD oil products contain “fillers” or use solvents that aren’t beneficial for your dog. At VETCBD Hemp, we don’t add any ingredient to our tinctures unless they can provide a quantifiable benefit to your dog. 

When crafting a CBD oil for your pet, there are essentially three types of oils a company will offer: isolate CBD oil, broad spectrum CBD oil, or full spectrum CBD oil. Isolate CBD oil refers to CBD oil that has been extracted from the cannabis-sativa plant with no other cannabinoids or plant parts. Sometimes companies will market this oil as “pure CBD” oil, which can lead a pet owner to believe this oil is superior to full spectrum oil, which is not the case. 

Full spectrum oil refers to CBD oil that has been extracted from the cannabis sativa plant along with other usable plant parts and cannabinoids, including a trace amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or “THC.” THC is the compound in marijuana that delivers a feeling of euphoria to the user, but don’t panic–properly formulated full spectrum CBD oil doesn’t get your dog “high!” 

Full spectrum CBD oil contains only a trace amount of THC, but that trace amount is necessary for the product to produce the “entourage effect.” The entourage effect refers to all parts of the cannabis sativa plant working together synergistically to give your pet the maximum benefit the plant has to offer. Only a full spectrum CBD oil can deliver this effect, which is why full spectrum CBD oil is the best option for administering CBD to your dog if you’re looking for the maximum benefits. 

It’s also important to ensure the CBD oil you purchase comes from a company that sources it responsibly. This means they not only know where their product comes from, they know that the production of the plants used for CBD oil extraction do not have a negative impact on the environment and don’t put workers at risk. 

When you know better, you can choose better, and choosing better means only purchasing CBD oil from companies that are willing to go the length to responsibly source their hemp. VETCBD only uses American grown, responsibly sourced hemp in the production of our CBD tinctures. 

CBD oil, produced and manufactured safely and correctly, is a great product that can produce wonderful benefits for your dog. Here are just a few!

4 Reasons to Give a Dog CBD Oil

Research regarding all the potential benefits of CBD oil treatment for canines is still very much in its infancy, but what we do know is that it can be extremely powerful and beneficial to your pet when given to help support overall wellness. Some of the most popular and well researched reasons to administer CBD oil to your dog are as follows:

1. Provides joint support. CBD oil offers soothing properties, making it an option to help alleviate discomfort. CBD oil has been especially effective at providing temporary relief from joint discomfort and helping to support mobility in older dogs. 
2. Promotes calmness. A dog dealing with restlessness can be hard on both the dog and you as a pet parent. If your dog gets particularly upset when you’re apart, leaving your home for work or even a short trip to the store, this can sometimes result in destruction of furniture, excessive panting and salivating, barking, and other harmful environmental stress-related behavior.
3. Supports normal GI health. CBD can offer temporary relief to gastrointestinal issues or nausea related to something your dog ate or other reasons. 
4. Supports normal brain function. Because your dog’s brain function is in part managed by the endocannabinoid system, CBD oil can help support the brain as it interacts with the system’s receptors.

How to Give CBD Oil to Dogs

Because of the beneficial nature of CBD to dogs, it can be a great option to add a high-quality oil to your dog’s health and wellness routine. If you’re ready to try administering CBD oil to your dog, here’s how to do it correctly. 

1. Find the right CBD. Your pet’s CBD oil should be responsibly sourced, full-spectrum, and third party lab tested. VETCBD’s CBD oil tinctures meet all these qualifications, and are also tested to ensure purity; our full spectrum CBD oil tinctures are triple-tested for harmful, unwanted chemicals and pesticides.
2. Weigh your dog and determine dosage. Every dog is different, and as such, every dog will react differently to CBD oil treatment. It’s important to know how much CBD oil to give to your dog, and this is really done by simply trying a small dose and adjusting it as needed. 

To find a starting dose, you’ll need to weigh your dog. A good rule of thumb is to administer .2 mg of CBD oil per pound of body weight. This means if your dog weighs ten pounds, you would give your dog 2mg of CBD oil. If your CBD oil is in tincture form, you’ll need to measure the amount of CBD in your bottle and determine how much is administered in one dropper-full of tincture. 

1. Administer CBD and monitor your dog. Your dog may need more or less CBD oil depending on their particular body chemistry and overall health. It’s always best to start off with half the recommended dose to see how well your dog tolerates CBD, and also to see if a higher dosage is needed. 

Signs your dog is responding well to CBD include positive behavioral changes, and an increase in usual or normal activity, or calmness.

1. Adjust as necessary. If you’ve given your dog a dose of CBD oil and you do not feel the dose was effective, you can increase the dose and try again. An increased dose should be given in small increments. You can safely administer more CBD oil to your dog 12 hours after the initial dose if they still seem unaffected by the original dose. 

CBD oil is a great resource for dog parents who wish to care for their animals in a more natural, holistic manner. CBD oil is easy to administer, generally well tolerated, and beneficial to your dog in multiple ways. VETCBD is a trusted provider of high-quality, full spectrum CBD oil tinctures and a resource for CBD related information, so explore VETCBD today and discover all the ways CBD can help your dog thrive. 

Sources:

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