CBD, or cannabidiol, continues to grow in popularity. There has been plenty of talk about how cannabidiol (CBD) can be beneficial for humans. In the same way, the usage of CBD for pets has also been sought after. This non-psychoactive component drawn from cannabis has begun to be an option for pets like dogs and cats.
But just like any other thing – CBD used for pets is also questioned, especially for its safety and efficacy. Despite this, many pet owners continue to believe in CBD. They usually believe that if it has helped them, it can help their pets as well.
So, does CBD really help pets? Being such a new concept, hearing about CBD for animals might leave you with many questions. That said, here’s a guide on everything you need to know about CBD for pets if it really helps them out, and where to get them near you.
Don’t forget to check out our wide selection of CBD for Pets at CBD Genesis today!
What is CBD and Is it Good For Pets?
CBD is usually mentioned in the media, particularly when it comes to add-ons in food and beverages. Sometimes, it’s even infused in activewear already. But what is CBD and why is it so popular?
For those who don’t know, CBD or cannabidiol is the second most popular active component in cannabis. Even though CBD is an important part of medical marijuana, it comes from the hemp plant. CBD itself does not cause people to be high.
Compared to other chemicals in marijuana, CBD does not have tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This ingredient is what causes people to get high from cannabis. Food, beverages, and beauty products are the most common CBD-infused products.
In the United States, a specific kind of CBD is used as a medical treatment for seizures. However, as an approved prescription drug, it cannot be legally used in foods or dietary pills. It is only applicable for cosmetic products.
Through the years, CBD has been used by humans because of its “beneficial” properties. But were you aware that it could be great for your furry friend’s health as well? Can marijuana be used in the same way for pets? Does CBD really help them?
Back in 2012, Colorado legalized the use of recreational marijuana. By then, veterinarians started getting calls from fur parents about medical marijuana used for pets, such as CBD oil for dogs. This was unalarming at first.
However, as time passed, CBD products were also growing in number across many pet stores. Despite this, there has barely been any scientific evidence and research about its effectiveness. This was what veterinarian Stephanie McGrath changed.
Through her efforts, she contributed research about CBD for pets by investigating the existence of veterinary cannabis. However, this research was not at par with the great demand for CBD products. Many pet owners were using CBD to treat pet pain, anxiety, and seizures.
If this was happening already, does that mean that CBD is good for pets? So far, there has been no scientific evidence or formal studies to determine how CBD affects pets. So far, all pet owners and scientists have for now is anecdotal proof of pain relief.
Scientists have only identified how cannabinoids work with the receptors in pets’ nervous systems and how it affects balance in the body of pets. Meanwhile, dog owners suggest that it can treat neuropathic pain.
Despite the many anti-inflammatory properties of CBD and its other benefits, there is still no conclusive evidence regarding its effectiveness. What’s identified instead are possible side effects, which can be avoided if the proper dosage is followed.
Best CBD Products to Try For Pets
Of course, as a pet owner, you would only want what’s best for your fur baby. This includes all products that they’re intaking. If you’re planning on getting them into CBD, you definitely want the best CBD for pets.
Lucky for you, CBD Genesis offers a wide range of CBD products for pets that you can choose from. Here’s a quick guide to help you out:
Green Gruff - CBD Dog Chews
These dog chews are wholesome chows for your dogs! Made from organic and sustainable ingredients, these would fortify your dog with Omega 3-6-9 that helps with their skins and coats.
Customer reviews claim that it helps their dogs relax. Plus, this product is safe for sensitive dogs. It’s wheat-free, corn-free, soy-free, and pesticide-free. Each jar contains 90 chews, with 2.5 mg of full spectrum CBD.
CBD Genesis Dog Treats 500 mg
Coming in the flavors Bacon and Cheddar, these dog treats contain just the right amount of CBD for your dogs. It is made from a CBD-isolate extract derived from the hemp plant.
To add flavor, the pure CBD extract is integrated with all-natural ingredients. It is also confirmed to have no THC component. Usually, you start with a half-full treat for small dogs and 1-2 treats for bigger dogs.
CBD Genesis Dog Treats 1000 mg
Available in both flavors of Bacon and Cheddar, the 1000 mg CBD Genesis Dog Treats offer more treats for your fur babies. The same dosages apply, and working your way up is also as if you were using CBD yourself.
EcoPets CBD Oil for Dogs
If your dog’s suffering from stress and anxiety, this CBD oil might help them out. It’s available in bacon and peanut butter flavors in 30 ml bottles. Each bottle contains about 1,800 mg of CBD hemp extract.
The oil is also cruelty-free and has only natural ingredients. It also contains vitamin E, fatty acids, omega-3-6, and coconut oil.
EcoPets CBD Oil for Dogs is administered with an eye dropper. You can either drop some into your dog’s mouth or mix it in their food.
How to Consume CBD For Pets?
There are many ways for pets to consume CBD. Some of the most common ways are through treats, oral application, and mixing it with food. Let’s talk about them one by one.
Through treats
Many pet owners want to be gentle with how they introduce CBD to their pets. This is why they often start giving it to them through treats. This is best used with porous treats, which absorb CBD oil the best.
Once you have the proper dose of CBD oil, you can put it on the dog treat and leave it to soak. Or, you can also buy treats with CBD baked into them already.
Through direct oral application
You can also choose to put CBD oil on your dog’s mouth directly or use a dropper to get them to ingest it. However, it isn’t the easiest way to ease them in.
Remember to be gentle with your application! Reward them with a treat after they did a job well done.
Mixing with pet food
Mixing CBD with wet food is also one of the best ways to give it to your pet. Start with small doses and gradually increase it. It’s also best to consult with a vet regarding your pet’s recommended CBD dosage.
Can I Legally Buy and Possess CBD For Pets in the United States?
Being fairly new products in the market, quick changes are happening now and then when it comes to the legal status of CBD products for humans and pets in the United States. There are still restrictions regarding the usage of marijuana in several states.
But through the 2018 Farm Bill, industrial hemp was removed as a definition of marijuana. This allowed hemp-derived CBD products to be legalized for pets in the US. This is being managed currently by the Food and Drug Administration.
Marijuana is still heavily regulated, but hemp-derived CBD products that contain less than 0.3% of THC are legal. But, it’s important to remember that if CBD comes from a marijuana plant, it is still illegal. Make sure you get only the safest and most effective CBD supplement for your fur baby.
Will CBD Get Your Pets High?
The industrial hemp plant, where pet CBD oil is derived from, has a major difference from marijuana. Hemp is a good source of CBD, but it has almost no THC content. Remember, THC is toxic to pets.
So, the short answer is: no. Your pet will not get high from CBD. Instead, they will feel levels of mild relaxation.
Additionally, in another kind of CBD known as the broad spectrum oil, THC is the only absent primary compound. This assures you that your pet will not get high or will experience mind-altering sensations that can be gotten from marijuana.
As long as you follow the right dosage, you’re good to go. There would be nothing for you to worry about.
Is CBD Safe to Use For Pets on a Daily Basis?
Time and time again, many people have said that CBD is good for your pets too. Not only humans can gain good effects from it. But of course, your pet’s safety would always be your first priority.
This brings us to the question: is CBD safe to use for pets on a daily basis? Don’t worry. CBD is completely safe to use for pets every day. Other than this, regular administration of CBD can also create a system for your pet’s endocannabinoid system.
There are options for you to treat your pet with CBD through topical application. But the common route is usually to give it orally as an oil. Despite its good track record so far, more research is needed to confirm the proper doses for it to provide actual benefits.
It’s also important for you to remember that you cannot ask your vet for a prescription for CBD. They also do not encourage you to purchase CBD products. All of these decisions are yours to make.
Although, you can consult them about the risks and benefits of a CBD treatment plan. Some have experience with this type of treatment, so it might be more helpful for your self-devised treatment plan.
Sticking to one opinion may not be enough, however, as experience and opinions vary from person to person, even in professionals. Seek advice from as many people as possible, be it from vets or pet owners with experience with CBD pet products.
There are a lot of aspects to consider when choosing to give your pets CBD. Such things are already difficult enough with humans, and they definitely take another step forward with animals.
Taking everything into consideration is key, as nothing can be overlooked despite how “small” it is considered to be.
Factors like one’s pet’s overall behavior towards certain things, their food intake, and their metabolism can all play a big part. If you’re unsure about the dosage, then smaller intakes can be a safer and much wiser option.
Since their owner/s is/are the ones closest to them, it is also recommended that only the owner/s should administer the CBD products. This also gives them personal peace of mind knowing what their pets are taking into their system.
Ultimately, it is important to show the utmost care and be more than one hundred percent certain of your decision. Information is everywhere, for any question you may have. On an everyday basis, it is safe, as long as you are completely sure of what you are doing.
Are CBD For Pets Products Lab-Tested?
Much like most food products for pets or even humans at times, CBD products for animals are lab-tested and well researched. The presence of CBD alone can already pose concerns, therefore lab tests are conducted to ensure transparency.
Tests are usually conducted both before and after the product is released to the market. Ensuring that the cannabis content is at its legal amount is crucial to any product developer. It also reduces harmful, unwanted effects on its potential users.
Tests conducted before the product’s release serve as a good way of determining both advertising honesty and customer safety. Should anything also be not of satisfactory quality, it also gives the company a chance to correct any errors that have been made.
There are also tests conducted after the product has already been established in the market. These are done to ensure that the said product is holding up what it has advertised. Though this is mostly the case, there are still some who are guilty of wrongfully advertised products.
Sometimes, the product may contain either more or less CBD than what they put on the packaging. According to a study conducted by Leafreport, some products actually contain 98% less CBD than what is advertised on the label.
Said lab test or research included a wide range of products, including edibles, oils, tinctures, and topicals. All of which are equally important with regards to honesty in advertising. Based on the report, the edibles and topicals were found to have less accuracy in what is being advertised.
It’s important that organizations such as Leafreport do these kinds of lab testing to shine a light on not only the customers but the businesses as well.
While sometimes certain products or companies may fall short on complete transparency, organizations and researches like these are a step forward in the right direction.
All in all, CBD for pets exists and should definitely be given a try. While there may always be some concern around them, as long as you do your research and proceed with caution for your beloved pets, then there’s nothing to worry about!
It’s important to give your pets the care they deserve and one’s best efforts, so why not give them the best that CBD can offer too? Who knows, they might find themselves having another favorite yummy treat to enjoy.
Why Choose CBDGenesis?
If you are looking for CBD for pets near me, you’ve come to the right place! Nowadays, more and more people are enjoying the benefits and convenience of online stores. One of the best and most recommended online sellers of CBD anywhere is CBD Genesis.
CBD Genesis is one of the most reputable stores in the US. We carry a wide range of CBD products from different brands for you to choose from – we even have a line of our own.
CBD Genesis carries three of Urb’s CBD for pets products. These are the Green Gruff CBD Dog Chews, the CBD Genesis Dog Treats, and The EcoPets CBD Dog Drops.
Apart from only offering products, we also include a recommendation with regards to dosage, should you be unsure of it. For example, our CBD Genesis Dog Treats have a half-treat dosage for a small dog and a 1-2 treat dosage for a bigger one.
With a truly incredible range of products for your wonderful pets, it’s no secret that your pets are surely going to enjoy some of them. Our CBD Genesis Dog Treats are highly recommended, coming in Bacon and Cheddar flavors for your pets to enjoy!
Get your CBD for pets at CBD Genesis today!
CBD for pets: the research is promising
Much of the research that has been carried out on CBD is applicable for humans, dogs and cats. While there are some key differences in our biologies, there are lots of similarities, too. Indeed, some of the prescription drugs available for dogs are also used to treat humans. The system that is most relevant in regard to CBD is the endocannabinoid system (ECS).The endocannabinoid system in pets
The ECS has been crucial to pretty much all of the CBD research that has been done since the early 1990s. That’s when the ECS was first identified. This system controls multiple areas of our health, such as immune system response, perception of pain, appetite, bone health and mood. Given how long it stayed hidden, it is amazing how many responsibilities the ECS does have. Researchers have learned that the ECS is not unique to humans, but is present in many sentient life forms. Moreover, the ECS has not emerged as a recent evolution, but has existed for hundreds of millions of years. This is remarkable, since the compounds in the plant world that are able to impact ECS functioning are cannabinoids. Hemp and cannabis use dates back to before written records began. Therefore, humans and animals would have always been getting an intake of cannabinoids. However, since these plants were banned in the early 20th century, our relationship with cannabinoids has declined. Many of us aren’t getting the necessary compounds to regulate a network with such influence over our all-round health. Interestingly, a lot of studies that have been carried out on CBD were first done on rodents before humans. This applies to studies on the brain in particular. Rodents have similar brains to humans, so give an indication as to whether CBD will work for various issues.Exploring CBD’s benefits for pets
The role of the ECS for dogs and cats appears to be pretty much the same as it is for humans. Therefore, the following benefits should be pretty familiar if you are already a CBD user.CBD for anxiety
It’s very common for pets to experience anxiety. Like with humans, there are many potential anxiety triggers for pets. These include fireworks and other unexpected loud noises. New people may also put your cat or dog on high alert. New environments, moving home or leaving them alone for long periods are also things to be aware of. Cats with anxiety may become very aggressive or go into hiding. Vomiting and excessive meowing are also predictable symptoms. Basically, any behavior that is abnormal for your cat may signal anxiety. CBD reduces anxiety by elevating the amount of active GABA in your pet’s brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter, which has the role of reducing neural impulses. In humans and pets with anxiety, their brains tend to be working on overdrive. CBD promotes a sense of calm.CBD for arthritis
There is nothing worse than a pet owner to see their furry friend struggling with arthritis. All of the energy that they may have enjoyed in their youth seems to dissipate. It can make it hard to believe that it’s really them. The lethargy they begin to experience reduces their overall activity, which can lead to muscle loss. They are likely to sleep for longer periods, and find it more difficult to rise from rest. Arthritis is often caused by autoimmune issues. When the immune system becomes hyperactive, it starts to attack the body as well as external threats. The resulting inflammation can destroy various organs and tissues. Much of the pain caused by arthritis is due to exposed joints. New research has highlighted an important link between the ECS and the immune system. CBD is one of several cannabinoids that exhibits anti-inflammatory effects. In the case of CBD, this is by regulating the entire ECS, which in turn regulates the CB2 receptor. CBD increases active levels of anandamide (AEA), an endocannabinoid and CB2 receptor agonist. When it binds to CB2 receptors, AEA sends messages which help to regulate immune system activity. This stops the proliferation of cytokines, proteins responsible for inflammation.CBD for pain
Chronic pain is notorious for pets, just as it with humans. It has a devastating effect on quality of life, and especially so for agile cats and dogs. Agitation and reduced mobility are obvious signs that your pet is struggling with pain. They may even express their discomfort audibly. Eating and sleeping habits often change and your pet could become antisocial. It’s understandable that many pet owners don’t want to put their companions onto prescription painkillers. Opioids are very powerful and can be extremely addictive, and come with overdose risks. A natural alternative without side effects such as nausea and dizziness would be welcome. CBD may just do the trick. Cannabis is a well-known analgesic, and research shows that the psychoactive ingredients are not needed. A daily dose of CBD could bring your pet back to their old self.CBD for appetite
Appetite issues are usually caused by infection or disease. If your pet isn’t eating properly, they can lose a lot of weight, become lethargic and suffer from muscle loss. This can be very frustrating for a pet owner, as it is impossible to know what to give them. The ECS is involved with appetite regulation, and CBD could have a beneficial effect. Appetite is controlled at the CB1 receptor, and boosting levels of AEA may yield great results.Best CBD oil for pets
This section will cover the best CBD products available for pets. We should stress the importance of using products intended for pets, rather than CBD oil for humans. Pets have sensitive bodies, and CBD pet products are veterinarian-formulated so that they are safe. Some of the ingredients in other CBD products may be perfectly fine for humans, but not your four-legged friend. Furthermore, any amount of psychoactive THC could be very dangerous for your pet. CBD products for humans sometimes have trace levels of THC, below 0.3 percent. Now we’ve addressed those concerns, let’s explore the merits of various products with these CBD for pets reviews.Tinctures
CBD tincture oils, sometimes called ‘drops’, are a great way of giving CBD to your pet. As the flavor of hemp is pretty earthy, it’s not always that pleasant to take the extract on its own. This is why CBD oil for pets is flavored, often with bacon, chicken or cheddar.
Sprays
CBD sprays are very similar to tincture oils, but they can make the treatment process much more efficient. As we have said, getting your pet to stay still can be hard work. With a spray, you can simply add it to their food and have them take it that way. Or, you could try spraying it into their mouth.
CBD treats for pets
Want something a little different to oils and sprays? Your pet is bound to love CBD treats. They save you all the hassle of having to give them their medication. Once again, the following products have been veterinarian-formulated, so that they are safe and delicious.Koi CBD Soft Chews
Koi CBD Soft Chews are made from organic hemp which has been grown pesticide-free and in non-GMO conditions. This product is made from start to finish in the United States of America, and contains all-natural, full-spectrum CBD.
CBD Genesis dog treats
Finally, we have our own range of CBD Genesis dog treats, that are just perfect for your canine friend. We have made these treats with full-spectrum CBD, and they are grain and gluten free. Your pet will be getting an all-natural treat with these, as we don’t use any artificial colorings or flavorings.