We’re a nation of pet lovers, with dogs being the most widely owned pet in the U.S. and over 63 million households having at least one. Most of us would do anything to keep our pets healthy and happy, and this sometimes involves using new products you may have never tried before to see if they solve some of their health issues.
More and more dog owners are turning to CBD to combat problems like pain, inflammation, and anxiety. However, before you purchase the first CBD pet product you see, take a moment to learn how to introduce CBD into your dog’s diet and other helpful information.
CBD Products Available for Dogs
Before you contemplate giving your dog CBD, you may find it helpful to learn what’s available so that you can narrow down your options based on what’s safe and will be most convenient for you. According to Heaven’s Organics, oil tinctures and chews are two of the most convenient and versatile CBD product options for pets.
You can apply a few drops of tincture over their food or in their mouth or give them flavored pet chews that they will see as a delicious treat. Your dog doesn’t know you’re giving them something to potentially improve their health, so you don’t usually need to experience any of the fuss or frustration that sometimes comes with trying to make your dog consume pills.
How to Choose a CBD Dog Product Supplier
The last thing any pet owner wants to do is make their unwell or aging dog even sicker, which is why it’s crucial to do your research before purchasing CBD for dogs from any supplier. Take a moment to factor the following things into your decision.
Reputation
If a company doesn’t have an excellent reputation, repeatedly breaks the rules, and has been called out for not listing all product ingredients correctly, you likely wouldn’t want to purchase products from them for your pets or yourself.
Before adding any items to your shopping cart, search for the business name to learn more about them. Read reviews to find out what people say about them, and talk to friends and family who have given their pets CBD products in the past.
Look at Product Information
Simply seeing paw print patterns on a CBD product is not enough for you to know that a particular tincture or chew is appropriate for your pets. Take note of the product details to make an informed decision.
Look out for mention of hemp being grown in the USA, Farm Bill compliance, third-party testing, and mention of being THC-free. You may also like to look out for information on the type of CBD the product contains, such as broad-spectrum.
It’s important to choose a THC-free product that has undergone extensive testing to ensure it’s safe for your pets.
Advertised Lab Results
Quality assurance can go a long way, and you may be able to enjoy extreme relief by seeing a certificate of quality assurance before you purchase products that you can’t try yourself first.
Most reputable pet product suppliers provide lab results so that you can see what each product contains. These lab reports typically outline the active and inactive ingredients, product name, strength, lot number, manufacturing date, and a complete breakdown of each component.
How to Introduce CBD Into Your Dog’s Diet
Most pet owners understand the importance of slowly introducing any new food into a dog’s diet. Some dogs have sensitive stomachs, and the last thing you want to do is make them feel unwell if they already are. We’ve included a few possibly helpful tips for adding CBD to your dog’s diet below.
Read the Product Instructions
Pay close attention to the product strength and dosage of the CBD pet product you buy. Read all instructions relating to feeding recommendations so that you can use the product as intended.
Mix it With Food
If you’re giving your dog a THC-free CBD tincture, you can add the recommended dosage to their wet or dry food and mix it in. Some tinctures have a pleasant flavor that dogs enjoy.
If you’re worried about your dog noticing the foreign addition and going off their food, consider soaking the recommended amount of CBD tincture into a hard treat and feeding it directly to your dog.
Give Them a Treat
Many reputable CBD suppliers offer CBD dog chews with delectable flavors dogs adore, such as beef. Pay attention to the dosage, and feed your dog the treat like you would any other.
CBD Pet Product Benefits
Most CBD studies are in their infancy, with scientists and researchers not yet able to paint a definitive picture of the benefits you may experience from consuming CBD products. Pet products are no different.
However, the little research we have looks promising, which means your pet may be able to experience relief from some of the following conditions.
Osteoarthritis
Arthritis is not only common in humans but also in dogs, and no owner ever wants to see their pet suffer from arthritis-related pain. In a randomized placebo-controlled veterinarian and owner blinded crossover study, dogs experienced decreased pain and increased activity with no side effects reported by owners after consuming CBD.
The outcome of this study was that 2mg/kg of CBD twice daily may be able to increase comfort and activity in dogs with osteoarthritis.
Inflammation
Many things lead to dogs experiencing chronic inflammation, such as metabolic disease, environmental stress, food allergies, genetics, and more. Getting to the cause of some of these issues may see a reduction in inflammation, but CBD may also be able to help.
Studies are in their early stages, but one Ex Vivo study on LPS stimulated whole blood provided the first evidence of CBD potentially being able to reduce the inflammatory response.
Anxiety
There is little evidence right now to support the idea that CBD directly reduces or manages a dog’s anxiety levels. However, its potential to possibly reduce inflammation, as mentioned above, which may be contributing to a dog’s anxiety, may mean CBD is inadvertently helpful for this reason.
When you want your pets to be happy and healthy, you’re likely willing to try anything. However, before you do, learn as much as possible about the safest CBD products to try and the safest way to give them to your pets. This information above may allow you to make an informed decision about how to help your pets.
