If you have a dog that’s experiencing some stress or anxiety or is in pain for whatever reason, then you might look to CBD to ease that pain.
Should you give your dog CDB? Maybe.
Since we’re not experts on the topic, we reached out to some experts in the field of canine CBD to get their opinions.
We wanted to know things like:
- Is CBD safe for dogs?
- Are there any risks when giving my dog CBD?
- How do I get CBD for my dog?
- What can you give dogs CBD for?
- Where do I get quality CBD for my dog?
Ready to try CBD for your dog? We recommend Diamond CBD for pets.
Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and more from our panel of pet CBD experts.
Reasons You Might Give Your Dog CBD
Do you have a dog that seems really stressed or anxious?
Have you tried everything you can think of to calm your pup down with no luck?
You may want to try some CDB for pet anxiety issues.
According to market research, 85% of dog owners agree that “my pet sometimes has anxiety/stress issues. Like humans, dogs (and other mammals with an endocannabinoid system) can benefit from naturally occurring cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD). We offers low-strength, broad-spectrum bacon beef-flavored CBD-infused dog treats that help bring calm to a dog and help provide support for inflammation after exercise. – Kyoto Botanicals Founder Mark Gillilan
If you have a dog that has trouble sleeping, then CBD might be the dog sleep aid that you’ve been looking for.
Giving a dog CBD at night can help the canine calm down and relax enough to not only sleep well, but to sleep through the night.
I’m a dog owner and a co-founder of Cornbread Hemp, a CBD brand based in Kentucky. I’d love to discuss how we use CBD in our house for our dog. Thor is a 100-pound mastiff mix, whose mission in life is to protect his people. Even at night. Even against the distant train horn at 4:00 AM. In the middle of the night, Thor will launch himself out of his bed in a full-throated barking fit that probably wakes the neighbors. It’s not ideal. To help Thor relax through the night, we give him CBD oil before bedtime. At first, we gave him our Cornbread Hemp CBD Oil for Pets with our unique corndog flavoring. But as Thor grew, the pet formulation did less for him. We formulated our Cornbread Hemp CBD Oil for Pets to be ideal for an 80-pound dog for a full dropper. Now that Thor has crossed 100 pounds, he needed more — so we give him people-strength CBD oil in the form of Cornbread Hemp’s Distilled CBD Oil, which has 25 mg of CBD per full dropper. In the past, we gave him his nightly CBD inside of a marshmallow. But these days, we apply it to a nice little stack of Redi-Whip in his food dish, and he *LOVES* it. When we walk into the kitchen after 9:00 PM, he will follow us to get his nightly CBD treat. Thor’s nightly CBD treat keeps him sleeping through the night much better than without. – Jim Higdon, co-founder Cornbread Hemp
Ever wondered how CBD oil can help dogs?
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil works on the endocannabinoid receptor system (ECS). The ECS plays a role primarily in the body’s function, including:
- Appetite
- Temperature
- Immune function
- Inflammation
- Mood
- Sleep
- Pain Response
There are two primary receptors in the ECS that CBD oil will interact with, cannaboid 1 receptor and cannaboid 2 receptor. Cannaboid 1 receptors are found in the brain and spinal cord. These receptors are essential for a healthy, functioning brain. Essential functions include moderators of memory, mood, motor function, and perception of pain. Cannaboid 2 receptors are found in the immune system. These receptors help to moderate inflammation and the immune response to pathogens. When CBD oil is ingested, CBD binds to the Cannaboid 1 and 2 receptors. The binding will help the ECS communicate better with other systems in your body. Communication results in reducing inflammation, providing pain relief, controlling seizures, and many others. Symptoms that are thought to be alleviated with CBD oil are decrease anxiety, slow cancer growth, control seizures, treat chronic pain, control muscle spasms, and decrease inflammation. – Dr. Michelle Burch DVM from Safe Hounds Pet Insurance
Still not sure if CBD is the right choice for your doggo?
Many veterinarians are prescribing CBD to pet owners who have dogs who suffer from a variety of ailments, including seizures and anxiety. So, should you give your dog CBD? I say yes, if it makes sense for you and your dog. Personally, I see CBD as a safer alternative than prescription medication when our pets are suffering. Of course, this is something that you should discuss with your veterinarian since the professional advice likely varies depending on your dog and what’s going on with him. – Gene Daniels Content Manager, Learning CBD Oil
Ready to try CBD for your dog? We recommend Diamond CBD for pets.
How Much CBD Should You Give Your Dog?
If you’re definitely going to give your dog CBD, then you need to get the proper dosage amount.
Ideally, you should consult with your veterinarian to get proper medical advice on this treatment.
We also have some tips from our experts we consulted.
What I recommend for everyone giving their pets CBD is to start low and slow. Start with the smallest dose and work your way up over a few days observing the animal. You will know immediately (within the hour) whether the dose is right as the symptoms of pain, anxiety, lethargy will dissipate. Like people dogs have an endocannabinoid system which is vast network of receptors within the bodies of mammals. This receptor system is there to create homeostasis or balance. A healthy mammal will create it’s own cannabinoids to balance the body when stress shows up. Unfortunately with all the stress and toxins in our environment our endocannabinoid systems become very depleted and our bodies begin to break down by getting sick. Cannabinoids, which are the compounds found in cannabis and hemp, work in harmony with our endocannabinoid system and replenish our systems bringing them back into balance. Animals are especially receptive to the benefits of CBD. We have seen dogs that were old and riddled with arthritis, and given a few weeks to live start to bounce back with less pain, more energy and live on for another 1-2 years. Do give your dog CBD daily as a supplement and preventative. Do give your dog CBD if it has aggression, anxiety or it destructive. Do give your dog CBD if it has separation anxiety. Don’t buy a CBD product unless you have researched the company and/or have a referral. There are a lot of scams out there. Don’t worry if you feel you have given your dog too much. A pet cannot die from a CBD overdose. He will sleep it off. – Kelly McLoughlin, FlowerChild
How much CBD you give your dog is really going to depend on things like the size of the dog.
I’d like to emphasize is that the package’s dosage is for information only. The reason is that the amount, frequency, and product type depend on your dog’s weight, medical condition, diet, product type (due to concentration), and currently used medication. If your vet gives the go-ahead to use it, pay attention to the oil’s purity and the brand’s reputation. As a consumer, you should do your research with lab reports and product reviews before making a purchase. – Jacob Kovacs, Wholistic Research
Ready to try CBD for your dog? We recommend Diamond CBD for pets.
Potential Risks of CBD For Dogs
If you’re thinking that CBD makes sense for your dog, then you shouldn’t just jump online and buy the first tincture or chews that you find.
There can be some risks associated with CBD usage for dogs, and our experts go over those.
Quality and purity of pet CBD is a big concern for pet owners because you only want to give your dog the quality stuff.
CBD can be beneficial to many dogs, but it should be used with caution. Owners must vet CBD products to ensure they are both pure and potent and truly contain low or no levels of THC. Our biggest recommendation is to find a product that is laboratory tested by an ISO-accredited lab, as this ensures the highest testing standards. Nobody wants to feed Fido heavy metals, pesticides, or even high levels of THC, so this is a crucial step to making sure the CBD benefits the dog, rather than causes problems. – Macey Wolfer, CBD Educator at Premium CBD
Don’t worry about spending too much time looking for the right CBD for your dog.
It pays to be choosy about what CBD products to purchase for your pet. Not all CBD products are created equal. Take the time to read up on the product and ensure it has been properly tested for purity and potency. After all, your pet’s health and well-being is at stake. – Liz Merritt, Healthy Roots
You also need to check the ingredients of any pet CBD that you want to use just to make sure there’s nothing toxic in it for dogs.
One thing you’ll want to be careful of is making sure the CBD doesn’t have anything extra in it that could be harmful to your dog and many CBD’s these days are blends that also contain Turmeric, Melatonin, Vitamin E, etc. Assuming your dog is at least 30 or 40 pounds I’d start with 10mg a day and slowly increase. If your dog seems lethargic or has diarrhea you want to lower the dose. – John Frigo, BestPriceNutrition.Com
Make sure you’ve got the proper CBD products designed for pets.
Always make sure you are purchasing a CBD product that is approved for use in dogs. This is the best way to ensure that your dog is receiving a proper dose for their weight range, as they are usually lower in concentration than CBD for humans. – Always get your vet’s approval when starting your pup on CBD. While this is a generally safe supplementation option, you always want to be sure that it is approved for your dog’s specific situation. – Be sure that you are purchasing your CBD product from a reputable company. Canine products are not as strictly monitored as human CBD products, meaning some products can lack quality. To best ensure that your product of choice is safe, you should always run it by your vet. Amber LaRock, Licensed Vet Tech and Veterinary Consultant CatPet.Club
Ready to try CBD for your dog? We recommend Diamond CBD for pets.
Final Word
As you can see, our experts do offer use cases where CBD makes sense for your pet. But ultimately, this is a personal decision.
If you happen to live in a state where recreational cannabis is legal, then I advise you to pop into a local dispensary to ask questions about CBD. The staff at those dispensaries are very knowledgable.
And if you’re ready to try some CBD for your pet, then we can suggest Diamond CBD’s line of CBD products for dogs.