With more and more people choosing CBD oil as a natural health solution not only for themselves but also for their pets, it becomes an important supplement to understand.
Our furry friends deserve the best care possible to help them live longer and happier lives. A good source of CBD oil can be a major part of that care.
In this blog post, we discuss what CBD oil is, how pets absorb CBD, the benefits of CBD, what to look for, and how to dose pets.
What is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is an active component found in the cannabis plant. There are over 100 active compounds, or cannabinoids, found in cannabis that show great potential health benefits. CBD is one of them.
It comes from hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant, that offers a very low THC content. Unlike THC, CBD will not get you high being non-psychoactive and also non-addictive. CBD oil is the active component of CBD suspended in a carrier oil that is used as a supplement.
The Bottom Line: CBD is the active component present in plants that are part of the cannabis family.
How Does CBD Work?
CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system in both humans and animals. There are two types of cannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are those found within the body. Phytocannabinoids are found in plants.
CBD oil has been shown to mimic certain endocannabinoids in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) that is found within humans and animals. Therefore, the body knows exactly what to do with CBD oil.
In addition, anything humans can use CBD oil for, animals can use it for too, just obviously in a much lower dosage. It seems that the ECS is even more sensitive in animals than in humans.
The ECS is a system consisting of cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors that function like locks and keys. A cannabinoid (like CBD) will bind to a specific cannabinoid receptor, that can be located anywhere throughout the entire body.
This process will send a signal to unlock certain processes in the body. Cannabinoids basically relay instructions from the brain to the major organ systems at a cellular level. Therefore the effects of CBD are quite widespread and the main goal is to bring the body back into homeostasis, or balance.
CBD can greatly influence hormones and neurotransmitters. These will affect bodily functions like pain, sleep, mood, appetite, stress, digestion, immunity, inflammation, reproduction, etc.
The Bottom Line: CBD works on the endocannabinoid system that is responsible for a number of functions in both the human and animal body.
Benefits of CBD for Pets
Due to the systemic effects of CBD, it can help with a variety of health ailments for pets including the following:
These are just a few of the main issues that pets can experience some relief from. In addition, CBD oil can be particularly useful for older pets dealing with joint pain, discomfort, and stiffness.
CBD is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic (painkiller) that can be a natural solution to help your pet feel more comfortable without harsh medications and promote healing from within.
In addition, it can be extremely helpful for training or travel purposes too. For training, it can help your pet focus on instructions and avoid distractions.
For travel, it can help to ease any anxiety and put your furry friend into a calm mental state.
The Bottom Line: CBD can help pets with the exact same ailments that it helps humans with and offers countless benefits with minimal side effects.
What to Look for in CBD
You want to choose a brand that you can trust. We suggest looking for a brand that does third-party testing so that you can ensure no THC content.
You also want to confirm that you are getting what you pay for since CBD oil can be a pricey supplement and the industry is not properly regulated at this time. In addition, you also want to ensure that the CBD comes from a natural source and not from a synthetic source.
Another thing to take into consideration will be the concentration of the product. This will often be in direct correlation with the price.
A lower concentration means that you will need much more of the product to get the desired effects. A standard concentration for pets will be roughly 500mg in a bottle of CBD oil.
The Bottom Line: Some key things to look out for include checking if there THC present in the products and the concentration of CBD itself.
How to Dose Pets
This will depend greatly on the size of the animal and the condition that you are looking to support. Things like body weight can affect how much CBD oil your pet will need. At ICARIA, we offer a pet dosing chart to help you with this!
We suggest starting slow (a few drops) and then you can work your way up. It can take some time to find the optimal dosage. It can also take a few hours before you see any effect on your pet. You can simply put a few drops of CBD oil on a pet treat and give it to them.
In addition, if you are using CBD oil for pain management, you will likely need a slightly higher dose to achieve the desired results. Luckily, there are no side effects from taking a higher amount of CBD oil, so nothing bad will happen if you give a little bit too much.
Your pet will probably just be a little bit more relaxed than normal, and then you will know for next time that you can give a little bit less.
The Bottom Line: The best way to start your pet on CBD oil is by giving them a couple of drops and working your way up slowly.
The Final Word
CBD oil can be an incredibly effective tool to use with your pets for countless different reasons and health conditions. It is a safe, effective, and natural solution that really works!
Check out our human-grade Loved Pet CBD to get your pet going on a new supplement routine with a brand that you can trust.
