What You Should Know About CBD Before Giving It To Your Dog

Many Canadians are now taking CBD regularly, and naturally, people have started to take interest in giving CBD to their dogs. As you may already know, some dogs have phobias, such as fear of noise, water, situational fears, fear of strangers, etc., or they may just suffer from generalized anxiety. So it’s not surprising that some dog owners are turning to CBD as the solution to help calm their dogs down.

The trend of giving CBD to dogs started a few years ago when CBD started to gain in popularity. And since both humans and dogs have an endocannabinoid system with cannabinoid receptors in their bodies, some people, even experts, are starting to believe that CBD could also help dogs.

What is CBD exactly?

Because of the popularity of CBD oil for dogs in Canada, reading the recommended information to learn the basics of CBD before trying it is wise. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical compound that is naturally occurring in hemp plants. It offers some health benefits that we are more aware of today, and it doesn’t contain any psychoactive properties that could make you or your dog high.

CBD is but one of over 100 other chemical compounds that are naturally occurring in hemp plants. One of the most well known compounds is THC, which contains psychoactive properties. So you can get the health benefits of cannabidiol without worrying about getting “stoned” or feeling paranoid. This is why the topic of cannabidiol is often brought up by many dog owners.

CBD with no THC

When it comes to people in Canada, there are many different preferences. Some are okay with THC, while others are not. But when it comes to dogs, it would be better to choose products that contain no THC. While we still don’t know much about the effects of THC in dogs, as there are less than 60 papers talking about THC in dogs, the results so far suggest that THC could be toxic for dogs.

Yes, it’s true that the THC amount in hemp plants is usually less than 0.3%, and probably won’t get you high, but it could still be toxic for dogs. The reactions could be mild, but they could possibly be severe, with vomiting, diarrhea, etc. So make sure that you avoid THC completely.

Broad-spectrum or CBD isolate

As you may already know, there is some terminology that CBD users need to be aware of: broad-spectrum, full-spectrum, and CBD isolate. Full-spectrum products contain all the natural compounds in the hemp plant, including THC. Broad-spectrum products are similar to full-spectrum, but without the THC. And CBD isolate products only contain CBD.

This is why broad-spectrum and CBD isolate are great for dogs: because they don’t contain THC. But as always, read the label and check out for lab test results to make sure that there are no traces of THC.

Make sure the CBD product has been tested

Before you buy a CBD product for your dog, always check the label or find information on the internet to see whether or not the product has been tested by third-party labs. The test results could say a lot about the product, including the amount of THC, safety level, potency, and overall quality. Again, ideally you don’t want any THC in the product for your dog.

Some common tests that you should be aware of are:

— Heavy Metal Test: Shows results for pollutants.
— Pesticides Test: Shows results for pesticides, which could contaminate the CBD product.
— Microbial Test: Shows results for pathogens.

It is difficult for anyone to recommend any product that hasn’t been tested yet, especially if the seller doesn’t offer any helpful information. If that’s the case, you should move on to another product or retailer. Remember that reputable vendors or manufacturers will disclose all important information when they have nothing to hide.

No hemp seed oil

This is one of the most common problems that happens to beginners. They buy hemp seed oil products hoping to gain the benefits of CBD. But the thing is: hemp seed oil contains little to no CBD, and certainly won’t be able to help your dog. Sadly, some labels on these products can be misleading because they are describing hemp seed oil as beneficial to your health. That being said, hemp seed oil could be beneficial when CBD is added to it.

Check the dosage

While CBD could be beneficial to dogs, giving them too much CBD could cause some side effects. The thing is: it is difficult to discover the ideal dosage, as it can differ based on the breed and size of the dog.

Fortunately, you can always ask your vet in order to gain some knowledge about the proper dosage. Or you can just start with lower doses and see how your dog reacts to that. There are also plenty of CBD dosage charts for dogs on the internet that you can use as a reference.

Conclusion

In this day and age, Canadians can find many CBD products intended for their pets. To make sure that everything is safe, always do your research prior to buying a CBD product. And don’t forget to ask your vet if you are ever in doubt.