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Best CBD for Dogs: How To Pick the Best for Your Dog 2023

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When it comes to selecting the best CBD for our dogs, there is no one-and-done best CBD item to choose from. Your dog's unique characteristics and health will have a heavy influence on which CBD product is best for them. But don't let that discourage you from giving your dog or another pet CBD, because from the many health benefits to the low occurrence of side effects, giving our pets CBD to support their health is becoming essential in more people's eyes.  

CBD For Pets 

With its ability to naturally help our dogs and cats with health problems such as allergies, anxiety, poor digestion, arthritic pain, and more, CBD has become one of the go-to supplements more and more people are giving their pets.If you've taken CBD yourself or are familiar with how it can benefit human health, then you have a pretty good idea of how CBD products can help your pet. According to CBD brand Innovetpet, "Any organism with an endocannabinoid system can see benefits from consuming cannabis compounds like the ones you find in CBD products. And recent research has confirmed this is pretty much everyone (vertebrates and invertebrates) except for insects."The endocannabinoid system is a regulatory system that promotes homeostasis in various parts of the body. Homeostasis is how the body keeps itself stable and optimally functioning despite changes in the environment around it. Standing for cannabidiol, CBD is a cannabinoid the cannabis plant produces but is just one amongst hundreds of others. Most CBD products contain all those compounds, as well. Which earns them the full spectrum label. To prevent these cannabis derivatives from causing high, selective breeding practices can reduce levels of the cannabinoid THC that causes the intoxicating euphoric effects associated with marijuana plants -- which are bred to have greater levels of THC. 

Dog CBD

CBD created for dogs is chemically no different from the ones created to benefit our health. Usually, the only difference is how concentrated/potent it is, as body weight largely dictates optimal dosages. CBD is safe to give to your dog. However, it's important to point out that while CBD is safe, marijuana is not safe for dogs. This is because their endocannabinoid system has more CB1 receptors than ours or our cats. CBD for dogsOverstimulation of CB1 receptors by THC is the primary cause of the psychoactive effects felt by marijuana. While we don't have enough CB1 receptors to make it possible to overdose and die from marijuana, our dogs do. 

The Best CBD For Dogs 

There are many factors, from the age of your dog to their medical condition, that will play into which CBD item is best for them. Let's take a look at a few different scenarios and medical conditions to give you a better idea of which CBD is best for your dog. 

Best CBD For Senior Dogs?

Choosing a high-quality CBD product that has been lab tested for purity and potency should be a top priority for pet owners who are looking to give CBD to their senior dog. This is because senior dogs are more likely to be on prescription medication, and care needs to be given when mixing CBD with them.In some cases, CBD can affect the potency of certain drugs that are metabolized along the same pathways that CBD is. If you've taken a drug before that advises you to avoid eating grapefruit, you'll be familiar with this annoyance. However, with care, CBD can often be used alongside a drug that may affect its metabolization of. But precise dosages will be needed where those aren't much of a concern outside this issue.  To make sure the CBD contains what it actually says it contains, make sure to look for the certificate of analysis (COA). You usually can find this on the company's website, making it a smart idea to shop for CBD online. Another great thing to look for when shopping for a senior dog is looking for CBD treats that are made to have a soft chew texture. Not only are these great for older dogs with sensitive teeth, but they are also great for smaller breeds.   

What is The Best CBD for Dogs With Anxiety?

With products like CBD oil, when you hold the oil under the tongue, CBD can be rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream for very fast effects. While it's unlikely you'll be able to get your dog to do this, CBD oil still presents the fastest onset of effects when it comes to giving CBD to your dog. And when your dog is freaking out over a sudden storm or stranger at the door, the last thing you want is an anti-anxiety aid that is going to take forever to work its magic. 

Best CBD for Dogs With Separation Anxiety?

When looking to help your dog with separation anxiety, which research is finding is the most common form of anxiety our dogs' experience, you want a CBD product that will help reduce their anxiety for the entire time you're away from them. While the oil form of CBD typically produces the fastest onset of effects, its effects can fade the fastest. As such, if you're finding CBD oil works well but not long enough, give CBD treats a try, as the digestion process tends to spread out the effects of CBD, helping it last between 6-8 hours vs. 4-6 hours as is typically seen with oil administration. 

Best CBD for Dogs Arthritis?

When looking to help your dog with a painful inflammatory condition such as arthritis, it's usually best to give them full-spectrum CBD instead of broad-spectrum or CBD isolate. Not only do cannabinoids other than cannabidiol have anti-inflammatory properties of their own, but they also work synergistically together, improving their ability to benefit the body. This relationship is so prominent and beneficial that we gave it a name, the entourage effect. 

Best CBD for Hyper Dogs?

When you hear that CBD can awaken the body and help sedate it, it can cause you to scratch your head in confusion. But it's actually quite simple how CBD does this. CBD has a biphasic effect, where in low and medium dosages, it can stimulate and awaken. But if you take the dosage up to a certain level, CBD can start to make you feel tired.When it comes to finding the best CBD for a hyper dog, really any type of full-spectrum CBD will do. But if you're finding the recommended dosage isn't working well enough for your hyper pup, you can slowly start increasing their dosage every day or so to see if CBD's sedative effects help better. 

How To Give? 

How you give your dog CBD depends on the form of CBD you're giving them. Extracted from hemp plants, CBD's natural state is a viscous oil that can be turned into many things, from treats to tinctures you can vape. When your dog isn't on a prescription drug, you have a lot of freedom in how much you can give your dog. For the first few weeks, it's best to follow the product label's instructions. CBD can be given daily or on occasion. While given on occasion works fine, it's best to give CBD a couple of weeks to work its magic before making a judgment on how well it's working. This is why most pet owners give their pets CBD daily. 

High-Quality CBD

While there are a handful of factors that can dictate which type of CBD product is best for your pup, there are a few things you want to always see with any CBD product.We mentioned above the importance of the COA, which is the laboratory results that will show your CBD product truly contains what it says it does. As well, it's important to look for a CBD product that was derived from organic hemp, created through CO2 extraction, and includes a carrier oil with USDA certification.Speaking of the carrier oil, which is included to improve the bioavailability of the hemp extract, high-quality CBDs often undergo additional processing such as sonification to improve the body's ability to effectively absorb it. For example, when ultrasound is used on the hemp extract, the cannabinoids are broken down into smaller components that are easier for the body to uptake. As well, this process helps cannabinoid dispersion in water, breaking their hydrophobic nature that limits their bioavailability. 

Final Words

When it comes to choosing the best CBD for your dog, while it requires a little homework and research, it is well worth it! With CBD able to help with a long list of medical conditions on a cellular level, choosing a high-quality CBD product derived from organic hemp grown free from pesticides with regular soil tests that check for toxic heavy metals is a must. Remember, never give any pet a CBD product that hasn't been third-party lab tested.
Categorized into General Health
Tagged in Cats,Dogs,Pets