Almost all mammals will have an endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system helps control areas within a mammal’s body, supporting balance and homeostasis. Dogs and cats both have these receptors. While cats can interact with intoxicating properties such as catnip; dogs specifically are best if they have the ability to keep their normal levels of alertness. It is said that THC (which has intoxicating effects) is toxic to dogs because for them it causes enhanced alertness which said increased brain function can be detrimental for dogs. With this in mind, most pets do well with CBD products that have virtually no THC and cats specifically do better with tinctures because there are usually less additives that can aid with allergic reactions to ingredients.
What Does CBD Do for Your Pet? How Do You Microdose Them?
CBD affects both the CB1 and CB2 receptors in dogs and cats. These receptors are found in different places throughout our pets’ bodies and help regulate many things such as; appetite, mood, stress, memory, allergies, inflammation, diabetes and epilepsy. When these animals eat grass or other plants some of the natural terpenes affect these receptors, so CBD supplementation can be a great addition to your fur baby’s well-being.
When it comes to the introduction of CBD into your animal’s diets it might get a little confusing or stressful because our pets cannot speak up. Although each animal is different, remember that you and your animal are in each other’s lives because you have a bond. Trust this bond and consistently check and monitor your pets until you both have come to an understanding of dosage.
Most good CBD products will have dosing suggestions. If you are choosing an oil or tincture you have a couple methods of administering. Make sure that you start by giving your pet a lower dose so that you can keep an eye on the way they react. Personally, I give my tinctures on my babies’ food. Neither my cat nor my dog like taking the oil just from the dropper and I find it makes a big mess trying to do that. I also find that when it comes to tincture the oil does not absorb into a treat quite as fast as I need and that too ends up making a mess. I hear that people put it in water but I change their water too often for me to know if they actually drank all of the oil.
One thing to keep in mind is that depending on the reason you are giving your pet CBD, know that some drugs may have temporarily blocked absorption. Since CBD is processed in the liver, the order in which you administer their prescriptions and CBD might need to be changed. Another thing to keep in mind is that depending on your animal, weight and dosage of CBD, your pet may become sedated and sleep. For my animals this is the case which I find helpful because it fully allows their bodies time to heal (they are both 2 years old).
Do Your Research
Recommended dosage can vary based on weight or in some cases “tiered” dosage as recommended by Dr. Robert Silver DVA, MS, CVA who is on the board of several companies has developed dosing instructions. He has done studies that suggest trying these 3 Tiers:
Tier 1) If your dog weighs 10 lbs. or less try giving your animal a total of .05 mg/lb. to be administered in 1 or 2 sessions daily.
Tier 2) Above 10 lbs. or more try giving your animal a total of 1-2.5 mg/lb. to be administered in 1 or 2 sessions daily.
Tier 3) Over 30 lbs. or more try giving your animal a total of 5-10 mg/lb. to be administered in 1 or 2 sessions daily.
More info on dosing for pets can be found here.
As always, we recommend you use your best judgement. Our pets are very empathic and feel our nervousness and anxiety. Especially in these times, it is important that we maintain a chill demeanor so we can get past this together with our pet companions.
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