Many pet owners were inspired to try CBD oil for pets because they had positive experiences using CBD themselves. This path has many pet owners asking: Can I give my pet human CBD oil?
The short answer is yes, but savvy pet parents will seek out a pet-specific CBD. While human CBD oil is typically safe for our pets, it’s possible that CBD for humans can contain ingredients or even a level of THC that could be dangerous.
The key to choosing a safe pet CBD oil is knowing how to read the label of various products. As a well-informed and responsible pet owner, only you can make the safest and healthiest decision for your furry friend. To examine the difference between human CBD and pet CBD, let’s look at the ingredients sometimes found in human CBD products that are unsafe for pets, the importance of a THC-free* CBD oil for pets, and what to look for on the product label of a safe CBD for pets.
Pet CBD Will Avoid These Potentially Dangerous Ingredients
As most pet owners know, many delightful things for humans – such as foods like chocolate, coffee, raisins, and garlic – can be toxic for our dogs and cats. While we know many of the classic dangerous fruits, vegetables, and other foods for dogs and cats, more sneaky ones can show up in CBD products for humans, making them unsafe for pets. It’s extremely important to know exactly what ingredients are present in your pet CBD, because you want to know you’re administering totally safe treats for the cats and dogs in your life.
Here are a few sneaky ingredients to look out for. You might find these ingredients in a human CBD product, but you should never find them in CBD products for pets:
- Xylitol
- Essential oils
- Additives or fillers
High-Quality CBD Oil for Cats and Dogs Won’t Have Xylitol
Xylitol is an artificial sweetener often used to reduce the calories and sugar content in human foods like peanut butter, and it can be highly toxic in dogs and cats. Xylitol can cause hypoglycemia, a syndrome in which your pet’s blood sugar will drop suddenly and cause them to experience trembling and seizures. Xylitol can be fatal if consumed by your pet, so it’s definitely important to find a CBD pet product without this ingredient.
Pet CBD Oil Products Will Use Safe Ingredients for Flavor and Scent
Many CBD oil products for humans contain essential oils for flavor and scent. Several of these – including citrus, peppermint, wintergreen, and cinnamon – can be dangerous for dogs and cats when ingested or even used topically. A CBD oil for cats and dogs will use other, pet-safe ingredients to add flavors that are more desirable for your furry friends, anyway.
Additives and Fillers Found in Human CBD Oil Are Unnecessary
Some human CBD oil, and even some low-quality pet CBD oil, can be full of additives and fillers that are unhealthy and unnecessary for your pet. A high-quality pet CBD will have a simple ingredient list with wholesome components, because that’s all your dog or cat really needs.
The THC Content of Human CBD vs Pet CBD
THC is the compound found in marijuana cannabis that causes psychoactive effects, which are not what you want for your pet. In many states now, THC is completely legal for human use and the industry of THC products is growing alongside the CBD industry. While humans are allowed to use THC products that get them high, this is never recommended for animals like cats and dogs.
To understand why your CBD pet products should always be THC-free, let’s look at:
- Why pet CBD products should be derived from domestic hemp
- Different types of CBD and their THC content
- The meaning of the phrase “THC-free*”
Pet CBD Products Should Be Derived From Domestic Hemp
Human CBD oils can be derived from marijuana cannabis, and therefore they sometimes contain high levels of THC. The best CBD oil for dogs and cats will be derived from industrial hemp that is grown in the US.
The hemp plant is a type of cannabis that, by US law, must contain less than 0.3 percent THC. If a CBD product has been derived from a hemp plant grown elsewhere, there are no guarantees about that product’s THC content. When hemp growers in the US follow the law, CBD products made from their plants won’t be able to have a high level of THC because the plant has been designed that way.
Truly safe pet CBD products will be derived from hemp sourced from US hemp farms.
Different Types of CBD for Pets: Spectrums and Isolate
While 0.3 percent THC is negligible, it is still THC. Ideally, a safe CBD for dogs and cats will be certified THC-free.* Achieving that will depend in part on how the CBD is extracted from the hemp plant.
You have likely heard the many terms associated with various types of CBD: CBD isolate, broad spectrum, and full spectrum. These terms refer to how the CBD was extracted from the hemp plant and how it was processed after extraction.
CBD is not the only compound in the hemp plant – there are other cannabinoids in the plant like cannabinol, cannabigerol, and of course, trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. A full spectrum CBD is pulled from the plant along with all the other terpenes and phytochemicals found in that hemp plant – including that small amount of THC. A broad spectrum CBD is extracted and then processed again to remove some compounds, but leave others. Hence, broad spectrum CBD products can still contain THC. A CBD isolate is purely CBD – nothing else at all.
While it seems like a CBD isolate might be perfect for pets, your dog or cat might actually be missing out on some extremely powerful parts of the hemp plant that can be beneficial for their health when using an isolate. This is why cbdMD, Paw CBD’s parent company, created our unique Superior Broad Spectrum formula. We extract CBD from the hemp plant and then carefully process it to include a unique blend of terpenes and phytochemicals, and we remove as much THC as possible to make it THC-free.* Superior Broad Spectrum CBD is ideal for making CBD pet products.
What Does THC-Free* Mean?
THC-free* is defined as below the level of detection using validated scientific methods. This means that modern testing tools can find no detectable THC in our CBD oil for cats and dogs. As part of our Superior Broad Spectrum formula, we go back into our CBD after it is extracted and ensure we have removed even the 0.3 percent THC that might have been present in the hemp plant before extraction. It is crucial that any CBD products you give to your animal are certified THC-free,* because the psychoactive effects of THC are not healthy or safe for your pet.
How to Read the Label on a Pet CBD Product
Choosing CBD oil for dogs and cats specifically rather than a product made for humans provides a lot of benefits for your pet. These benefits include choices for strength and recommended daily amounts, specialty formulas with supportive ingredients, and yummy flavors for animals that might not appeal to humans. Here’s what to look for on a pet CBD product label:
- Clear instructions on use and daily amounts
- Pet-specific formulas
- Flavors designed for cats and dogs
Choices and Instructions for Daily Recommended Amount
A CBD oil designed for humans won’t give you any advice or input on how much of that product your pet will need. Giving your pet the right daily amount of CBD is crucial to your pet’s wellness experience with this resource, and a CBD oil formulated specifically for dogs or cats will be available in different strengths for different-sized animals.
The choices of daily recommended amounts that you get with a dog-specific CBD oil will allow you to adapt your pet’s daily regimen to their size and lifestyle needs. For example, our Paw CBD dog treats come in a 150 mg bag for small dogs, a 300 mg bag for medium-sized dogs, and a 600 mg bag for large dogs. Our CBD soft treats for cats come in 150 mg or 300 mg depending on how much your cat weighs. Giving your pet too much CBD can potentially cause effects like lethargy or stomach trouble, so choosing the right amount is very important.
With pet-specific CBD, you also have the flexibility of choosing a few different methods to administer CBD oil to your pet. As long as you keep their total daily CBD consistent, you can give their daily amount to them in a couple of CBD treats and a squirt of flavored CBD oil in their food, or divvy it up however you like.
Specifically Designed with Dogs and Cats in Mind
Specialty pet CBD oils can also address some of your pet’s specific needs. For example, our CBD Cat Calming Tincture contains melatonin to support your feline friend during stressful situations like vet visits or travel, while our CBD Hip+Joint Chews for Dogs contain glucosamine HCL for mobility support.
Tail-Wagging, Purr-worthy Flavors
An overlooked benefit of CBD products for dogs is that they come in flavors that dogs find irresistible, like our award-winning peanut butter treats and turkey or chicken and bacon soft chews! For our feline friends, check out the salmon flavored soft chews or catnip flavored CBD oil for cats. Your pet will likely prefer that flavor menu to whatever they’re dishing up in human CBD oil.
For a Happy Pet, Use CBD Products Made for Dogs and Cats
So for those of you who were asking, “Can I give my pet human CBD oil?” now you know: the answer is to choose a pet CBD product instead. The difference between pet CBD and human CBD can sometimes be significant. A safe product for your dog or cat will include (and exclude) specific ingredients, offer recommended daily amounts that are specific to your pet’s size and species, and will often be made with a formula that can address animal-specific issues like separation stress or noise aversion. This is why it’s important to choose a CBD product that is made for dogs or cats rather than giving human CBD oil to your pet.