Ananda Pets: The Best CBD Oil for Dogs and Cats

Can I Give CBD to My Pet?

If you have an endocannabinoids system (ECS), you could benefit from the therapeutic effects of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). And guess what — your dog or cat has an ECS.

You’ve probably heard stories from friends and family about how CBD helped their pet with issues like joint pain, seizures, anxiety, and even cancer.

That’s because the ECS involves a network of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) that regulate homeostasis (balance and well-being) by interacting with natural endocannabinoids.

When the body can’t regulate, CBD may help

When a body doesn’t make enough natural cannabinoids or can’t regulate them, we can develop health issues. Plant-based cannabinoids like CBD and THC can interact with the ECS to activate responses in the body — responses that have proven to be therapeutic for animals as well as humans.

Legal CBD is hemp-derived and has a negligent amount of THC in it (.3 percent or less) and can’t get you, or your pet, high. (Sorry, Fluffy.) CBD is safe for pets; side effects are rare and generally mild when experienced. 

Our furry friends can suffer from anxiety, epilepsy, arthritis, recovery from surgery, and cancer just like we humans can. And the benefits of CBD may be able to help them too!

 

What Is the Best CBD Oil for Pets?

Ananda Pets Full Spectrum CBD Oil is the CBD product we recommend for you dog or cat for many reasons.

Ananda is a reputable hemp company that has led the way in the industry for over 20 years. All Ananda Hemp products have been tested at least three times before they come to the shelf, for potency, contaminant, and quality. There is a certificate of analysis for each product batch, so you can know what you’re putting in your pup or kitty.

Actually, Ananda’s hemp extract is one of only products to be part of a scientific study.

Ananda Hemp grows all of its hemp outdoors in the Kentucky soil and has never used pesticides or chemicals on its crops. So, again, you can have confidence in what you’re giving your furry friend.

The Ananda Pets product is made exclusively for dogs and cats and has dosing recommendations.

What’s more, it comes in tincture form for ease of dose adjustment that you can administer by dropping directly into your pet’s mouth or by putting it on their favorite food. 

People think high-quality CBD is expensive — and it certainly cost more than the cheaper stuff. But Ananda Pets is top quality CBD relief for what is probably less than what you spend on your cell phone bill each month (depending on the size of your pet). You pet is worth it.

 

Is Hemp Oil the Same as CBD Oil for Dogs?

While they both come from the hemp plant, CBD oil products for dogs and hemp seed oil products for dogs are not the same. Both are known for their health benefits, but CBD oil has more powerful effects.

Hemp seed oil is extracted from hemp seeds which contain little to no CBD. It is, however, loaded with Omega-6 and Omega-3 essential fatty acids, Omega-9, GLA (gamma linolenic acid), and a range of healthy proteins and amino acids.

For your pet, it can help with skin and coat health, easing joint pain, and boosting immune system function.

CBD, however, is extracted primarily from the flowers and sometimes the leaves and stalks of hemp plants. A full spectrum CBD is an army of cannabinoids and whole plant nutrients like terpenes and flavonoids. These are thought to work synergistically in the entourage effect to promote health benefits such as relief from inflammation, chronic pain, anxiety, and seizures.

 

What Are the Benefits of Giving CBD to Your Pet?

Currently, veterinarians are stuck in a gray area where they can’t prescribe or technically suggest CBD as a treatment for your pet. That doesn’t mean they can’t have a discussion with you if you bring up the subject.

While veterinarians have to be cautious about making definitive claims, it seems that reality has shown enough beneficial results from their patients that many vets are willing to talk about CBD for pets.

The AKC’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Jerry Klein, explains that even though there’s no conclusive scientific evidence for treating dogs with CBD, dog owners report that CBD can successfully treat inflammation, cardiac conditions, nausea, poor appetite, anxiety, and even cancer.

Here are few ways CBD oil is known to help:

  • Owners use CBD oil to manage pain in their pets. Your dog or cat may be recovering from an injury or surgery or might be getting to that age we all come to where more aches and pains is the reality. Like you, your furry friend doesn’t have to live with it. Here are just some of the ways CBD may decrease pain in pets:
    • Pain (including neuropathy and nerve-related pain)
    • The impact of inflammation on oxidative stress (which causes degeneration and premature aging)
    • Inflammation in acute pancreatitis
    • Cancer-related pain

 

  • CBD oil is reported to help with gastrointestinal issues in pets. Dogs such as great Danes, German shepherds, golden retrievers and collies are particularly prone to digestive ailments. Common diagnoses are acute gastroenteritis, colitis, constipation, diarrhea, pancreatitis, etc. Animal studies have shown that CBD can prevent colitis (IBD) and restore normal gut motility in inflammatory bowel disease.

 

  • CBD is known to alleviate symptoms of arthritis. It’s not fair, but our pets get arthritis, too. CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory. In fact, it can potentially treat many conditions that have inflammatory responses. It is known to decrease the production and release of inflammatory cytokines that flare up allergies, hypersensitivities and autoimmunity in people and pets.

 

  • People use CBD to ease their pet’s anxiety. Does your cat hide or cry for no reason? Does your dog bark excessively or have terrible separation anxiety that presents itself in the form of a trashed house when you get home? CBD could help you pet cope. It’s a safe, nontoxic way to calm them when taking a trip to the vet or the groomer, or if they’re having trouble dealing in a multi-pet household.

 

  • CBD can help with your pet’s loss of appetite. It’s heartbreaking when your pet won’t eat. Whether it’s due to age, treatment, or recovery from an illness or injury, CBD is known to help boost appetite in humans and animals. It’s proven a successful antiemetic, so much so that The National Cancer Institute reports that it increases appetite on its website.

 

  • CBD for treating seizures and epilepsy. This cannabinoid is a proven natural anticonvulsant and can be used to control seizures, tremors, tics, and spasms. The FDA has already approved Epidiolex, the first FDA-approved drug containing a purified substance derived from Cannabis sativa. What this means: CBD can, in some situations, control violent seizures when nothing else can. It has saved the lives of many children suffering from devastating seizures. It could help your pet, too.

 

  • CBD may have anti-cancer effects. Studies suggest that CBD and other substances found in hemp have anti-tumor effects. CBD has even been shown to stop cancer cells from growing and increase tumor cell death in preclinical studies. Many pet owners have reported positive results with CBD used for treating animals with cancer.

 

Are There Studies on CBD for Pets?

A few clinical studies on the effects and safety of CBD for dogs have been conducted. More are underway.

Colorado veterinarian researcher Stephanie McGrath received so many phone calls in 2013 from pet owners and veterinarians about CBD that she decided she had to investigate cannabis for animals.

As assistant professor of neurology at Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, she became one of the first researchers in the field of veterinary cannabis.

Through her studies, she discovered that CBD in animals is absorbed like it is in humans, metabolized by the liver. A study she published reveals that CBD could possibly help treat seizures in dogs. Like many veterinarians, she believes that more scientific evidence is needed to authenticate the health claims that people are reporting about CBD for pets.

A 2018 Cornell study showed that 2 mg/kg of CBD twice daily can help increase comfort and activity in dogs with osteoarthritis.

Currently, The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF) is funding a study through the Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (Stephanie McGrath’s neck of the woods again) that will evaluate the use of CBD in treatment-resistant epileptic dogs.

 

Is CBD Safe for Dogs?

According to a 2017 World Health Organization report, pure CBD oil is considered safe and well-tolerated by animals. But there are few things to know when it comes to animals and cannabis.

 

  1. Animals with liver issues. Canine studies from 2018 showed increases in the liver enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) during CBD use. In the study, McGrath ran a liver function test to check the dogs' livers. The test came back normal. But because it is unknown of why ALP levels were elevated, special consideration should be given to dogs with liver issues or that are already taking medications metabolized by the liver when considering CBD for treatment.

 

  1. Choose a pet-specific product. Mark Verdino, MD, senior vice president and chief of veterinary staff at North Shore Animal League America has some valuable advice on the subject. Because the CBD industry is fairly unregulated, he explains that with a pet-specific CBD product you’ll know that you’re getting the right concentration. He warns against giving your pet human edibles — they could be toxic. Artificial sweeteners found in some gummies, for instance, can be toxic for animals. Dr. Verdino, by the way, gives CBD to his dog at night for anxiety.

 

  1. Don’t cheap out. In the CBD industry, high-quality costs more. Because the industry is unregulated, legitimate CBD producers pay for third-party testing to prove what is in their product (and what is not). Look for a certificate of analysis (COA) — a report of the results of the testing. Low-quality CBD can have more THC than it claims, less CBD than it claims, and possibly heavy metals and pesticides. As a bioaccumulator, hemp leeches the impurities out of soil. So if it’s grown around contaminants, they will be in the end product … and in your pet baby.

 

One thing to keep in mind is that dogs are reported to have more cannabinoid receptors in their ECS than humans and will be more susceptible to a THC overdose in the short-term. This, however, will not be an issue if hemp-derived CBD is used. There’s just simply not enough THC in it to cause intoxication. To be sure, always use a product with a COA, so you can see for yourself that there’s no substantial amount of THC.

 

How Much CBD Should You Give Your Dog?

It is recommended that you start by dosing gradually with your pet. Begin with 1 mg per 10 pounds of body weight twice a day and monitor your pet’s reaction. Start low and go slow when increasing.

 

DOSING RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Weight of Pet (lb.)

Number of Drops

Less than 5 lbs.

3 drops

10

5 drops

20

10 drops

30

15 drops

40

20 drops (approx. half dropper)

50

25 drops

60

30 drops

70

35 drops (approx. full dropper)

80

40 drops

90+ lbs.

45 drops

 

 

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2451037/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3371734/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3169967/

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq#section/all

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22776349/

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2018.00165/full

https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/5.2_CBD.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5109620/

 

The Nature’s Breakthrough educational resource is just one of the ways The Hemp Haus practices its sincere commitment to and passion for educating people about CBD and helping them find the right, high-quality product based on their needs.

 

 

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