Is CBD Oil Different for Pets and Humans?

CBD oil can be an excellent way to improve various aspects of your cat or dog's health. CBD oil for dogs and CBD for pets in general are formulated differently than human CBD products.

This is extremely important, and many resources online do not have the facts straight. CBD for pets is not the same as CBD for humans. We'll cover the difference between pet CBD and human CBD in this article, ensuring that you're choosing the right option for your pet's health.

The Difference Between Pet CBD and Human CBD: Explained

If you're looking for a quick answer, here it is:

Human CBD products are often much stronger, and they're made with additional ingredients that are not safe for pets.

While the actual CBD is the same in products for both pets and humans, the concentration and additional ingredients are not the same.

This makes human CBD products unsafe for dogs and cats for a number of reasons. Let's look at those reasons.

Why Human CBD Products are Unsafe for Dogs and Cats

Because CBD for humans is almost exclusively stronger and made with human-specific ingredients, it is unsafe for the following reasons:

1. The added strength of human CBD is in place because humans have much larger bodies than dogs and cats. Too much CBD in your pet's system could cause them to experience negative side effects.

2. Human CBD oils often come with carrier oils and added ingredients that are dangerous for dogs. If your product includes any sweeteners such as Xylitol, it could be toxic for dogs.

3. Human products that aren't in the form of oil (like CBD gummies and edibles) are likely much more dangerous, as almost always include a wide range of ingredients that have not been tested for safety in dogs and cats.

4. All products should be tested for safety in pets before they're sold as pet supplements, and products designed specifically for humans have not undergone this testing.

5. Laws are looser with CBD products for humans, so there's no guaranteeing that your pet won't experience psychoactive effects from human CBD product you give them.

For all of these reasons, it's important that you find a CBD product specifically made for dogs, cats, or both.

Can You Give Dogs Human CBD Gummies?

Human CBD gummies always pose a risk to dogs because they include ingredients selected for human consumption, not dogs. Dogs who eat human CBD gummies risk toxicity and serious harm to their health. Prioritize keeping human CBD gummies out of reach from dogs.

Do not attempt to give your dog human CBD gummies in an effort to relieve seizures, pain, anxiety, or anything else. Instead, opt for a CBD product that has been formulated to be given to dogs in safe dosages.

Understanding The Endocannabinoid System in Dogs & Cats

It's believed that all mammals have what's called an "endocannabinoid system." The key compounds in hemp, including CBD, are called "cannabinoids" and they interact with our systems and our pets' systems quite naturally. 

This is because our bodies produce endogenous cannabinoids all by themselves. These internally-produced cannabinoids interact with two receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors. 

The endocannabinoid system and its key receptors support a wide variety of functions in pets and humans alike. These functions include:

• Digestive health
• Mood and memory
• Movement
• Sleep
• Appetite management
• Pain
• The immune response

As a cannabinoid itself, CBD interacts perfectly with these receptors by supporting homeostasis in the function of your pet's endocannabinoid system.

So, rather than directly acting on any of these specific functions, CBD serves a supportive role and helps to maintain homeostasis where things might have been out of balance before. 

In other words, CBD helps your pet's body work its magic naturally. It doesn't sedate or numb, it supports the system that our bodies already have to manage our health.

Finding The Right Pet CBD Product

Here are some essential things to keep in mind when choosing a CBD product for your pet:

1. Avoid Human CBD Oil

2. Avoid a CBD isolate, as this may not be as effective

3. Choose CBD tinctures that include full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD because the other cannabinoids in hemp plants work together to form a synergistic effect.

4. Find a company that gives you dosing suggestions based on your cat or dog's weight, as dosage is incredibly important.

5. Make sure that the company is clear about their manufacturing processes and doesn't include any sweeteners or other harmful chemicals in their formulation.

6. Find a CBD tincture that's specifically made for the species of pet you have. CBD oil for dogs, for example, is likely a little different from CBD oil for cats. Some options, such as Lolahemp's Classic Full Spectrum Hemp Oil, are safe for both cats and dogs.

7. Finally, use a reputable company. Reputable companies tend to have great reviews from pet owners who share videos, praise the benefits, and support the company for helping their pet.

The Importance of Choosing Pet CBD Products

CBD products designed for pets are crafted with the help of veterinary science. Things like CBD dog treats and other pet-specific CBD options are designed to help your pets.

These items contain less CBD than you would need as a human, but the optimal amount for your dog or cat. Plus, the company you choose will give you dosage recommendations based on the weight of your pet, the issues they're facing, and any pre-existing medical issues they might have.

Additional Ingredients in Pet CBD Options

Pet CBD oil products are often manufactured with additional pet-safe ingredients that have shown to benefit animals in various ways.

Items Chosen to Help Your Pet's Issue

If you're looking for a calming CBD oil for your dog, you might buy a product that includes chamomile, for example. On the other hand, pet products designed to help mobility and inflammation might include turmeric.

Carrier Oils That Are Safe

Further, the carrier oils used in pet cbd products will have been vetted for safety in animals.

The safety of essential oils isn't as straightforward as you would think. Cats and dogs have different metabolisms, different health issues, and different tolerances to ingredients that you or I might not have any issues with.

This is why it's important that your pet's CBD oil has a pet-safe carrier oil like coconut oil.

Pet CBD Oil: Ingredients Matter!

Word of mouth about the success people have had with CBD oil, relaxed laws on hemp products, and scientific research on the benefits of CBD have made CBD a rapidly-growing market.

People are seeing it pop up everywhere in products made for people. Just a few of these include:

• Hemp oil tinctures in various flavors

• CBD candies and other edibles made for people

• Soft drinks and other beverages infused with CBD

• CBD topicals including creams, balms, and lotions

One of the things that pet owners need to be very aware of before giving their dogs anything made for people is that just because a product is safe for people DOES NOT make it safe for dogs! There is a big difference between CBD for humans and dogs.

The Dangers of Xylitol for Dogs and Cats

For example, the artificial sweetener Xylitol™ is extremely toxic to dogs, even in very small doses. Since many human-grade CBD products contain this artificial sweetener, it is critical to avoid giving them to your pet. If you suspect that your pet has ingested a product containing Xylitol, please contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA Pet Poison Control Hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Flavorings commonly used in human-grade CBD products can also present a problem for pets. For example, essential oils used to flavor CBD products for people such as wintergreen or citrus oils can be a problem for cats, according to the Pet Poison Helpline. 

Dogs & Weed: The Presence of THC Can be Unsafe

Another problem with some human-grade products is that they may contain high amounts of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in cannabis plants. THC could be unsafe for dogs and cats even though it might not pose a risk for humans. While trace amounts of THC found in full-spectrum oils made just for dogs do not pose a risk, the added amounts of this compound in some human-grade hemp products can pose a risk for dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals. 

These are not the only ingredients to watch out for. Rather than taking a risk, pet owners should use THC free hemp oil made just for pets (such as Lolahemp) and formulated with the help of veterinarians to be sure the product is safe for their furry friends.

It is always unsafe to give your dog weed (marijuana) products of any kind because the THC in them can be toxic.

CBD: Proper Dosage for Dogs

The concentration of CBD in human products is calibrated to human bodies. Some people think they can save money by buying higher concentration products made for people. When it comes to making sure your dog gets the right amount of CBD, however, it's important to buy a product with a much lower concentration. 

A single drop or edible made for human consumption may be too much CBD for a toy or even a medium-sized dog breed, for example. In order to be sure that you can provide your pet with a consistent dose calibrated to their body weight and sensitive endocannabinoid system, choose a product made with pets in mind. 

There's no issue when humans take pet CBD because our bodies are more resilient and pet CBD oil is weaker. Flip that equation and give human grade CBD oil to your dog and you could see negative side effects. This is part of the reason that it's so important to understand the proper dosage for your pet. 

Never buy a product that does not include dosing instructions. This is simply a recipe for disaster. Here at Lolahemp, we provide accurate dosing information right on our product pages. 

Consistent and accurate CBD dosing for your dog's body weight is a must for the safe use of CBD products in pets. 

Third-Party Batch Lab Testing

As a general rule of thumb, you should always look to buy from a company that offers reliable lab testing for every batch of their product. Do this whenever buying any CBD product (for people or pets). The company should also have a certificate of analysis on those results.

The CBD market is flooded with companies that may be offering products containing pesticides, herbicides, and other contaminants like heavy metals. In fact, some companies have been caught selling products with no CBD in them at all!

At Lolahemp, every one of our tinctures has a QR code so that customers can scan the codes with their phone to immediately bring up the batch lab testing for their bottle. Lab tests are always available on the website so customers can verify quality before they even buy. 

To make sure you're getting a consistent and high-quality product for your dog, go with a company such as Lolahemp who provides batch lab tests for our full spectrum organic CBD oil. 

Full-Spectrum Hemp & CBD Oil for Pets

Finally, a great reason to choose a hemp oil made for pets is that you can take advantage of full-spectrum oil, such as Lolahemp. 

There are many different compounds in hemp, and researchers speculate that the

cannabinoids found in hemp (CBG, CBN, CBC, and others) may have beneficial properties that enhance the healing properties of CBD. This is widely known as The Entourage Effect. 

The problem with many full-spectrum products made for humans is they could have too much of the compound THC in them, which our pets are sensitive to. While trace amounts of THC are safe for pets, it is important for pet owners to understand that some human-made products can have way too much of this psychoactive compound to be safe for dogs, cats, and other pets. 

CBD Oil Isolates Aren't As Effective

On the other hand, most brands of CBD made for dogs go too far the other way and make CBD oil with pure CBD which has been chemically isolated. Thus, dogs that use these brands may not be fully benefiting from The Entourage Effect of a full-spectrum oil. 

Many of our loyal customers have tried isolated CBD products before they found Lolahemp, and report that our full-spectrum organic hemp oil with a broad and robust terpenoid profile has been more effective for their dogs.

In fact, that is why our founder, Joey DiFrancesco started this brand after only a full-spectrum hemp oil helped his rescue dog, Lola.

Lolahemp: Hemp Oil Made for Dogs

Is there a difference between CBD for dogs and humans? Yes. A very big difference.

We recommend against giving CBD made for humans to your dog. If you are thinking about CBD oil for dogs, we would love for you to give Lolahemp a try. Here are a few more ways we make it easy for you to choose Lolahemp for your beloved pet’s needs:

• 30-day money-back guarantee
• Optional Membership Program to save money on autoship
• A family-owned business with 24/7 customer support
• Commitment to animal welfare, donating a portion of proceeds to animal rescue groups
• Hand-harvested domestically sourced hemp from an organic farm in Colorado