Human CBD for Pets: All You Need to Know

Pet CBD is making a difference in your pet’s health. Whether you have a gerbil or a mastiff, CBD can help pets be healthy and happy, and may even support a pet if it has health issues. You’ve been giving your pet CBD for a while now, and you’ve used up your pet’s whole bottle of hemp oil. Or maybe you want to try it with your pet to see what it can do, and all you have is your personal bottle of CBD oil. Can you give your pet human CBD oil?

Can I Give My Pet Human CBD Oil?

The short answer is, maybe. Many caveats have to do with the health and safety of your pet. There are some very big, potentially fatal, differences between pet and human CBD oil that you’ll need to consider before you give your pet human CBD. Pet CBD is designed, for well, pets. And CBD for people is designed for humans. This means you could easily give your pet too much CBD by accident. Or, there could be ingredients in your CBD that could hurt your pet.

As with any supplement and your pet, it’s a good idea to talk to your veterinarian before starting them on something new. This applies to everything from CBD to a multivitamin. Your vet will likely be supportive of using CBD oil on your pet and may even carry a brand of CBD, like Pet Releaf’s Sentesa.

Difference Between Pet CBD Oil and Human CBD Oil

The main difference, generally, will be the concentration of CBD in the product, which you need to take into careful consideration. Pets are more often much smaller than us humans, so they need less CBD than we do. But concentration isn’t the only difference between pet CBD and human CBD. You need to be concerned with extra, potentially toxic ingredients, THC levels, and the overall quality of your pet CBD. Quality, when it comes to pet CBD, indicates safe and effective manufacturing practices. Poorly made CBD at best will have less bioavailable CBD and at worse could contain toxic chemicals and solvents.

1. Is there anything else in your CBD?

Many substances that are safe for humans are quite dangerous to pets. This includes ingredients found in many human CBD products. Xylitol is a common sweetener used in human CBD and is potentially lethal to animals, even in small amounts. It is a sugar alcohol and is found naturally in many foods, like berries and oats. When pets ingest xylitol, it stimulates a strong release of insulin which can cause a fatal case of hypoglycemia. If you suspect your pet has ingested xylitol, you need to contact your vet or local 24-hour animal hospital right away.

The next common ingredient often found in human CBD that can be toxic to pets may surprise you. It’s essential oils like citrus, peppermint, and cinnamon, that are used for scent and flavor in many human CBD formulas. These essential oils can be dangerous to pets, especially cats if they are ingested.

Some CBD products, including human and low-quality pet CBD, contain unnecessary fillers and additives. Not only are these unnecessary, but they may be unhealthy for your pet. This is another reason why choosing quality pet CBD is so important for your pet.

However, the number one thing you need to confirm is that the THC (the active compound found in marijuana and negligible amounts in hemp) levels are below the legal amount of 0.03%. Marijuana is toxic to pets, especially dogs, who have more cannabinoid receptors in their brains than we do. This means that dogs can absorb THC more quickly than humans, making the effects of THC more strongly felt. A small amount of marijuana can cause toxicity in dogs and cats. This includes second-hand smoke. Thankfully, toxicity is rarely fatal. Pets who have ingested or inhaled too much THC may become unsteady and clumsy. They could either be hyperactive or very vocal. Call your vet or emergency animal clinic if you suspect your pet to have THC toxicity. There’s no need to panic, you likely will just need to keep your little buddy comfortable until the THC wears off. But, do check with your vet in case your pet does need medical attention.

The best way to avoid your pet from being exposed to high levels of THC is by choosing a pet CBD product that is made with domestic, or American grown hemp. The farming of hemp is strictly regulated here in the states. Hemp grown in the states can only have 0.3% THC, which is a negligible amount and is harmless. Farmers in compliance with the law are growing hemp plants that have been designed to have these lower THC levels. However, hemp grown outside of the states could have higher, and potentially harmful, levels of THC when it comes to pets. So, the best way to know your pet CBD product is safe is to use one made with American hemp.

2. Is your CBD organic?

A general rule of thumb for CBD is that organic indicates a higher-quality product. While it isn’t necessary, of course, organic does mean that there won’t be any byproducts from farming, like herbicides or pesticides, in the CBD. With their smaller bodies, our pets may be more sensitive to chemicals.

3. Was your CBD cheap?

Cost is another good indicator of quality. The main reason to choose a higher-cost CBD product is that it was likely made with better hemp and manufacturing processes, all of which indicate good CBD. Cheap CBD may have been made with less care and could contain contaminants, or less bioactive CBD.

4. Is your CBD third-party tested for contaminants?

Whether your CBD is organic or not, or cheap or not, check to see if your CBD is tested by an independent lab for quality purposes. If it is, the product is being monitored for THC levels and industrial pollutants. Check the company’s website, or call them to ask for a copy of their analysis certificate. This way you can be sure your precious pup is only getting CBD and nothing else.

5. How was your CBD oil made?

The way that CBD is manufactured directly impacts the quality of the finished product. If your CBD oil was made with heat, the delicate plant compounds of hemp could be damaged or destroyed. Many of hemp’s chemical constituents, like the volatile and highly scented terpenes, will break down in the presence of heat. This means a less active, or powerful, CBD product for you or your pet.

If your CBD product was made with chemicals or solvents, then they may leave behind trace amounts in the CBD product. This could be harmful to both you and your pet. If a CBD product is made without heat, chemicals, or solvents, companies will likely put that information on their label, because it is a way to set themselves apart from competitors. Or, if the information isn’t on the label, it’s likely on the company website. If there’s no information on the packaging or the company website, that’s a good sign that cheaper manufacturing methods that involve heat, chemicals, and solvents are being used.

You must take all of these factors into consideration so you can keep your pet safe. While CBD is good for pets, it may be wiser to simply wait until you can buy some CBD designed for your precious pet, than try and give them a product that wasn’t made for them.

Keep Your Pet Happy and Safe With Pet CBD

If you were wondering about whether or not to give your pet human CBD, you’ve learned why that could be dangerous to your pet and now you know that pet CBD is the safest, most effective choice for your pet. Pet CBD and human CBD can be made very differently, and human CBD can contain substances that are dangerous to pets. We’ve also talked about how American grown hemp makes the safest pet CBD because of how its THC levels are regulated. The THC levels of hemp grown outside of the United States could be higher, which is unsafe for pets.

Pet Releaf starts making its full-spectrum hemp products with hemp sustainably grown here in the United States. They use Terpex technology, which yields the highest amount of extracted botanicals and is done without any heat, chemicals, or solvents. It is also the most environmentally responsible extraction method on the market today. You know you’re giving your pet quality when you choose Pet Releaf. They make pet CBD easy by offering CBD oils for small pets, cats, and dogs, and CBD oil for extra large dogs, and everyone in between. Try their Hemp Oil 100 for pets. It’s USDA Organic! Or, check out the Liposome Hemp Oil 100, which is CBD oil in a base of sustainably sourced wild Alaskan Red Pollack fish oil. Need some help choosing? Pet Releaf offers a product finder to make choosing a CBD product for your pet easy and fun.