Are you a regular CBD user who wants to try out CBD on your pet dog before you buy a pet-specific CBD product?
Or,
Are you wondering if CBD has the same effects on animals as it does on us, and so want to try it out on your dog who may have been suffering from separation anxiety since he was a puppy?
Or maybe,
You thinking giving human CBD oil is simply easier and more cost-effective than buying separate pet care CBD products for your dog for fear he may not like it so it will be a waste.
Ah well, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, we will explain if CBD oil products for humans are safe for your pet dog if it can be given at all, and what to look out for if and when you do. Additionally, we will also tell you how to dose human CBD oil for your dog and how to and administer it.
So let’s get on with it…
Can you give human CBD oil to dogs?
Yes. But it is best not to! It’s about dosing issues, or more like “dozing issues”… No joking! You may end up dosing him higher than necessary that may lead to lethargy, drowsiness and unbalanced motor movements.
To answer the question in more detail, you must understand that like any other mammal, both dogs and humans have an endocannabinoid system that responds to cannabinoids, both internal and externally introduced ones, to maintain homeostasis.
So, dogs should react similarly to CBD and other cannabinoids as humans would. These cannabinoids would either stimulate or inhibit the endocannabinoid receptors, thus letting the body exhibit certain intended reactions.
If you’re thinking of using CBD oil meant for humans on your pet for the first time to see how he reacts before buying a proper CBD-based pet care product, you won’t be the first to do so. Many pet owners have done that. But most of them usually realize that it’s best to use the animal-specific products instead.
You may ask why that’s the case…
Well, it is safer to switch to CBD products optimized for dogs and cats to treat your pets due to certain issues with CBD products made for humans.
- For one, they are far more concentrated than those designed for animals, especially smaller breeds of dogs and cats.
- Secondly, there is the issue of finding the right dose for them with human CBD oil.
- Thirdly, CBD products made for dogs are made in such a way that they don’t find it difficult to use or consume them. For instance, the CBD brands that make CBD edibles for humans make fruity-flavored gummy bears, whereas the brands making CBD edibles for animals manufacture treats that taste of peanut butter or chicken. It’s both about the medium and the flavor that makes the treats a more likable option over gummy bears.
To understand the issues with giving your canine companion human CBD oil, read on…
Safety considerations & possible side effects to watch out for
Why is it safer to give your dog a CBD product designed solely for pets? Here’s why…
- Legally speaking, CBD oils can’t be labeled as “For use by both humans and pets alike”. The FDA simply won’t allow that. Most human CBD oils are more concentrated, making dosing not only difficult but unsafe for animals, especially small dogs.
- Full-spectrum oil can have adverse effects on your dog, as your dog can’t tolerate THC the way we do. Animals can’t tolerate or handle such psychoactive substances the way we can. Also remember, your dog can’t express their problems the way we can. So be a bit more careful and considerate when they display strange reactions. Instead of hitting the record button on your camera, try and find out what’s troubling your canine companion.
- Overdosing of even pure CBD oil or CBD isolate powders means for humans can make your pet looked “drugged” and exhibit issues with movement. Extreme drowsiness and lethargy are some side effects that may occur if your dog overdoses on CBD oil meant for humans.
- Some plant extracts used in tinctures and gummy bears meant for humans can have adverse effects on dogs. You must have heard chocolates are toxic for dog health. Well, there are many other plant extracts that may have therapeutic effects on your health, but display bad reactions when given to your dog.
- Make sure the ingredients of the human CBD product you are giving your dog is sourced from organically grown plant extracts, including the hemp, flavorings, and terpenes. Dogs can’t tolerate artificial substances as well as we do.
- Another issue, which may not seem like much, is still a critical point. If you’re administering CBD tincture with a glass dropper, be careful. Make sure he doesn’t bite down on it; he’ll end up with a bloody tongue and mouth. It will be best if you can gently hold his mouth open and upwards with one hand, while you administer the tincture with the other hand.
- Make sure to check the Certificate of Analysis (CoA) submitted by a third-party laboratory after testing the product. Never buy a CBD product from a brand that does not publicly share the CoAs of their products. It’s best to stick to reputed brands for both yourself and your fur baby!
Calculating human CBD oil’s dosage for dogs
Whether you use a pet-specific CBD product or a CBD oil tincture meant for humans, you should always start with a small dose and then gradually up the dose over the next few weeks.
This is to, for one, make sure your pet’s constitution gets accustomed to the new supplement, and two, you get to have an idea of how your pet reacts to CBD.
Like humans, every animal is unique when it comes to their body reacting to cannabinoids. So your dog may not react in the same manner to human CBD oil as your neighbor dog may have reacted.
Now, determining the dosage for CBD to be taken for humans can itself be crazy confusing. And so goes for CBD pet products used on animals. If you use your CBD product on your pet, you are only making dosing more difficult for yourself, for reasons we’ve already discussed above.
In this connection, many bloggers have suggested that if you were to give your dog human CBD oil, you should follow a specific calculation that starts with:
0.05mg CBD x 0.5kg of body weight (for low-strength)
This calculates to 0.45mg/10lbs of body weight, which is even higher than the suggested low dose of pet-specific CBD oil for dogs, which 0.25mg/10lbs of body weight.
[Note: This is specific to CBD oil tinctures or drops that are used sublingually.
In the case of pet-specific CBD edibles, though, the lower dosage is 1 – 5mg/10lbs of body weight, as CBD loses its potency when goes through the digestive system.
However, if you’re mixing the CBD oil in your pet’s food or regular treats, you can go for a higher dose.]
Understandably, CBD dosage, whether it is for humans or pets, is a game of approximation, and trial and error. Even then, it is safe to keep the dosage of human CBD oil for pets to a dose that’s lower than what is estimated for pet-specific oils for pets.
So, we came up with this approximation that we’ve found to be more effective and safer.
Dog CBD tinctures for dogs: 1mg CBD per 10 pounds (i.e. 4.5kg) of body weight.
Human CBD oil for dogs: 1mg of CBD for every 10kgs (or 22lbs approx.) of body weight.
A safety warning:
Take note of how your pet reacts, and increase the dosage accordingly. Look for both positive and negative reactions, even if the CBD oil contains zero THC.
Moreover, don’t forget to check what the third-party laboratory has to say about the product.
You wouldn’t want your pet to fall ill, like experience diarrhea or drowsiness, when he or she is already ailing from another condition, like pain, nausea, or skin allergies. This can be very troubling for you and troublesome for your fur baby.
How to give human CBD oil to your pet dog
You can administer your CBD oil to your dog in three ways.
While the most effective method of CBD delivery is to directly drop a few drops of the oil beneath his/her tongue, as it provides almost instant relief, you could also mix the CBD oil in your dog’s meal or treats.
Alternatively, if you use soft gel capsules, filled with CBD isolate powder, you can empty the content of the capsule into his food and let him eat it as usual.
Usually, the tinctures aren’t too much of a problem. Dogs, generally, lick the CBD oil right from the dropper. But sometimes, they may be fussy about the taste or maybe they are simply fussy about consuming anything administered through a dropper (many dogs are fussy about medicines administered this way!), then the digestive system route is the only option.
You should give one dose twice daily. Some dogs may exhibit positive reactions with only a single dose a day. Nonetheless, keep a close watch on your furry buddy, especially in the beginning to make sure his or her body is accepting the new substance well.
You can always select the dosing times as per your and your pet’s convenience. While most go with mornings and evenings, people who work night shifts may need to choose a different schedule.
CBD products meant for animals is the safest bet!
By now, you should have realized that it’s too much of a hassle to give your canine companion CBD oil meant for humans. It’s best to go with the CBD-based pet care products that some brands have designed specifically for dogs and cats.
Dosing with those products is not only simpler and safer, the CBD brands that make pet care products give you clear and specific instructions on how much CBD to give your dog, how many drops equals to how much CBD, and how best to administer it.
Besides, the wide variety of CBD-based pet products available in the market is made to suit your pet’s taste. For instance, the deliciously flavored CBD treats made by some of the brands are loved by all dogs who have tried it.
So why make things harder for yourself and unsafe for your fur kid by giving them CBD products meant for humans? Order a pet-intended CBD product from a reputed brand and see the difference it can make in both your and your pet’s life.
While we would always recommend you consulted your pet’s veterinarian before giving your dog CBD in any form, we would also add that vets will never give you a clear answer to – “If it is safe and effective to use CBD oil on your dog”, as CBD isn’t FDA-approved and there are still too many legal issues surrounding its use.
Besides, there are very real scientific studies on the efficacy of CBD for treating Canine Medical Conditions [1].
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US Veterinarians’ Knowledge, Experience, and Perception Regarding the Use of Cannabidiol for Canine Medical Conditions; Frontiers in Veterinary Science; 2019 Jan 10; Lori Kogan, Regina Schoenfeld-Tacher, Peter Hellyer, and Mark Rishniw; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6338022/
