Taking care of 4-legged friends
If you’re like most dog owners, you’re always looking for ways to make your furry friend’s life better. And if you’ve been considering CBD oil as a potential treatment option, you’re not alone. Millions of people are using CBD to treat everything from anxiety to joint pain.
But how long does CBD stay in your dogs system?
In this blog post, we’ll answer that question and provide some tips on how to properly dose your dog with CBD oil.
First talk to your dog’s veterinarian
If there’s one thing to note when it comes to adding CBD to your pet’s daily regime, it’s that you should always talk to their vet first.
Your dog’s veterinarian knows everything there is to know about its health, including whether CBD products will be helpful or not.
Remember, all dogs are different; certain dogs will react to CBD oil and treats differently than others (more on potential side-effects here).
The last thing you’d want is for your pet to suffer from an allergic reaction to a low-quality batch of CBD.
By working with a vet, your animals will see the highest number of benefits from supplementation.
What is pet CBD?
There’s a common misconception that pet CBD is considerably different than an average batch of human CBD.
There are a few notable differences, but at the end of the day, both products are designed to do the same thing.
With pet CBD, the formula is designed to offer a smaller amount of CBD to your animals compared to a full-grown human.
Like human CBD, pet CBD is derived from cannabis-Sativa plants’ flowers, stems, and leaves. The plants need to contain below .3% THC in order to be federally legal and classified as hemp (and not cannabis which is a controlled substance).
There are over 100 different cannabinoids that can be taken from these plants, each with an assortment of fantastic benefits for your dogs.
When extracted correctly, CBD can provide overall health support, mental health support, and even physical improvements in animals.
In most instances, pet CBD will be available in an oil form that can be administered as a tincture.
You can also find dog treats that contain CBD as the active ingredient, making them easier to give to unsuspecting pets.
What makes CBD oil unique is that it does contains a very low percentage of THC, the active compound in marijuana that gets you high.
So instead of getting high, your pet will have more of the physical benefits of the plant, which can include reduced anxiety, improved mobility, and reduced joint pain and less of the psychoactive.
Isolate vs. full spectrum pet CBD
One major factor you’ll have to consider when choosing pet CBD is whether to go for an isolate, broad-spectrum or full spectrum formula.
Isolates are pure CBD solutions that does not contain any other cannabinoids. Broad spectrum oils contain all the cannabinoids except for THC and full spectrum products contain all the cannabinoids including THC (below .3%).
With broad and full spectrum products, you’ll be giving your pets a combination of ingredients that work together synergistically to maintain homeostasis.
Your animals will likely experience reduced anxiety paired with less physical discomfort and general well-being.
How long does CBD stay in dogs system?
When you start looking into how long do the effects of CBD last, you’ll see half-life brought up a lot.
The half-life of a supplement explores the length of time it takes for a concentrated supplement to decrease by half its original administered amount.
This length of time will give you an idea of how long it will stay in your dog to achieve maximum results from the formula.
Full spectrum CBD oil for dogs will have an approximate half-life of four hours and can stay in your dog s body for up to 24 hours at a time.
However, after four hours, you might start to notice its effects will wear down considerably and may not offer the same level of comfort as at the beginning.
This is where dosing becomes most important, as the correct dosages for your animals can guarantee their comfort for longer.
It’s important to note that research is still ongoing in this area, especially when it comes to how CBD oil is processed by dogs.
A general rule of thumb is that humans and dogs process the compounds called cannabinoids the same way.
However, dogs are known to have a much faster metabolism than humans.
Using these data, researchers can determine that dogs and humans process CBD the same but a dog’s body will work through the CBD much faster.
There is some discrepancy when it comes to discussing the factors that influence how long CBD stays in your pet’s body.
For example, a study from Israel found IV CBD had a half-life of nine hours, while another study found the half-life to be at around four hours.
How do I accurately dose my dog?
When determining how long CBD stays in your dog’s system, it offers some interesting insight into how often you’ll need to dose your pets.
By focusing on the half-life of CBD supplements, you can determine whether your dog requires one or two doses per day.
It’s also important to pay close attention to your animal’s behavior, as this will give you a good idea of whether they require more daily supplements.
There are three main things to consider when deciding how much CBD is appropriate for your furry friends.
Labeling and directions
The first thing you’ll need to consider when deciding the dosage for your animals and CBD is the administration instructions.
Each bottle of CBD oil you purchase will come with dosage instructions depending on the weight and age of your dog.
You must follow these instructions, as they are customized for the specific formula you’re using.
That said, you won’t want to give your dog a full dose from day one, as this can cause digestive discomfort and stomach upset.
Instead, start with a quarter dose and work your way up until you get to a full dose over a few weeks.
By adding small amounts of CBD to their food and daily routine, their stomachs will get accustomed to the new formula much more comfortably.
Talk to a vet
Of course, you’ll want to keep your veterinarian in the loop when you start giving your dog CBD treats or oils.
Your vet will have professional insights to help you better understand the benefits and potential concerns of using CBD for anxiety or pain.
Also, they can help ensure the components of the cannabis plant don’t interfere with your animal’s overall health.
Together, you and your vet can determine the appropriate dosage to start your dog with and increase or decrease it as necessary.
Listen to your pet
Above all else, the best thing pet owners can do when introducing CBD to their dog’s daily regime is to follow their pet.
If your dog starts to show signs of discomfort, try lessening the amount of CBD they’re consuming daily.
If you’re not noticing any significant difference in their attitude, appetite, or physical well-being, try increasing the formula as needed.
It’s also important to note that your dog’s daily physical activity can greatly affect how much CBD they can take.
The faster their metabolism, the faster their bodies will go through the compound.
How long does CBD last in dogs?
Answering, “How long does CBD stay in dogs system?” varies based on age, weight, and the metabolism of your furry friends.
In most instances, the half-life of CBD will be between four and six hours, while other studies have found it can last up to nine.
Using this information can help you find the perfect dosage for your animals.
