How Is CBD Oil Different for Pets Than Humans?

Ever since CBD has become more accepted in recent years, both its use of and the number of different varieties has skyrocketed.

In fact, it isn't just CBD for humans that’s popular; it has started to creep into other markets as well, including the pet industry.

It is becoming a completely normal thing to find CBD for pets in every pet store or even health food store.

Considering CBD for pets is seemingly very easy to get, it might be tempting to consider picking any old tincture up to use on you and your furry friend. However, it is essential to remember that CBD for pets is not precisely the same thing as CBD for humans.

So, just how different is CBD oil for pets from the regular kind designed for us humans?

What Is CBD for Pets?

For those who are not familiar with it, the idea of using CBD on a pet probably seems pretty strange. After all, why would someone give their pet anything to do with cannabis, considering how toxic and dangerous cannabis is for pets?

Well, while giving THC to most animals, such as dogs, is extremely dangerous, the same is not true for CBD. In fact, CBD for dogs can actually be of tremendous benefit for many reasons and can help pets in the same way it can help humans.

CBD for pets is pretty much precisely the same in principle as CBD for humans, in that it is CBD oil made from hemp.

The hemp is subjected to extraction methods, and the CBD is then suspended within food-grade oil that allows it to be easily imbibed.

From there, CBD pet products tend to be further refined and filtered, usually flavored or put into dog treats so as to make it easier for the pet owner to give to their beloved companion.

So what are the reasons to give your pets CBD?

Why Give Pets CBD?

There are all sorts of reasons why you may want to give your pet CBD.

From vitamin benefits to general wellbeing, CBD has the potential to be super helpful for any living creature. However, the most common reason that people give their pets CBD is to take advantage of its specific medical effects.

One of the most frequent uses of CBD for dogs, for example, is to help manage arthritis or other inflammation-related conditions.

CBD can reduce the intensity and pain associated with inflammation and generally lessen the extent of inflammation throughout the body. It can also be used to help reduce anxiety, which is something that all pets experience at some point in their lives, just like humans.

Basically, pet owners can give their pets CBD to benefit from the exact same effects that humans enjoy. Possibly even more so, because pets do not understand what they are taking and thus do not expect any change to take place.

In other words, pets don’t experience the placebo effect, which is a typical problem for those new to taking any sort of cannabinoids.

Despite all this, there are a few fundamental differences that make CBD for pets a bit different from CBD for humans.

Differences Between CBD Oil & CBD for Pets #1: Dosage

The main thing that fundamentally separates CBD for pets and CBD for humans is that pet products are typically weaker.

This is not necessarily because of any physiological difference in how pets react to CBD. In fact, all mammals share the same fundamental endocannabinoid system, which is what the cannabinoids interact with to create a wealth of effects.

Instead, pet products have less CBD in them because pets typically weigh a lot less. Unless a person is buying CBD for their horse, they will likely be administering it to a dog or a cat, both of which are animals that weigh only a fraction of a typical human’s weight.

The dosage is necessarily lower to avoid giving the animal too much CBD at once.

Differences Between CBD Oil & CBD for Pets #2: Flavorings

The other fundamental difference between CBD for humans and CBD for pets is that the pet ones are typically flavored differently.

This could be to do with removing flavoring agents that could be harmful to animals and replacing them with pet-friendly alternatives. Or, it could be as simple as making the CBD product taste like chicken, bacon, or salmon so that a dog would happily eat it. These flavors aren’t so great for humans, though!

Final Thoughts: How Is CBD Oil Different for Pets Than Humans?

Considering there are only two major differences between CBD for pets and CBD for humans, it might seem sensible to buy pet-friendly CBD and use it on ourselves.

However, it is best not to waste your money – CBD for pets tends to be a bit more expensive.

Instead, stick to the CBD products that have been designed for us, and leave the CBD for pets to the animals.