With so many CBD options for dogs out there, how do you decide which CBD product to use? Beyond that, which product will be the most effective and not break the bank? Here are some tips for determining the best CBD for your dog:
1. Appropriate concentration for the weight of your pet.
Do you have a chihuahua or a Great Dane? A bottle of 250mg CBD oil for a Chihuahua could last 30 days at an appropriate dose, while a Great Dane would go through the same bottle in 4 doses. Search for a higher concentration bottle for larger pets, both to save money over time and to avoid giving high amounts of oil.
2. Oil vs. water based?
CBD and hemp products are traditionally oil-based since hemp extracts are lipophilic as opposed to hydrophilic (read more here about oil vs. water solubility). Although oil-based hemp products work very well, some pets cannot tolerate oils because of chronic pancreatitis or gastrointestinal upsets. In those animals, we can use water soluble products such as our VetCS Chewable Tablets for Dogs.
3. What condition are you trying to help your dog with?
If you have a young dog with anxiety (8 months is minimum for starting CBD therapy), a tincture/oil product with terpenes would be your best bet for calming purposes. Alternatively, if you have a senior pet that struggles with getting up or down stairs, jumping into the car, or overall joint pain then we would recommend a more inclusive option. Our Chewable Tabs for dogs have water soluble CBD along with 5 joint supporting ingredients to help ease stiffness and discomfort. For a pet with seizures, a high concentration CBD isolate product is best as higher dosing is required for seizure control.
4. Safety tests and quality professional care
CBD companies for pets are unregulated by any government agency. Many companies are selling human products and then making “pet lines” to capitalize on pet parents. We have veterinary professionals on staff to help answer questions about dosing, concurrent medications, and other instructions. At VetCS we exhaustively test our products with third party laboratories to make sure every item has the correct potency, safety, and attention to detail.
Always feel free to reach out to our veterinary team with specific questions about finding the right CBD for your pet!
