CBD is valuable to both humans and their pets due to its many therapeutic and pain-relieving benefits. Animals like cats and dogs can experience better pain management or improved mobility around the home from using safe amounts of prescribed CBD. When considering giving CBD products to pets, keep these tips in mind to keep them as safe and healthy as possible when choosing the product, supplier, and dosage.

Do follow veterinarian recommendations

CBD should only be given to animals under veterinarian guidance. Animal professionals will often give recommendations for the best dosage amount and a plan of how they can work up to taking as much as they need. Animals deserve the most effective treatment possible and need to be monitored and appraised by a professional to determine which dose and what form best suits their needs individually. Bring up using CBD to address a beloved animal’s issues during any routine veterinarian visit.

Do start with low doses and work up.

Just like with human beings, animals need to start out on low doses and slowly make their way up so their bodies can adjust. This ensures there aren’t any adverse effects with lower doses and that they’ll be able to metabolize and utilize higher doses efficiently to effectively treat their unique health problems.

Do keep a journal to monitor the animal’s reactions.

Keeping a journal of each day’s progress can help both the owner and their regular veterinarian assess any potential dosage issues and to see what is working and what isn’t. Cataloging health improvements, strange occurrences, food intake, and even frequency of bathroom breaks while giving the pet CBD can give animal professionals insight into what could be occurring inside the body.

Don’t self-prescribe CBD to a pet.

CBD should only be given to an animal with veterinarian approval and their official dosage recommendations. It’s very easy to give a cat or dog too much CBD and for them to suffer adverse side effects with lasting consequences. CBD can be used to alleviate joint pain and stress that affects the way the animal is living. Veterinarians are trained professionals with animals’ best interests at heart and the research and education to determine the best way forward.

Don’t buy CBD products from unknown or uncertified suppliers.

It’s important to choose a supplier who is certified and provides information about the product’s manufacturing. Suppliers should provide batch dates and product analyses to determine what’s inside the product, how it’s been filtered, and if there are any additional chemicals inside that could potentially harm an animal. Credible suppliers provide all necessary information on their website or on the product itself so it can be traced to its original site. This ensures the product has been thoroughly tested and is certified as safe for pets.

Don’t give CBD to pregnant or young animals.

CBD is often prescribed to adult or senior animals that are experiencing joint pain, trouble walking, debilitating stress, or other issues that can be linked to behavioral problems or deteriorating health. CBD poses unique risks to pregnant animals as it can easily overdose the fetuses inside and for young animals when there is often no safe dosage. Contact a veterinarian to determine the best treatment option available.