5 Safety Tips for Cats and CBD
Like humans, many animals can suffer from anxiety, and cats are no exception. Separation anxiety is one of the most common.
Many people use CBD to treat anxiety in their cats. However, CBD can treat a lot more than just anxiety. People also use it to treat pain, epilepsy, lack of appetite, and many other problems.
As with any medicine, it’s important to use CBD oil properly to keep your pet safe. While CBD isn’t fatal, too much of it can cause sleepiness and digestive issues, which certainly won’t help matters.
We’ll offer some safety tips in this article to make sure this doesn’t happen.
1. Talk to Your Vet
The first step in keeping your pet safe through this process is to consult with your veterinarian. As of yet, the veterinary community has not accepted CBD. You can find a few vets that recommend it, but they’re in the minority.
The reason for this is that CBD is a fairly new ‘medicine.’ CBD has been a substance for a very long time, but it was only recently legalized. The 2018 farm bill allowed hemp to be grown for commercial purposes, which, by extension, legalized CBD.
Since CBD is still a new product, it has yet to be thoroughly researched. Though there don’t appear to be any serious or long-term risks, we don’t know for sure. There isn’t a big enough sample size of long-term users to make any determinations.
Many are confident that there simply won’t be any consequences based on the fact that we can’t prove there are any long-term effects of marijuana.
2. Use a Trusted Source
The other big issue with CBD being such a new product is that it’s not well-regulated. The approval of any new product usually means that many different companies rise to meet demands.
Not all of these companies are trustworthy, though, so it’s hard to make sure you’re getting a product that hasn’t been mishandled or tampered with. One of the best examples of this is K2, a drug that came out in the last twenty years.
Dealers sold it as a safer, legal alternative to marijuana. The problem was that the new drug was far more dangerous and even fatal in some cases.
Eventually, the government outlawed it. This may be part of the reason professionals are being so cautious this time.
The good news is that there are a lot of legitimate companies providing CBD as well. Their goal isn’t just to make money, but to provide quality care for your furry family members.
If your vet approves of CBD, they may also know of a few other good places to get it.
3. Search for Lab Results
Before we can buy from a real, ethical company we have to find one. There are a few different ways to do this, but one of the best is by looking up lab tests.
Since CBD is still under-regulated, many companies have taken it upon themselves to assuage public fears. To this end, these companies will often conduct laboratory tests to make sure their product is safe.
This helps the customers to trust the company, and the company to create better products.
The best companies will publish the results of these labs so that their customers have complete transparency.
4. Understand the Entourage Effect
Before going any further, we should point out that there are a few different types of CBD. One of these types is known as full-spectrum CBD, which means that it also has a bit of THC, the ingredient in marijuana that causes a high.
The level of THC in full-spectrum oil is very low. By law, it’s not allowed to contain more than .3%. Otherwise, it’s classified as marijuana and is therefore illegal in most states.
When discussing full-spectrum CBD, we need to address the entourage effect. The entourage effect is what happens when you mix multiple cannabinoids, such as CBD and THC.
The cannabinoids react with each other, increasing the overall effects of the CBD. The end result is that a full-spectrum CBD product may be multiple times more potent than a normal one.
5. Research Dosage
Like any medicine, CBD works best when a certain amount is given. Too much can result in unpleasant side effects. The good news is that none of them are serious.
When trying to determine dosage size, it’s best to go by weight. We would also suggest erring on the side of caution.
While the measurements go by weight, some cats or conditions may require higher doses than others. If you’re not sure which is best for your kitty, consult your vet. If your vet isn’t sure, start with a low dose.
CBD for Cats: Safety Tips for Happy Pets
CBD has become a bit of a craze, and not just among people, but pets as well.
We’ve offered a few safety tips in this article, but there are more out there. It may be best to look into CBD safety more before committing to anything.
More safety advice and CBD products can be found on our website. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions.
