Shake the bottle for at least 30 seconds and pull the contents of the bottle into the dropper to the appropriate dose (based on dosing chart). Ideally it is best to give the product directly into your pet’s mouth (cheek or under the tongue if possible). However, if oral dosing is too difficult, consider placing on tasty soft food or a treat to confirm your pet gets every drop.

Due to the lipophilic nature of cannabinoids, they are best absorbed when given with a full meal that contains some fat. The research on this topic has also supported that the bioavailability is higher when dogs received hemp products with food or as a soft chew, compared to on an empty stomach.

CBD is not intoxicating (like high levels of THC can be) but it is absolutely psychoactive. The definition of psychoactive means any chemical substance that can change brain function and result in alteration of in perception mood and behavior. But that is NOT necessarily a bad thing. When you think about it, many people and animals are taking a CBD hemp product to reduce anxiety, so if a product produces relaxation/calming effect that is a positive attribute, not a negative one.

It is our believe that the small amounts of THC (creating a full-spectrum product) is extremely important when targeting the ECS and creating balance within the body. The amount of THC is significantly lower than what is considered legal for a hemp product and was carefully calculated by a veterinarian to confirm safety and reduce the risk of intoxication.

The majority of medications in veterinary medicine follow a linear dosing curve. In other words, as the dose increases, drug efficacy increases (or reaches a plateau). Similarly, side effects develop with increasing dosage. With hemp products, however, dosing follows a biphasic dosing curve, meaning after the “optimal” dose is achieved, any further increase in dosing leads to diminished clinical efficacy. When using a full spectrum product, a way to not miss (or overshoot) the optimal dose, it is very important to start very low gradually increase the dose until you find your pets ideal dose. By slowly increasing the dose overtime, the receptors increase in number and become “primed” so the body can tolerate more cannabinoids with increase in side effects.

The cannabis plant (including the hemp variety) includes over 700 compounds. Full- spectrum means the product contains all of the various compounds extracted from the original hemp plant including cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, which contributes to the entourage effect. Utilizing the entourage effect tends to provide the patient with the best chance of success. When the product has many compounds but not all of what was found in the original strain (including free of THC) then it is referred to as broad spectrum product. CBD isolates are pharmaceutically purified CBD. CBD isolates have no entourage effect and typically require much higher dosages to see a similar benefit compared to full or broad-spectrum products. 

A Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a laboratory evaluation of a product that provides an objective measurement of potency of each compound, terpene profile and contaminant information. It is essential to know what is inside of the product you are giving your pet. It would be like taking a Tylenol and not knowing how many milligrams of acetaminophen there are in the product or if there any additional toxic substances. Reviewing a COA is imperative so you can confirm exactly how many mg of cannabinoid your pet is receiving, and if there are terpenes present as well as if the product is free of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, heavy metals, mycotoxins and residual processing solvents. Transparency is important to us at Anxious Pet and we believe in only using products that are safe and accurate.

(A) Is it a pet product or a human product?

Stay clear from human products as they can often times have higher levels of THC or toxins such as Xylitol, chocolate or raisins.

Avoid alcohol-based tinctures and look for an animal-safe oil base.

(B) Is there an up-to-date COA available for the exact product you are interested in purchasing (within 6-9 months)

A thorough review of a product’s COA allows the owner to evaluate the product for safety, potency and appropriate pricing

(C) Is it in the form that works best for your pet?

Oil tincture

They provide the safest, most accurate, and scalable route of cannabis

administration in animals

Relatively easy to administer, although sometimes palatability can be an issue

Dosing of liquids is easy to adjust

Ideal administration of liquids is directly under the tongue or on the cheek to provide for some transmucosal absorption as GI absorption is inefficient

Soft chews

Great when patients are picky and resistant to taking the oil or capsules

Capsules

Easy to administer for patients that resist oil tincture and soft chews. Confirmed exact amount in capsule (vs some possibly getting lost in oil or soft chew).

Topicals

Can be beneficial for both superficial conditions (wounds, etc.) or deeper issues (joint pain).

Downside is depending on the content of the product, licking the topical could lead to THC toxicity or other unwanted side effects such as excessive sedation or GI upset.

Also, difficult to apply in areas where there is fur

(D) Does the product have appropriate labeling?

The product should contain enough information to be able to dose for CBD and THC (if present) on a mg basis

Expiration code

Other ingredients listed including carrier oil

Dosing guide so you know how to accurately dose