Can I Give CBD Oil to My Cat?

In humans, CBD oil can be a very natural remedy for anxiety, pain, inflammation, and many other health ailments. And naturally, anything good we have we want to share with our pets. But sometimes human remedies may not be ideal for non-human family members. One question to ask is — can I give CBD oil to my cat? We asked a veterinarian and the following is a breakdown of their answers. 

Can You Give your Cat or Dog “Human” CBD?

Yes, you can give your cat or dog CBD that is meant for humans. But there are several conditions that you must meet to make sure that the CBD is safe for your pet. They include the following: 

• You should not give your pet any CBD oil that has over 0.3% THC 
• It’s also important to use smaller doses that those indicated on the bottle
• Before giving your pet any CBD oil, check with your vet to make sure your pet doesn’t have any underlying health issues that you could inadvertently make them sick

The reason you can safely give your cat CBD is because like humans, most animals have an endocannabinoid system. So although their bodies might process the CDB slightly differently from humans, they can still very much reap the benefits of CBD like humans do. 

Is Pet CBD Different from Regular CBD?

You may have seen a certain CBD marketed as pet CBD and wondered how different it is from regular CBD. In essence, CBD is CBD and both pet and regular CBD are derived from the same plant. They also contain the same amount of THC — less than 0.3%. 

Therefore, the only difference may be that CBD oil meant for pets may come in different potency and flavors. 

What Kind of CBD Oil Can you Give Your Pet?

The CBD oils on the market are vastly different since they are often manufactured in different ways from different raw materials. The key when it comes to the safety of the CBD oil you give your pet is that it should be as THC-free as you can get it. 

It’s important to note that pets have been known to suffer marijuana toxicosis after consuming marijuana. However, pets with certain conditions like cancer and arthritis have been known to benefit greatly from medical cannabis. Like in humans, medical cannabis has been known to treat symptoms caused by these diseases in animals. 

There are some studies that indicate THC has low toxicity in animals, however a consensus has yet to be reached on the subject. Therefore you may want to stay away from CBD oils that have a significantly higher level of THC. THC levels of 0.3% or lower are not harmful to your pet. 

A higher dose of THC could be potentially damaging to smaller animals. That’s why the best kind of CBD oil to give your pet is the CBD isolate, usually 99.99% pure with no THC to speak of.