The Best CBD Oil for Dogs
CBD oil isn’t just for people – Our four-legged family members can benefit too!
Meet Roxanne, Roxy as we call her. Roxy is a German Shepherd and is 12-years old at the time of this article. I didn’t necessarily set out to get another Shepherd as my first one, Sage, passed away only two years before we found Roxy; and she was 9 years old.
My wife encouraged me to go look at a litter of Shepherds one day and I told her I would go look but would not likely come home with one. Well, you know how that turned out!
Roxy has been an integral part of our family for 12 years now. Like all dogs, she has her good days and bad days… And, like many, she also has stress and anxiety. Before we even know a storm is approaching, Roxy will will hide – in the closet, the bathroom, sometimes even the shower! Roxy’s more accurate than the local meteorologist!
We tried many unsuccessful ways to help relieve her of the stress and anxiety, even stuffed her into a thundershirt if you can believe it! Some things helped more than others, but nothing was great.
Shepherd owners will recognize the “ears-pinned-back” look! When that happens, you know your dog is unhappy about something and is stressed. Roxy also exhibits her anxiety by licking her paws excessively, although this might be related to contact dermatitis or even allergies to grasses or weeds.
I started taking CBD Oil for myself, and started this website to blog about it. After 30 days on CBD Oil, I felt it was quite beneficial to me. So, why not try it on Roxy to see if she could benefit too? But, what’s the best CBD oil for dogs?
CBD oil is considered safe for pets, so I started Roxy off with a low dosage and slowly increased it over a week to end up at 10mg twice a day.
I asked Laura at NuLeaf Naturals how to administer CBD Oil to a dog. She said that you can use a dropper placing drops in the mouth or put CBD oil into their food, but you can also rub it along their gums (if they let you). Rubbing into the gums is like us taking it under the tongue; works faster.
Roxy Update (Now on LolaHemp)
NuLeaf Naturals CBD was a great success for Roxy, but there’s a new Sheriff in town! We recently switched her over to LolaHemp; The Best CBD Oil for Dogs.
To see why we switched, check out our review of LolaHemp CBD.
We had to do some drops to mg conversions, but that was no big deal. Instead of 4-5 drops of NuLeaf CBD for pets, we now give 8-10 drops of LolaHemp (LolaHemp is not as concentrated, but still a better price per mg).
After 3 Weeks on CBD
We experimented with dosage and delivery as Laura had suggested, starting with a low dosage once a day and increasing to twice a day. Roxy does not mind the taste of CBD oil – but of course she will also eat animals that have been dead for who knows how long – and we have to keep the cat’s litter box out of reach (that’s gross!). Since Roxy is a good patient, she did not mind having the CBD rubbed into her gums.
Roxy didn’t have any side-effects, at least none that she reported. There was no vomiting or diarrhea or any other visible signs of issues. There was no change in activity level or general demeanor.
The 3-week update coincided with strong thunderstorms – the first big storm since Roxy started taking CBD oil.
Well, here she is under my desk! (My knee made a cameo). That’s an improvement over the closet or bathroom! And check out her ears – not pinned back.
While not thrilled, overall, you can tell that her demeanor is much better than it was in previous storms.
That is proof enough for me to know we’re on the right track!
After 9 Weeks on CBD Oil
Over the next 6 weeks, we had a few more storms and we continued to experiment with dosage, delivery method and frequency.
One of the things I thought of was how CBD oil affects people depending on how it’s ingested. I figured that dogs will have similar results as people. Some of the concepts and general rules I applied are as follows:
- Consistency is key; same amount, same time, everyday (after you find the ideal dosage)
- CBD has an accumulative effect; The longer the dog consumes the CBD oil, the better the benefits
- CBD ingested in food will take longer to produce results but will last longer once results are achieved. Alternately, CBD taken sublingually (or on the gums) will take effect quickly (15-20 minutes) and last a shorter amount of time (2-3 hours).
- You cannot overdose on CBD oil – it’s generally safe to increase the dosage if you feel it’s needed (check with Vet first)
- Use CBD made from hemp, no THC, pets will not get high
Roxy’s CBD Oil Regimen
- 10mg of CBD oil twice a day, with breakfast and with dinner (Roxy weighs 88 pounds)
- During stressful events – primarily thunderstorms but also fireworks – we give her another 10mg rubbed into the gums or she just licks it out of my hand…
Roxy’s Results
After 9 weeks of using the regimen described above, Roxy is much happier than before! Not only can she tolerate storms – but she also tolerates the cats!
This particular storm wasn’t as strong as many that we have; but a few months ago it would’ve been enough to drive her to seek shelter. I wouldn’t say Roxy is cured, but she has a good 90% improvement in her stress and anxiety levels since she’s been taking CBD oil.
What CBD Oil is Best for Dogs?
If you’re asking this question, you’re likely the kind of pet owner who wants the best for your family members, all of your family members. You buy high quality food, research treats and toys, and you value products that are safe and effective for your dogs.
If so, you’re like me in that regard. I don’t want to give myself questionable CBD and I don’t want to give my dog a questionable CBD product. There’s only one brand I fully trust and endorse; LolaHemp CBD for Dogs.
What I Like About LolaHemp CBD Balm
Roxy has a couple of things going on with her front paws; her pads get cracked and she has inflammation between her toes:
LolaHemp Topical Balm helped almost immediately – the same as if you were to put lotion on your hands. This is no surprise.
When you first start to use it, it seems like you have to work hard to get a small amount. This is the same as any other balm. I use O’Keefe’s for my hands, and at first it’s a pain to get the stuff out.
The good news is, just like other balms, it gets easier.
What I’m most happy about is; it works! Not just right after application, but used daily, the redness went away and her dry and cracked pads improved.
I also tried the balm on my own skin, why not? It smells pleasant – very mild. It’s silky smooth and rubs into skin easily. After 10 minutes or so, it was completely dissolved, no greasy residue.
The only issue I ran into was when Roxy would get up and run around before the Balm absorbed; she left balm-prints across the floor… A small price to pay for something that’s made such a positive difference in her life.
Roxy’s Wellness Plan
Roxy remains on LolaHemp CBD Oil; 8-10 drops twice a day
We use the Topical Balm as needed; when her conditions clear we stop using the balm until needed again – quite literally the same as you would with skin lotion.
The Extra Strength formula was released late 2020 and we jumped on the chance to order right away!
Since Roxanne is long in the tooth and not getting any younger… this stronger option is best for her.
How I Use the CBD Balm
So far, I’ve only put the balm on Roxy’s paws.
To prevent Roxy from licking the balm off and/or putting marks on the floor, I applied the balm twice a day; in the morning after breakfast and potty breaks, and then again right before bed (after final potty break).
When Roxy settles down in her “spot” – on the LR floor during the day and in her bed upstairs at night – that’s when I do this. Most of the time, she’s down for at least 3-4 hours in the daytime and overnight she sleeps in her bed next to our bed most of the night.
After applying the balm to her paws, I put a pair of my (old) socks on her.
I remove the sock before she becomes active again – if she’s active she’ll work to remove it. That’s why I only do this during “nap time”…
First, make a sock puppet –
Then, put paw in puppet… and pull sock up (watch out for the little dew claw).
To keep the sock on, I use electrical tape – not too tight and not too loose. It has to be attached well enough to prevent easy removal and it has to be loose enough to not cut off circulation.
See how the tape is positioned right above the paw, as it tapers into the leg? Putting it here lets me keep it a little looser and it’s still hard to pull over the paw.
Then, and here’s the ProReviews Tip: fold the sock down over the tape. That keeps your dog from picking at the tape. Seems like it would be easily defeated – and it will be for some. Roxy is smart and capable, but she doesn’t remove the sock easily. Partly because she only wears the sock during downtime, not active time, and not outside.
When nap time’s over, I remove the sock and let her go on with the rest of her day…
It only takes 3 days or so for the CBD Balm to work – the redness clears up and her pads are in great shape! Then, I put the balm on the shelf for the next time we need it.
15% Off
All content found on the cbd-oils-review.com website, including: text, images, video, audio, or other formats such as social media accounts associated with this website; were created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
This Site and its Content are provided on an “as-is” basis. CBD-oils-review.com is not responsible for the claims of external websites, user testimonials and social media claims.
Some links to external websites are affiliate links; if you use our affiliate links and/or coupon codes, cbd-oils-review.com receives compensation.
Professional Product Reviews and part-time Blogger
Environmentalist | Animal Activist | Advocate for those in Need
Constantly seeking Peace and Calmness of the mind
Comments are closed.