CBD for Dogs vs. CBD for Humans: What are the Differences?
If you are thinking about giving your canine CBD for the first time, your first thought might be, “How about I just give my dog the CBD which I use every day?”
It may seem like a hassle to go shopping for a separate product when you already have something on hand which might do the trick.
Plus, you might be thinking, “I’ll just test to see if it helps using my CBD, and if it does, I will shop for CBD for my dog.”
But this is not a great approach. And in some cases, it may not even be feasible at all.
Below, I will explain a couple of reasons why it is more practical and also safer to shop for CBD formulated specifically for your dog than to give your dog human CBD.
I will also talk about why you probably do not want to be using your dog’s CBD oil for yourself.
Yes, CBD Oil is CBD Oil – It Won’t Hurt You or Your Dog To Share. But There Are Differences Between Human and Pet CBD Products!
First of all, let’s address what might be going through your mind right now.
You are probably thinking, “CBD is CBD, right? I have an endocannabinoid system. My dog has an endocannabinoid system. So what’s the problem?”
The issue is that you and your dog have entirely different weights.
Unless you have a big dog like Big Nellie and you yourself are a petite little thing then for the most part, humans weigh a lot more than dogs.
Another problem which complicates the matter even more is that your dog’s metabolism differs from yours.
And even though you both have endocannabinoid systems, that does not mean that those systems are identical in terms of receptor concentration.
Hopefully that alone answers the question of why your dog needs CBD for pets and not CBD for humans, but let’s break it down.
Here Is Why You Need to Give Your Dog CBD Oil Formulated for Pets
1. Even if you could give your dog your own CBD oil, a lot of math is involved to figure out the correct dosage for your dog.
Let’s say just for the sake of argument that the difference in weight between you and your dog is the only relevant factor in this discussion.
If that were the case, hypothetically, you could give your dog your own CBD oil.
But you would need to run mathematical calculations to figure out how to divide the standard dosage for humans down to an appropriate dosage for your pet.
To say that this is time-consuming and convoluted is an understatement.
And even if you could get it down to a routine calculation, just the fact that you need to run one increases the chances of making a dosing mistake. That is not a risk which you want to be taking with your pet.
Now, factor in the other differences between your physiology and your dog’s. You would need to take those differences into account while doing your math as well.
Chances are good you do not even have the biology knowledge to come up with the computations which would be necessary to determine the dosage. Even if you did, this would make the math even more challenging.
2. With some dogs, you simply cannot possibly provide the right dosage using human CBD oil.
Now let’s say for the sake of argument that you are a biology expert and that you have solid mathematical skills. Let’s imagine that you can easily and reliably calculate how much human CBD oil you would need to give your dog.
You might still encounter yet another obstacle.
Depending on the weight of your dog, it is possible that the dosage you would calculate would be impossible to administer.
Say for example that an appropriate dosage of the product in question for a human is only a couple of drops.
You might calculate that for your small dog, the appropriate dosage is a fraction of a drop. How will you give your dog a fraction of a drop of CBD oil? It simply is not practical.
CBD products for dogs contain lower concentrations which are suitable for dogs of all sizes.
You will be able to determine just by glancing at the instructions how much your dog needs depending on weight. You can also rest assured that that amount will not be less than a drop.
3. CBD supplements for dogs are often flavored to appeal especially to pets.
Finally, one more reason that CBD oil for dogs is a more appropriate choice than CBD oil for humans is because these products tend to be more appealing to canines.
CBD tinctures for dogs for example might contain flavoring. This flavoring makes the oil more enjoyable for your canine. The CBD oil you use does not contain that kind of flavoring, or might even contain flavorings which appeal to you, but would not be tasty to your pet.
There are also special CBD products designed exclusively for pets, such as CBD dog biscuits.
Obviously, there is no human equivalent, and some pets may greatly prefer to get their CBD in biscuit form, or might refuse to take it any other way.
Let’s Review:
- Even though human and dog CBD products both contain the same substance, differences in weight, metabolism, and endocannabinoid systems must be taken into account when determining dosages.
- Calculating this on your own would be complicated at best, impossible at worst.
- With small dogs, the fractional amount of human CBD which would be appropriate might be literally impossible to administer.
- Many CBD products for dogs are enhanced with flavorings which appeal to canines. Human CBD products of course are not.
Why Can’t You Take Your Dog’s CBD Oil?
You should now have a solid grasp on the reasons why you need to purchase canine CBD products for your dog rather than giving your pet human CBD.
But you might also be curious why you cannot take your pet’s CBD oil.
If the reason for your curiosity is a concern about quality, that has nothing to do with the matter.
You certainly can take your dog’s CBD oil yourself. It will not get you sick or anything.
Below are the reasons why it is still not recommended.
1. Do you really want to take bacon-flavored CBD?
The flavorings which are typically present in canine CBD products are selected based on your dog’ s taste preferences, not yours.
A number of different flavorings are common, one of the most prevalent being bacon.
If you want to take bacon flavored CBD, that is of course your prerogative. (baaaacoooon)
Most people probably will want to avoid this (but to each their own!).
2. Once again, math is involved, and you may need to take a lot to achieve a useful concentration.
The other reason that it is not practical for a human to take CBD for dogs is the concentration issue discussed before, only this time in reverse.
If you took the recommended dosage for a dog, you probably would not get nearly a high enough concentration of CBD to be effective for you.
This would leave you with having to do more complex mathematics to try and determine a human dosage of the canine product.
In the end, you would end up having to take a large amount to get the intended effect.
3. It just isn’t cost-effective.
Because you would need to take such large dosages, you would use up the product quickly, and you would keep needing to restock.
You’d end up blowing through a lot more money than you would if you just purchased the appropriate CBD for human products.
Use CBD Products for Humans and Dogs As Intended
While this article has contained a number of fairly obvious statements, hopefully it has thoroughly and definitively answered your questions regarding human versus dog CBD products.
If you want CBD to be safe, affordable, convenient, and effective, save your human CBD supplements for yourself, and purchase proper canine CBD supplements for your dog.