Disclaimer: The information provided in our articles is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional veterinary advice. It is essential to consult with a veterinarian before starting any CBD products for your dog’s health and well-being.
Do you ever wonder if you could love your dog any more than you already do? We love our pets so much that in 2023 we spent $144 billion on feeding, treating, and spoiling them. As pet parents, we also make tough decisions and provide health care when our pets are ill and love alone can’t cure them.
Enter CBD products. CBD oil is on the news, yet there’s confusion about the product related to a drug with a shady past. Fear not—the dog CBD oil we’re talking about isn’t marijuana for dogs but a product that helps with health issues. Many pet parents are seeing incredible improvements when administering the correct CBD dose for their dogs.
Although everyone talks about CBD oils, many question the potential risks and wonder how CBD interacts or affects our dogs and how long it stays in a dog’s system.
Stay with me and get all the lingo, facts, answers, and insights about how long CBD oil stay in a dog’s bloodstream.
For what Reasons is CBD Employed in Dogs
The good news is that CBD can improve certain health and behavioral issues. Prominent institutions like Cornell University are studying how CBD oil affects dogs, and early evidence is promising. We’ll discuss health issues under the next heading.
Most pet owners believe when they give CBD oil to dogs, astonishing results happen.
CBD Dosage and Use in Dogs
For pet parents seeking CBD for hyper dogs or struggling in a fight against the C-word with a CBD treatment like CBD oil for dogs with cancer, it’s wise to work with your veterinarian. Every dog’s system responds to how much CBD pet owners give differently.
CBD dosages for improved health for cats, puppies, or dogs are a serious responsibility. Although CBD oil is deemed natural, it interacts with other prescription medications and diminishes its efficacy.
Start your pet on a small dose. The traditional dosage amounts are 2 mg per 10 pounds of dog weight. Dosage also depends on whether you’re using an eight-hour dosing schedule or CBD dosing to treat your four-legged friends occasionally.
CBD oils aren’t FDA regulated, so CBD producers are free to distribute products without standardization, unlike prescription or other OTC medications. However, we did the leg work for you, and you can find all the dosage recommendations and math in this chart.
When you administer dog CBD oil, monitor your dog’s behavior. It helps to journal the results and consider health issues, like dog arthritis or how their faster metabolism moves CBD products through a dog’s system faster.
Typically, the health condition doesn’t dictate the amount of CBD oil. It’s a dog or cat’s body weight and body chemistry and metabolism that influence the amount. Also, follow the advice of your veterinarian.
Suppose you have an average 50-pound dog and use CBD twice daily, at 10 mg per dose and 20 mg in total. If you use a lower potency of 100 mg, a standard bottle will provide enough for five days. A 600 mg bottle of CBD oil would last a month. It’s important to understand that the potency, not the size of the bottle, matters.
CBD oils can benefit dogs suffering from these conditions:
- Arthritis, joint discomfort
- Overall health and mobility
- Seizure events (along with prescribed medications)
- Anxiety and stress (lightning, thunder, separation)
- Help with cancer and chemotherapy
- Digestion and digestive issues
- Overall health and well being
- Improved cognitive functions
Veterinary science seeks to establish thresholds for CBD oil. Many factors regarding CBD products are still undergoing research.
CBD Potency for Dogs
CBD oils come in varying dosage formulas and have varying degrees of potency. As we explained above, a higher potency bottle can be more practical and affordable when administering CBD.
The math behind establishing a solid baseline to treat your dog’s health condition is a bit complicated. If in doubt, ask your vet or your local pharmacist to help you figure out the mg per ml dosages.
Further, the effect of CBD tinctures and oils can be diminished depending on how you administer the oil. If you are giving CBD mixed with food, the effect might take longer to reach its full potential than giving sublingual medicine directly.
How Long Does CBD Stay in Dog’s System
CBD affects every person and every dog and cat slightly differently. A dog’s body is unique, and many factors influence how long CDB stays in your dog’s system.
Usually, a dog’s system processes CBD in under 24 hours. However, CBD takes effect in 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the dog or if it was administered orally or mixed with food.
The frequency, how much, and when you use CBD can impact the answer as much as the breed or the health condition.
- Your dog’s body weight
- Its diet and metabolism
- A high or low activity level
- The dog’s unique genetic markers
- The dosage frequency
- The potency of the CDB
CBD administered willy-nilly isn’t the best method. Using a top-quality NASC-certified product allows you to manipulate the dosage and achieve better results.
The real trick is to understand the hemp and CBD industry. Since it’s not a regulated industry, the terminology and misuse of hemp vs. CBD for dogs are out of control.
Half-life of CBD
This is a term people in the CBD industry like to toss around. It simply refers to the length of a product’s dosage or potency to decrease to this half-life state.
Manufacturers and pet owners who administer these substances use the half-life of CBD as a guide to define the dosage. In most dogs, the half-life cycle of CBD is about 4 hours. Depending on the potency or dosing cycle, CBD from previous doses may remain in the dog for an extended period. This is important to keep your dog comfortable around the clock.
For pet owners treating a pet once daily, choose a CBD product with an elimination half-life cycle of 12 hours. On the other hand, a short half-life dose is helpful for frequent or intermittent dosing to eliminate unnecessarily high peak concentrations for a balanced effect.
Research into the effects of CBD on dogs is comparatively small, but we know humans and canines have a similar biological endocannabinoid system that interacts with CBD in the same way. Science also established that dogs have a much faster metabolism which leads scientists to suggest that dogs process CBD in under a day.
What Science Says
Science and scientific research are just beginning to study the effects of CBD products on humans and canines. Pet owners advocate using CBD and eight-hour dosage schedules because they’ve seen the results first-hand.
Cornell University and other prestigious institutions are making remarkable discoveries about the potential benefits of treating animals with CBD. Many findings about CBD half-life cycles and dosing come from human studies and are adjusted to the variables we know about our canine friends.
What research is proving in preliminary findings on using dog CBD is that:
- Canine osteoarthritis patients saw an 80% reduction in pain
- A significant improvement in seizure events when used with seizure medications
- A 50% decrease in itching in 65% of participants
- An 83% reduction in anxiety symptoms
- Trials show cancer cell death and better remission statistics
Factors Affecting the Duration of CBD in a Dog’s System
Experts who calculate the duration of CBD on a dog use the CBD supplement’s half-life and the time any given concentration takes to reduce to its half strength or half of the original dose.
Based on scientific knowledge about human consumption of CBD tinctures and oils and their effects, the best estimate is that the half-life of the given substance is about four hours in canines. With that standard, traces of CBD remain in a dog’s system for 24 hours.
For example, if your pet received a 2 mg dose in the morning, the effect will taper off, and despite being present in the system, it doesn’t meet the minimum to provide relief and treat their condition.
Dogs that receive CBD as a boost to improve their overall health will probably be fine with one dose, while dogs that need consistent dosing to reduce arthritis or need oil for dog seizures or stress may benefit from twice daily doses.
CBD doses are flexible, and the dose can be massaged to fit each dog.
Dog’s Biology and Physiology
Each dog breed is as unique as we are as people. Consistent factors that impact CBD effects are easier to gauge.
Body Weight
When you dose your dog with CBD, like occasionally helping dogs with fireworks or consistent treatments for cancer, arthritis, or hyperactivity, dosing starts with knowing your dog’s weight.
Once you have an accurate weight measurement, administer 2 mg per ten pounds of body weight and calculate the potency of the CBD tincture or CBD chew into the equation. Reputable brands include helpful charts on how to administer.
Metabolism Rate
CBD treatments also use an established known to help predict accurate dosing, like a dog’s metabolism rate, which we know is faster than a person’s.
These known markers and what we know about human consumption of CBD and the endocannabinoid systems allow makers of CBD and vets to have a good baseline.
Endocannabinoid System
Humans and dogs have a complicated endocannabinoid system that fires on cannabinoid receptors in our brains called CB1 and CB2. These receptors interact with our body functions and the CBD products we consume or administer.
Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors than we do, another fact. CB1 and CB2 receptors work within our organs like the brain, skin, lungs, and liver and support our immune system digestion, bone marrow, and more.
Understanding the endocannabinoid system in dogs has led to the creation of beneficial formulas.
Mode of Administration
CBD is typically sold as oral oil or tincture drops, chews or treats, and complimentary products like grooming aids.
Topical
Since dogs and cats use their paws like we use our hands and feet, their paws can experience minor skin conditions.
Quality CBD oil producers have filled that void and are providing CBD dog and cat paw balms to treat irritations. Topicals are also ideal for pets with allergic dermatitis and relieve irritated lesions.
Sublingual
Sublingual simply means taking or giving medications in tablet or liquid form by mouth or under the tongue. Sublingual pills or sprays typically enter the system faster.
Sublingual doses usually require smaller amounts and can be more affordable. Your dog typically experiences the effect quickly.
Oral
Oral CBD medications come in oils or tinctures administered with a dropper or syringe. Oral can also include mixing it with food, liquids, or chews and biscuits.
It means given by mouth.
Type and Quality of CBD
Can’t stress this enough. Don’t buy a product manufactured in someone’s basement. They’ll not have the tools to test for heavy metals, toxins like THC content, or even the proper concentrations.
Isolate
This is an important distinction. CBD isolate is free of THC, which can be lethal for dogs. Isolate means that all substances and compounds within the cannabis plant are extracted, and only CBD is left behind. This substance is free of terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant material, primarily no THC.
Broad Spectrum
CBD is often described as broad spectrum and means that natural compounds from the cannabis plant remain intact within the formula, except tetrahydrocannabinol or THC.
Full Spectrum
Full spectrum CBD oil is a term relating to CBD and includes cannabis plant extracts that exist naturally, like essential oils, flavonoids, terpenes, etc. Hemp cannabis plants used for CBD have less than 0.3% THC.
The Duration of CBD’s Effectiveness in Dogs?
Wow, we’ve covered a ton of CBD information. CBD and its effectiveness in dogs aren’t an exact science, per se, and it’s difficult to define an exact timeline. Each dog’s system is different.
The main factors influencing the duration depend on the dog’s diet, weight, metabolism, CBD dose, method, and frequency. The CBD’s half-life effectiveness ranges between 4 to 12 hours, but the product can stay in the dog’s body for several days or weeks.
What the CBD industry knows is that CBD is well tolerated in most dogs.
How Frequently CBD Should Be Administered to Dogs
Depending on the condition you’re treating, many pet parents find an eight-hour schedule works best for the dog. If you’re treating chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis, anxiety, seizures, and cancer, sticking to a routine is best.
If you’re treating occasional stress, you can administer the chews or drops at least 30 minutes before the event, like fireworks, car rides, or separation.
Best CBD Product: What to Look For
Compared to prescription medications, quality CBD products aren’t expensive. Using CBD involves experimenting with products and doses and your vet’s advice.
Honest Paws Well Oil is one of the best products we’ve found, as it is the highest-quality CBD oil to treat pets with mobility issues. We don’t make recommendations lightly, but we’ve seen some positive results that helped pets.
We also think Penelope’s Bloom organic products are worth trying for pet parents coping with a cancer diagnosis.
If your dog’s system struggles with stress, try our CBD for dog anxiety recommendations.
FAQs
According to anecdotal results, CBD improves the lives of many pets and their owners.
Why a Few Dogs Don’t Consume CBD?
Dogs have potent olfactories, and if you have a picky pooch, they may be offended if you’re trying to trick them into taking CBD without their consent. In that case, try bacon or salmon-infused dog treats.
How Long Does CBD Oil Stay in the Dog’s System?
Since every dog is different, CBD can stay in a dog’s body for several days, although 24 hours is more likely. If you suspect a THC-contaminated CBD, consult your vet immediately.
How Long Does CBD Take to Treat a Chronic Disease Condition?
As each dog and each health condition is unique, your vet is the best resource to provide a more conclusive answer. CBD research is ongoing, and the most promising results are anecdotal or word of mouth.
How Much Time Does CBD Take to Treat an Acute Condition?
Again, every dog and every situation is unique. There is no scientific data that can suggest it takes X to treat Z. Many people work with their vet and adjust the dose to access the best benefit for their dogs.
Final Thought
CBD stays in a dog’s body for up to 24 hours, and its long half-life depends on frequent dosing, your dog’s diet, oral ingestion, other medications, and using a recommended dose and several factors unique to each dog and CBD oil for dogs. No medication can guarantee results. Some, however, like CBD, deliver hope.
