CBD Products

Choosing a CBD Product

You would hope that you could pick up any CBD product off the shelf and it would be safe and effective for your pet. Unfortunatley this is not the case. There is a great deal of variation in the quality of products on the market. In a 2022 study, researchers at John Hopkins found that only 24% of CBD products correctly listed rhe amount of CBD contained in the product. Most products either had significantly more or less CBD than advertised. Even more concerning, 35% of products contained THC, even though many of them were labeled THC free. Dog’s are very senstitive to THC and can experience toxicity at far greater doses than humans. Therefore, we need to be very careful when choosing a product for our pet. But if we can’t trust the labels how do we go about that?

What to look for in a cannibinoid product

Many products, especially those high in CBD are readily available for the human market, many of them still contain levels of THC that may lead to toxicity in our patients (particularly dogs). This is especially true if a product is derived from marijuana, and not hemp. For this reason, products formulated specifically for veterinary species are better choices than those formulated for humans.

Because these products are not regulated by the FDA (just as human vitamins and supplements are unregulated), look for a company that adheres to current Good Manufacturing Practices, to ensure a clean supply chain and manufacturing environment.

The following things should be easily found either on the label or the product information. :

The type and amount of cannabinoids per mL

A complete ingredient list
Check for dangerous ingredients like xylitol or other flavoring
Extraction method used

Review Certificate of Analysis

Finally, when evaluating a product we also want to see a Certificate of Analysis (CoA). This is a third-party, independent laboratory analysis of the product. While there are issues with testing facilities and standardization, this is currently the best (and only) way to evaluate the quality of a product.

The CoA should include:

A breakdown of all cannabinoids present in the product
We have good evidence that whole-plant (aka full-spectrum or broad-spectrum) products are more effective than products that contain ONLY CBD (such products are termed “isolates” and may require much higher doses to achieve the desired effect)
The CBD:THC ratio in the product
Terpene analysis
Heavy Metal testing
Herbicide / fungicide / insecticide testing
Microbial testing
Mycotoxin testing
Residual solvent testing
The company should also provide the following information:
The amount of cannabinoids per mL
A complete ingredient list
Check for dangerous ingredients like xylitol or other flavoring
Extraction method used
A company should provide all the information listed above without hesitation and immediately upon request. As the market matures, purchasing a product that is backed by positive scientific studies using the product will be advisable.