How to Get Pep Back in Your Pup: EVO3 CBD Pet Drops

Our pets are extensions of ourselves. We can tell when our fuzzy mates are feeling anxious, blue or achy. Often there are predictable reasons why they've become that way. Likewise, there are ways we can help them feel better.

CBD is one natural option many pet owners are adopting to help ease their furry and feathered friends' discomfort. For EVO3 Oils, giving CBD to animals can bring the same wellness benefits as it does for humans.

That's because all animals–both vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish) and invertebrates (sea urchins, leeches, etc.)–have endocannabinoid systems. The system is a complex and essential part of our biological existence, functioning as a master regulatory network.

Cannabidiol (or CBD) is a natural, molecular means to help the endocannabinoid system function better. That's why CBD may alleviate pain, reduce stress and inflammation, and improve sleep, among its many benefits.

So for pets, EVO3 CBD Pet Drops can similarly help them feel better.

From Pain to Perk, CBD for Pets
EVO3 Executive Vice President and Master Cannabinologer Cristina Madruga can quickly name specific ways CBD is known to have helped pets.

"Pain is a big one," she says. "We see a lot of dogs getting older, having arthritis. CBD can really help pep them back up. Separation anxiety is another one. If your pet has bad separation anxiety and you know you'll be away, give them a little CBD beforehand to keep them content. And then fireworks holidays like New Year's Eve, Fourth of July – if you know there's something scary coming up, you can get ahead of the stress, dosing with CBD so that they're nice and relaxed by the time the stressful moment happens."

She adds, "For me, personally with cats, getting them to the car to go to the vet can be a pain. So, about an hour before a vet appointment, everyone gets CBD."

But it's not just dogs and cats. Pets, including guinea pigs, horses, parrots, reptiles, and every other living creature, can experience CBD benefits (with the sole exception of insects, which evolved without an endocannabinoid system). Madruga even says that a friend administers CBD to his prize cow to calm him before livestock shows.

In a 2019 New York Times report, one expert agreed that CBD has particular benefits for pets. Dr. Nicholas Dodman, co-founder of the Center for Canine Behavior Studies and a professor emeritus at Tufts University, stated, "I think CBD holds great promise, especially for treating anxiety and for pain. But check doses with your vet."

It's good advice, albeit complicated by the fact that veterinarians can't legally recommend CBD due to federal regulations. However, Madruga says owners can still discuss with vets whether giving their pets CBD may interact or interfere with other medications the animal is taking. This is key, especially since CBD is processed through the liver. In such a case, it's important to stagger medication and CBD delivery times.

"CBD is generally considered safe," says Madruga. "There's no known overdose of CBD. There are no recorded allergies to CBD. It's one of those things where if it might help, why not try it?"

Each bottle's "serving size" notes that doses range from five up to 80-pound animals. Madruga says it's most effective to deliver the CBD around feeding time. For a solo pet, just add a drop or two to food. If you have more than one pet, give them drops under the tongue before giving them food.

But how to tell if your pet's better thanks CBD? Madruga says simply that pet owners usually "know when something is up."

Start with the smallest recommended dose and monitor your pet. In the first hour, you should notice if s/he seems to feel better and if they're more energetic or relaxed. If you don't observe a change, slowly increase the dose. Still, some pet owners may hesitate to try CBD. To them, Madruga says, "CBD is natural. If you haven't tried [any other medication] yet, you may want to try something natural first as a starting point. Then, if you don't get the results you're hoping for, you can always go further into pharmaceuticals.

"But on the other side of that, maybe you've tried pharmaceuticals, and you're seeing that the side effects, like nausea or lethargy, are making your pet miserable," she says. "It's always worth talking to your vet if you may want to try something different. The worst that happens is that you're in the same boat you were to begin with."

EVO3 CBD Pet Drops come in a 60ml (2 oz.) bottle and contain 500 mg of THC-free CBD.