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Pet CBD: The Basics.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid - a class of compounds unique to cannabis - found in the hemp plant. It accounts for up to 40% of the plant’s extract and is considered to have a wide variety of wellness properties.

Will CBD Get Your Pet High?

CBD oil with >0.03% of THC is non-psychoactive, so no - it will not get them high. But it is very important to keep actual marijuana away from your pet. In the states that have legalized marijuana, vets have seen a huge increase in animals coming in from THC toxicity which can be fatal. This is resulting from irresponsible pet owners leaving out their products or people not disposing their marijuana properly and dogs eating it off the street or on a hiking trail.

Why Does CBD Matter?

The more we learn about CBD, the more we realize it has the potential to revolutionize medicine. Hundreds of studies have shown CBD to have medicinal properties that can act as a therapeutic intervention for everything from seizures to inflammation which can cause chronic pain and disease.

How Does CBD Work in Your Dog's Endocannabinoid System (ESC)? 

All mammals have an ESC or nervous system and most illnesses/diseases are linked to it. CBD interacts with receptors/activators TRPV1, 5-HT1A, & GPR55 which regulates mood, sleep, pain, memory, appetite, inflammation, nausea, and stress levels. In canines specifically, CBD binds itself loosely to the receptors, but for a longer duration than humans. It regulates what is out of balance to evoke a longer-lasting therapeutic response without causing toxic effects. Once CBD is completely processed, they safely pass through the liver and digestive system.

Why Give Your Pet CBD?

CBD brings homeostasis or balance back to your pet to make everything work more efficiently. We like to refer to it as a good support system for your pet. It can help give anxiety and pain relief, protect the nervous system, act as an appetite stimulant, reduce inflammation, aid in treating seizures & epilepsy, promote heart health, and it's non-toxic. It has proven to be an effective treatment for pets that have/had cancer, leash aggression, digestion/nausea, mobility issues, skin problems, allergies and so much more.

Why Blooming Culture?

What Was the Catalyst for Starting Blooming Culture?

I saw a need - and it started with myself. Through my own battle with inflammation and pain, medical marijuana was prescribed to me. For years I tried different medications and therapies that didn't work or had awful side effects. I was open to exploring other options and started researching. This was an area that I did not know much about and I think it’s extremely important to know about what you are putting in your body. I quickly discovered that I have a very sensitive endocannabinoid system and the THC (which makes you high) was not for me. So, I started looking into just the CBD compound.

My research proved to be confusing, complex, and even a little crazy at times. There are so many opinions on this subject that I didn't know who to believe or trust. Many people are in it for the money and don't care about quality. I read various studies and government letters sent to CBD oil companies that asked them to cease and desist on sales. Independent studies uncovered that many seller's products did not contain the amount of CBD that was stated on the label.

First and foremost, I wanted to create a product that I would use myself and feel confident giving it to my pet. What a lot of people don’t realize is that CBD Oil is the same for pets and people, it is just dosed differently. We already have a company that makes pups happy with our premium dog ice cream, Arrfscarf, but we wanted to create something that could make a difference in their overall health and wellbeing. It was also important for us to stand true to our ethos to be transparent and give back to organizations that also help animals. 3% of every sale (10% on t-shirts) is donated to Live Like Roo, a non-profit providing support to animals and their owners dealing with a cancer diagnosis and K9 4 Keeps, a Chicagoland animal rescue.

We Need to Talk More about CBD.

We came up with the name Blooming Culture because we wanted to have discussions with like-minded individuals about their personal stories and journeys with CBD. We can all learn different things from one another. Being in Chicago, I can tell you that CBD is a newer topic here. I just heard from one of our stores in the city that people were buying pet CBD for themselves because they didn’t want anyone to know it was for them. But yet in other states, it’s literally in everything from water to beauty products. We want to help change the stigma of a “pot-smoking stoner” being the only person that uses CBD to something that is widely accepted. To learn more, we made a few trips to Colorado and California to talk with others that have been in the space longer and where it's not regarded as taboo. One thing we have realized is that in Chicago it is the animal rescue communities that seem to be at the forefront of using it for animals. Join our FB group and follow us to join the community. 

What Should You Look for When Purchasing CBD Oil?

We recommend always looking for 3^rd party lab results and to research the brand you are buying from. Two different people I spoke to when I first got started said that their CBD gave them crazy nightmares and both were purchased at what I would deem reputable health food stores. This could have been because of the grade of the CBD oil or residual impurities and pesticides it contained. Pets can’t tell us exactly what they're experiencing so it’s super important to do your due diligence when purchasing for your loved one.

When researching a brand see where they source. We wanted to have a relationship with our grower so we made sure they were in the USA. Many CBD Oils on the market come from industrial hemp in Europe which uses only the stalk and not the whole plant. One big hemp-based CBD product for pets states on their site “formulated & manufactured in the USA”, but it leaves out where the CBD is being sourced from. Verbiage can be very tricky and, in this case, would lead you to believe it’s grown in the USA when it doesn’t actually state that anywhere on the site.

Is our product certified organic?

Since the FDA has not regulated CBD yet, we can legally only state our product is “organically grown” and registered with the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

Our Dosing and Milligrams (Mg’s).

We wanted to be transparent in our dosing. There are so many different mg’s to choose from on the market and such disparate pricing. When buying CBD, the less expensive brand might turn out to be more costly. That's because people don't understand that you have to factor in your pet’s weight. So you may end up going through a bottle in a week. For example, a 100lb pup using our Calm That Roar will last apx. 23-30 days (depending on what it is being used for).

ETC…

How Much CBD is Too Much for My Pet?

What’s amazing about CBD is that you don't have to worry about overdosing. Studies show that while cannabinoid receptors are found in different areas of the brain, there are none in the brainstem which is responsible for controlling breathing and heart rate. This means that cannabinoids do not have the ability to shut down the body’s breathing and blood circulatory system. However, if a pet ingests too much CBD oil it can lead to excessive sleepiness or diarrhea. Compared to many pharmaceuticals, these are relatively very minor side effects.

Key Items Regarding Dosing CBD Oil.

Start with the recommended dose found on the Blooming Culture site. You can always titrate up if you aren’t seeing results after a few days or up to 7 days for chronic inflammation. Keep in mind that like with people, dosages may need to be tweaked depending on the individual pet. It’s also important to remember that CBD oil works best if given consistently every day. On average it takes anywhere from 15 min to 1.5 hours to see full results once taken. 

How should I administer the CBD oil?

The quickest and most bio-available way for your pet to get the effects of CBD oil is by putting it directly on their gums or under their tongue. After administering, wait 30 min before feeding any food or treats. We know how difficult it can be to give a pet medication so read here for other tips and ideas.

Topicals.

We also offer a topical that is great for skin allergies and can be used in conjunction with one of our orals. Topicals do not penetrate deeper than the skin layer so do not worry about overdoing the CBD :)

Why Does My Vet Not Prescribe CBD Oil?

Legally, veterinarians are not allowed to prescribe CBD. That is not to say some don’t and we would love it if they did. But unfortunately, until it becomes legal at a federal level they are not supposed to. Also, this means that many vets are not familiar with all the amazing things it can do for your pet.

Ziva Cooper, associate professor of clinical neurology at Columbia University, whose research focuses on the therapeutic potential of cannabis and cannabinoids says, "Pre-clinical studies have shown promise for the treatment of chronic pain, neuro-inflammation, anxiety, addiction, and anti-psychotic effects in animals, mostly rodents."

Adding to the therapeutic legitimacy, CBD was recently FDA-approved to be used in an epilepsy drug called Epidiolex making it the first cannabis compound to be federally recognized. Win one for CBD!

Will my pet’s drugs interact with CBD?

We always recommend you ask your vet first. You can also check out this list to see if your pet’s medication falls in this category.

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*For more Q&As on CBD click here. If you have any more questions, we are only an email away - hello@bloomingculture.com

We also love this Podcast for more reliable information.