CBD can be applied to the skin instead of ingested. In fact, topical CBD is great for nourishing skin and helping to reduce pain. Our pets can benefit in the same way!
If you don’t want your pet ingesting CBD oil, if you want to apply CBD to a targeted painful area, or you want to use CBD to treat a skin problem, this is a great option. Topical CBD for pets typically comes as a salve. Salves can be purchased in varying doses and applied directly to your pet’s skin or coat. CBD salves for pets are made with natural ingredients and pure CBD oil so that they will be safe if accidentally ingested.
Table of Contents
- How Does CBD Salve for Pets Work?
- Can I Use Topical CBD for Humans on My Pet?
- How Can I Choose the Best Topical CBD for Pets?
How Does CBD Salve for Pets Work?
Our pets have an endocannabinoid system that functions similarly to the one we have in our bodies. CBD topicals include salves, sprays, or creams that are infused with cannabidiol and formulated for direct application to the affected area. Once a topical is applied, the CBD will gradually absorb into the skin. With this delivery method, the CBD doesn’t typically make it into the bloodstream; instead, it interacts with CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system. The most common topical CBD for pets is a salve, and they can help with a range of issues that your furry friend might be facing.
The most common reason that you might want to use a CBD salve on your pet is skin irritation or injury. CBD oil has antibacterial and analgesic properties, which makes it great for promoting wound healing. In addition to this, CBD oil is full of antioxidants and vitamins that are very nourishing to the skin.
Applying CBD salve to your pet can help soothe skin irritations from insect bites, wounds, and more. CBD helps to fight inflammation so it can also soothe hot spots, hives, or blisters and help accelerate healing time. If your pet is suffering from itchy, flaky, or dry skin, CBD salve can also alleviate these problems by moisturizing the skin and restoring balance.
Another reason that topical CBD is used may surprise you: pain relief. Pain relief is one of the most common, if not the most common, use for topical CBD among humans. Our pets can also experience this natural relief from chronic or acute pain such as aching joints or muscle soreness. CBD has long been proven as an effective means of relieving pain.
Endocannabinoids exist naturally in our bodies to help maintain balance. They detect and regulate several things in your body including hunger, mood, and, of course, pain. CBD salves will absorb into your pet’s skin and will elevate the natural level of pain-relieving endocannabinoids in their body, easing their pain in a targeted area. CBD salves for pain are very effective, and it is the best way to ensure that your pet gets the natural, safe, and targeted relief that they need to feel better.
Even though topically administered cannabidiol is rarely absorbed into the bloodstream, using topical CBD on your pet may still help to reduce stress and anxiety, but if this is your desired effect, you might want to explore the possibility of CBD drops or CBD oil treats.
Can I Use Topical CBD for Humans on My Pet?
This isn’t inherently dangerous for your pet, but it is still inadvisable. There are specially formulated products, CBD salves for animals, that have been meticulously designed to be safe, non-toxic, and provide them with the exact dose of CBD to alleviate their symptoms. Sticking to a product formulated for animals is always the best option to ensure that the furrier members of your family can enjoy the benefits of CBD safely.
CBD salves made to relieve pain in humans may contain other ingredients that are designed to increase the effects. Some of these ingredients include capsaicin, one of the active components in chili peppers, and peppermint oil, both of which have been reported as potentially toxic to animals if ingested. If you apply a salve containing these ingredients to your pet, you put them at risk of them licking it to investigate what you’ve put on them, and consuming these potentially unsafe ingredients.
CBD salves, lotions, spray, or creams that are designed for humans may also contain additional essential oils either for the benefit they provide or just for a nice light fragrance. Essential oils are sometimes safe to diffuse for dogs, but they should never be applied directly to the skin. If your dog gets essential oil on their skin, coat, or in their mouth, it can be dangerous. Oils that you should never use near your dog include tea tree, cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, pine, sweet birch, wintergreen, and ylang-ylang.
Essential oils are extremely dangerous to cats. Cats aren’t able to effectively metabolize and eliminate certain toxins because they are missing an important liver enzyme, so even just inhaling essential oil can poison your cat and be fatal. Oils that are exceptionally dangerous for cats include sweet birch, citrus, pine, ylang-ylang, peppermint, cinnamon, clove, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, and tea tree.
Because of the potential risks that essential oils pose to your animals, you should never use a CBD topical, or any other product, designated for humans that could potentially contain them. However, if a product happens to contain essential oil, trust that it has been tested and will be safe as long as you follow the instructions and only use as directed. As an example, Canna Care Topical For Dogs contains eucalyptus for its pain relieving, antiseptic, and antimicrobial properties. This is a great product for dogs! But, it shouldn’t be used on cats for any reason.
How Can I Choose the Best Topical CBD for Pets?
When you’re searching for a topical CBD product for your pet, it’s essential that you know what to look for. There are topicals that are formulated to be more effective for soothing itches, and some that are formulated for pain. You should seek out a salve or other topical that is tailored to your pet’s symptoms or condition.
If you are looking for a CBD topical for cats, try to select one made just for our feline friends, or read the ingredients. You should always read the ingredients list to ensure that you are comfortable with all of those components coming into contact with your pet. If you have any concerns or you’re worried that your furbaby is particularly sensitive, you can get a very simple product like this CBD topical salve by Petabis Organics. This entirely organic salve contains just CBD, coconut oil, and beeswax.
You will want to read different product descriptions and reviews of any CBD topicals that you’re interested in purchasing for your pet. A high-quality product will be organic and use pure CBD oil. Many websites will publish lab results from independent organizations that have quality-tested their products. The number one thing that you can do to make sure that you are getting the best CBD topical for animals is plenty of research.
