CBD has a lot of benefits for your four-legged friend. But sometimes, you’re unsure how to properly provide your pup with this natural ingredient. The best (and easiest) way is to use our CBD dog treat recipe! It’s delicious and nutritious, making it the perfect way to excite your dog with a healthy snack.
The trick is to find CBD dog treats or CBD oil that is healthy, organic, and provides all the benefits your dog needs. Many CBD companies are flooding the online market these days, and it may be hard to know where to begin. We have a few guidelines for finding the perfect CBD oil to add to your recipe. And then we have all the steps you need to make the perfect CBD dog treats!
What Are CBD Dog Treats?
CBD dog treats are simply doggy snacks that contain CBD. They are becoming more and more popular due to the benefits our pets may experience from CBD. Dog treats are an easy way to provide your pup with CBD since they won’t be able to resist the other delicious and healthy ingredients.
CBD is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, which means it’s a naturally occurring compound in hemp that won’t get your dog high. CBD doesn’t have any THC, the other phytocannabinoid that creates those unwanted side effects.
CBD soothes your dog’s aches and discomforts and helps anxious thoughts and behaviors fade away. These effects are due to CBD’s interaction with receptors in the dog’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is what helps your dog maintain homeostasis, feeling a sense of balance and well-being despite outside elements. That’s because the receptors are in all the major systems of your dog’s body, including the immune, digestive, and nervous systems.
CBD interacts with those receptors in a way that provides soothing and calming effects for your pup. Providing CBD daily (or every eight hours) will make these benefits more potent, helping improve your dog’s feelings of discomfort. People will also give their canine companions CBD 30 minutes before triggering events, like fireworks or a big move. A dose of CBD may also help your dog deal with social fears and other situations that usually make it anxious.
Will CBD Dog Treats Get My Dog High?
We briefly touched upon this, but we should repeat that CBD dog treats will not get your pet high. Phew! CBD is non-psychoactive, which means your dog won’t feel the side effects of THC.
Many people rightly worry about their dogs getting high since it affects their brains differently than ours. Dogs feel the symptoms more intensely than us, often leading to great distress. They won’t understand why their thoughts and reality are altered. They may also get injured from being dizzy and unbalanced.
Luckily, CBD dog treats don’t contain any THC, so your dog won’t experience any of its unwanted side effects.
What Are the Benefits of CBD Dog Treats?
Easy to Eat
Dogs cannot resist a treat, especially if it contains quality, delicious ingredients. Snacks are a great way to provide your dog CBD without any struggles or effort. CBD doesn’t have a very strong flavor, but some pickier pups might still taste CBD oil dropped on top of their food and avoid it.
Most CBD dog treats are also on the softer side, meaning elderly dogs can digest them without any issue. This is great for senior dogs, who often have joint discomfort that CBD may be able to soothe. One in five dogs will experience this unfortunately common health problem.
It’s Healthy
The best quality dog treats will have a lot of beneficial ingredients in addition to the CBD. HolistaPet has three varieties, all of which have nutritious ingredients that provide additional benefits for your dog.
For example, our Joint and Mobility Care CBD treats have turmeric root to help with swelling and tenderness, as well as hemp seed powder to provide your dog with omega fatty acids and protein. Our Stress and Anxiety Relief CBD treats have chamomile to reduce nervousness and L-Theanine to promote relaxation.
Be on the lookout for CBD dog treats that only have organic, vegan, natural ingredients. This means there won’t be any artificial flavors or GMOs. They should also not contain unhealthy ingredients that don’t offer your dog any benefits.
Take our Heart and Immune Care CBD treats as an example. They have under 10 ingredients, all of which are natural, vegan, organic, and healthy. The active ingredients are:
- Blueberries: Provides your dog with antioxidants and benefits the cardiovascular system.
- Flaxseed: Boosts your pup’s immune system and promotes healthy skin and coat.
- Hemp seed powder: This is rich in omega fatty acids and protein that improve your dog’s well-being.
- CBD oil: You already know! CBD promotes overall wellness by interacting with receptors in your dog’s ECS.
The other ingredients in this particular treat are also healthy and natural. They include organic sweet potatoes, rolled oats, brown rice flour, molasses, cinnamon, and coconut oil. This treat is easy to digest and contains no harmful ingredients.
Soothe Discomfort
CBD dog treats are beneficial for dogs that are experiencing physical discomfort, including in their joints. Soothing CBD dog treats will help your dog feel less sluggish and become more active. A lot of dog owners note that their pooch seems a lot younger in energy and spirit.
Reduce Stress
Dogs can experience stress and anxiousness just like us. Some dogs are afraid to be left alone. Some might be aggressive around other dogs. CBD might help level out your dog’s mood since it reacts with receptors in their brain that interact with serotonin. CBD may reduce negative behaviors associated with stress, fear, and nervousness, including destructive tendencies.
Provide Comfort
If you know something is coming up that will upset your dog (like fireworks or a new dog in the home), you can give them CBD before that specific moment. While CBD works best when provided every eight hours, your dog will still feel its benefits when they get CBD dog treats right before a typically stressful situation.
Benefits of Making Your Own CBD Dog Treats
Making your own CBD dog treats is definitely worth it! While there are delicious and nutritious dog treats out there, making your own from scratch is often low effort and provides significant benefits for your pup.
Choose the Ingredients
When you make your own CBD dog treats, you can pick exactly what goes into them. You know your dog better than anyone else, including their ailments and health situation as well as their flavor preferences. If your dog loves snacking on peanut butter, add some to your recipe! Does your dog need a boost to its skin and coat? Include some flaxseed!
Control the Dosage
When you make CBD dog treats from scratch, you can choose how much CBD to include in each serving. We have a handy dosage chart for pets if you aren’t sure where to start. But here are the basics when making your own treats.
For a regular dose, your dog should get about 0.25 mg of CBD per every one pound of body weight. That means a 40-pound dog would get 10 mg of CBD for one regular dose. This amount is suitable for daily health and wellness and boosts their immune function, digestion, nausea, and joint inflammation. It may also help stimulate their appetite, fight allergy symptoms, and improve minor skin conditions.
A strong CBD dose is double a regular dose, meaning .5 mg of CBD per one pound of body weight. A 40-pound dog who needs a healthy dose would get 20 mg of CBD. Stronger doses are recommended when a regular amount is not enough to help with your dog’s discomfort and symptoms.
Save Some Moolah
Quality CBD dog treats aren’t the cheapest option out there when it comes to snacks. A lot of times, it can be cheaper to make the treats yourself. Buying ingredients (especially in bulk) allow you to make way more treats than you’d get in a bag. Extra treats can be stored or even frozen, meaning you’ll have an abundance of healthy, beneficial snacks for your dog!
How to Choose the Right CBD Oil for Dog Treats
When the Farm Bill passed in 2018, the CBD market became oversaturated. There are now more CBD pet products than ever before. It can be a little overwhelming, but we have some things to look for that will significantly narrow your search.
Pure, Safe, All-Natural Ingredients
Our CBD oil contains 100% natural ingredients. It is made from CO2-extracted full-spectrum CBD oil and hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil is an excellent addition to CBD oil because it boosts the immune system and promotes healthy skin and fur.
But even more importantly, CBD needs hemp seed oil to make it easier to digest. CBD is a fat-soluble compound. That means the body absorbs it a lot easier when it’s infused with a high-fat carrier oil like hempseed.
Third-Party Testing
Look for CBD brands that offer a Certificate Of Analysis for each batch of CBD oil. Third-party testing means that an unbiased, outside company has checked the product for CBD quality and ensuring there are no contaminants. CBD oil that boasts third-party testing is high quality, effective, and no harmful ingredients.
Domestic Industrial Hemp
Make sure the CBD oil was extracted from hemp grown in the United States. After the Farm Bill was passed, the Food & Drug Administration created some strict regulations for hemp growing. That means hemp grown in America is often of higher quality and safer to consume.
Imported hemp doesn’t have to go through the same regulations or stick to the same standards, which may sometimes lead to unhealthy and low-quality products.
Made Specifically For Dogs
Don’t purchase CBD products for humans to give to your dog. While it’s not entirely harmful, CBD products for dogs often have a lower THC percentage and added ingredients that are safe and beneficial to your dog.
Customer Reviews
Always look for CBD companies that aren’t afraid to show customer reviews. These authentic reviews will give you a better idea of whether their CBD oil is right for your pup. It also shows that the company believes in its product and isn’t afraid of feedback. They aren’t just looking to cash in on the CBD craze.
Good Customer Service
HolistaPet has an entire customer service department available to answer any questions and concerns you may have. It’s essential that the company you choose is helpful and provides you with any information you need. Your pet is important to you, and you want to make sure that the product you choose is exactly what they need.
The Best CBD Dog Treat Recipe
We have a fantastic CBD dog treat recipe we want you to try! It’s a delicious, healthy, and beneficial snack that your dog will enjoy. It’s a great blend of delicious flavors and safe, health-conscious ingredients.
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this PB&J CBD dog snack:
- 1/2 cup organic oat flour
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (there should be no added salt or sweetener)
- 1/4 cup fresh blueberries (frozen is also okay if that’s a better option for you)
- 1/2 of a ripe banana
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 ounce HolistaPet CBD oil (150 mg)
Once you have those ingredients gathered, it’s time to start making your dog some tasty treats. Here are the easy directions:
- Heat your oven to 300 degrees F.
- While waiting for the oven to heat up, mix together the peanut butter, banana, and vanilla. You might want to use a processor if you have one handy.
- Mash the blueberries separately (also in the processor if possible) and then add them to the peanut butter, banana, and vanilla mix.
- Pour in the CBD oil and blend it all together!
- Take out a cookie sheet or parchment. Roll out the dough.
- Find a cookie cutter that will divide the dough into roughly 15 cookies. With 150 mg of CBD oil, this will make cookies that each contain 10 mg of CBD (a regular dose).
- Place the cookies on the sheet with some space between them. You don’t want them to blend while baking.
- Place them in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Let them cool, then serve to your pooch! You can also put them in a glass container and store them in the freezer or fridge if you plan to save them for a certain amount of time.
Adding CBD to Ready-Made Dog Treats
If you already have healthy dog treats your furry friend loves, you can add some CBD oil to them! If you’re like me and just aren’t a great baker, the above recipe is easy to follow (even I can do it). Though, sometimes you may not feel like flexing your baking prowess.
Just make sure the dog treat or food you choose allows the CBD oil to soak in. Some treats might not have the right texture and don’t allow the CBD oil to blend with the ingredients properly. This might leave pickier pets a bit turned off.
Final Thoughts – CBD Dog Treat Recipe
CBD dog treats are an easy and healthy way to provide your dog with this beneficial and non-psychoactive cannabinoid. It’s soft, easy to digest, and delicious. And when you make your own CBD dog treats, you can also provide your dog with flavors they love and ingredients that benefit their specific needs.
We included an easy, healthy, and delicious dog treat recipe above. It also includes our CBD oil, which is organic, natural, and doesn’t include any harmful ingredients or artificial flavors. All of this combined makes CBD dog treats a terrific way for your dog to regularly get the CBD they need to stay healthy, happy, and active.
