With an extremely nervous pet waiting for you at home, two bottles sit in your hands as you think about which to buy Hemp Oil vs. CBD Oil. They look very much the same. Both are hemp-extracted oils. Both say they’re made for pets. And really, both look pretty dang spiffy in their beautifully-designed packaging. But they are not created equal.
Hemp oil and CBD oil do have a few things in common. They both come from the same wonderful plant, after all. But their biggest differences are some you (and your furry family) will want to be aware of. This distinction could mean the difference between buying a solution for your furbaby’s symptoms or an expensive waste of time.
In this article we’ll explore both oils to help you figure out which is right for you and your furry buddy whos depending on you for help. So let’s make sure you feel like the equipped and knowledgeable animal lover you know you are!
Is Hemp Oil the Same as CBD Oil?
There are just a few key differences between hemp oil and CBD oil. The first, most important difference is that hemp oil doesn’t contain the active ingredient cannabidiol (CBD). This miracle compound is what gives CBD oil its potential benefits. People and animals alike may try CBD to help with conditions like poor appetite, nervousness, aches and pains, recovery for illness or injury, and more.
Keep in mind that CBD oil likely contains everything that hemp oil does with this next point. The second key difference is that hemp oil is extracted from hemp seeds while CBD oil comes from the whole plant. You’ll find that this key difference gives CBD oil a ton of benefits that hemp oil lacks.
Can I Use Hemp Oil Like CBD Oil?
Hemp oil can be used just like CBD oil. You can feed it to your pet orally, rub it around their gums (or in the top inner-ear for cats), or even drop it on their favorite treat for easy dosing.
While there’s not much difference in application, you’ll be missing out on quite a few benefits that only CBD can provide.
Which is Better: Hemp Oil or CBD Oil?
While the two look the same in most respects, CBD oil is the clear winner here.
Truly, there’s not much reason to reach for hemp oil over CBD oil. CBD is also extracted from hemp (and may even be suspended in hemp oil already). CBD oil also contains all the benefits of hemp oil and more. So going with hemp oil without CBD for relief is like drinking a coffee without caffeine to wake up. Sure, it may work for reasons unrelated to the active ingredients. But why not go with the most effective option available?
Combine this with CBD’s incredible safety profile and you’ve got few reasons to favor hemp oil.
What Are the Benefits of Hemp Oil?
Even though CBD oil is superior to plain old hemp oil, it does offer plenty of healthy benefits.
- Reduces joint aches and stiffness. A study found hemp seed oil reduced symptoms by 25% compared to 4% in a placebo.
- Relieves skin flare ups.. Hemp seed oil reduces the underlying condition caused the irritation and redness associated with conditions like psoriasis, dermatitis, and some skin diseases.
- Improves coat health and shine. Soaps and beauty products often include hemp seed oil since it helps penetration. This delivers beneficial compounds to deeper layers of skin than regular soaps or creams alone ever could.
- Lowers blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids contained in hemp seed may help lower blood pressure.
What Benefits Does CBD Offer That Hemp Oil Does Not?
Remember that CBD oils usually offer all the benefits a hemp oil does since they’re extracted from the same plants. However, hemp seed oil is more focused on providing nutritional value while hemp oil is simply the carrier for CBD along with other minor cannabinoids naturally found in hemp plants. Here are a few benefits CBD offers that hemp oil alone doesn’t:
♦ Reduce Frequency of Neurological Episodes in Animals
This CBD study found this miracle plant significantly reduces neurological episodes in dogs. Researchers saw a 33% reduction in episode frequency among the dogs being treated with CBD. Also dogs treated with CBD showed no adverse effects.
♦ Lower Your Pets Stress Response and Nervousness
CBD oil may help your pet in stressful situations according to this comprehensive review of animal CBD studies. Researchers found dogs responded well to a dose of 2mg/kg administered orally. All participants showed consistently reduced stress scores and improved emotional responses to stressors.
♦ Reduce Your Pets Overactive Immune Response
Chronic overactive immune response can cause a host of health problems like infections, and any medical condition ending in “-itis”. CBD is your furbaby’s reliable ally against these conditions. CBD’s effects on lowering an overactive immune response are among the most well-studied. This 2019 study found that CBD’s antioxidative qualities can directly reduce symptoms across the board.
How Can I Tell CBD From Hemp Oil?
The good news is differentiating between CBD oil vs. hemp oil shouldn’t be too hard. CBD is significantly more difficult (and expensive) to extract. So most CBD oils would clearly advertise themselves as such. If it’s not so obvious, check out the ingredients list. Be aware that most online platforms such as Amazon do not allow CBD and companies will label their products as “hemp oil”. Be sure to look at the labeling before you buy to make sure you are getting a CBD product and not just hemp oil. You should see one of the following in this order of frequency:
- CBD
- Cannabidiol
- Full-spectrum hemp oil
- Look for the products COA (certificate of analysis) on the product website. This lab test will show there is CBD in the product. If no COA, do not buy. In a high quality CBD there COA should also show testing for pesticides, herbicides, molds, mycotoxins, bacteria and heavy metals.
If there’s any doubt, err on the side of caution. You’ll have plenty of alternatives to choose from.
Is CBD Oil Safe for My Pet?
Oftentimes, CBD is safer than the vast majority of prescription medications for pets. In a study performed on healthy cats and dogs, researchers gave a potent dose of CBD (2 mg/kg of body weight) to each animal. The results showed that 97% of cats and dogs tolerated CBD without issue. The remaining 3% experienced diarrhea.
Compared to a popular appetite stimulant for pets, Entyce, CBD causes common negative side effects less than half as often. That’s a huge difference! So rest assured, CBD oil is likely far safer than any prescription medication you’ve ever given your furry buddy.
Which CBD Oil is Best for My Pet?
So you’ve made the right choice and decided to go with CBD oil with your furry family. When you’re shopping around online or in a shop, you’ll quickly find that there’s a seemingly endless variety of CBD oils available. But not all CBD oils are created equal, especially when it comes to pet CBD oil.
Following this brief guide will equip you with all the basics you’ll need to know to find the perfect CBD oil for your pet.
Full-Spectrum Oil
Full-spectrum oils contain every healthy compound found in hemp plants. That means you and your furbabies won’t be missing out on a single atom of this miracle plant’s helpful content. Full-spectrum oils also contain trace amounts of THC
While pets are sensitive to THC, taking trace amounts with CBD and the other cannabinoids in hemp leads to a reaction called the entourage effect. You’ll want to take advantage of it since it makes CBD oil as effective as it can be and is as close as possible to using hemp the way nature intended – untampered with.
Low THC Content
THC is essential for the entourage effect and offers great benefits when used together with CBD. But because of an animal’s natural THC-sensitivity, you’ll want to make sure any CBD oil you use contains 0.2% THC or less. This activates the entourage effect but is such a low quantity, your pet will NOT feel any intoxicating effects whatsoever. Low-THC CBD is essential for keeping your beloved pet’s personality completely unchanged.
Avoid Traditional Droppers
Traditional droppers are usually made of glass or plastic. They work great for humans! But for our beloved, fur-coated counterparts? Not so much.
Glass can break in your pet’s mouth while giving a dose. And since it’s a lot more difficult administering medicine to a blissfully unaware pet, you’ll most likely be placing the dropper into their mouth. That contaminated piece is then reinserted into the bottle, allowing bacteria to enter the bottle and potentially ruining your expensive CBD oil.
Low-Oil, High-Concentration CBD Extracts
Last but not least, you’ll want to make sure the pet CBD oil you choose is a low-oil, high-concentration variety.
CBD is just a chemical. And that chemical needs to be suspended in something to be delivered into your pet’s body. For this reason, CBD extracts are suspended in coconut oil, olive oil, or hemp oil.
These are all great for humans. But unfortunately, our furry families’ digestive systems aren’t equipped to handle these oils like our system is. And most pet CBD oils don’t account for this. Feeding your pet too much oil can easily upset their sensitive tummies and not give them the benefits you’re paying top dollar for. High-concentration extracts completely avoid this problem while making dosing a whole lot easier. Also when pet products are using MCT as a carrier oil your asking your pets digestive system to metabolize two different oils. Use CBD suspended in help oil to make it as easy as possible on your pets tummies.
Learn more with Furry Faces CBD
We hope this article helped demystify the difference between these two seemingly similar oils. Let’s recap before you go:
- Hemp oil does not contain CBD and doesn’t offer all the benefits a CBD oil can
- CBD oil mostly contains everything a hemp oil does
- Hemp seed oils are meant for nutritional value rather than therapeutic value
- An ideal pet CBD oil is low-THC, low-oil, high-concentrate
- Make sure to buy a full-spectrum oil with 0.2% THC or less
And if you’d like to learn even more about this miraculous plant, check out our blog! It’s loaded with educational content like this article to make sure you and your furry family are happy and healthy for years to come.