Administering and dosing CBD is all a matter of bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the amount of time, and at what rate, something is absorbed into your bloodstream and how much is excreted without effect. This is important because bioavailability effects how much to give in one dose, and how quickly your pet can feel the effects.

So, what’s the most effective way to give your pet CBD oil?

1. On the Gums.

Lift the lip and place dropper on the gums for best absorption. This method works best because the medicine is absorbed through the mucous membrane (transmucosal) in the mouth and the full spectrum hemp extract (CBD) then goes directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract altogether. This is similar to how people use medicine sub-lingually. Applying CBD oil to the gums minimizes the number of active compounds, or cannabinoids, that are lost or broken down in the digestive tract.

2. Inner Ears

Another effective place to administer CBD oil, is directly onto the hairless area on the underside of your pet’s ear flap. This is another efficient way to achieve quick and efficient absorption. Because of the high number of blood vessels in this skin, it is well absorbed into the bloodstream while avoiding the digestive tract.

This is called transdermal application. While we encourage you to try the gums first, the ear flap may be a good alternative for an aggressive pet, or a pet who becomes particularly agitated when you are administering their dose.

*Be cautious and avoid this site if your pet has a ruptured ear drum.

If possible, AVOID PUTTING IT ON FOOD!

CBD oil that is added to our pets’  food takes longer to enter the bloodstream and generally results in lower rates of absorption. This is because they must go all the way through the digestive tract and filtration processes, like the first pass of the liver.

When you add the CBD oil to the food instead of putting it directly on the gums or ears, less of the medicine reaching the parts of the body where your pet needs it most.

There is significant reason to believe that treats are an effective way to administer CBD, seeing as the stomach and GI system are full of cannabinoid receptors. In most cases however, we recommend choosing another method of administration like those mentioned above.

As you can see, how you administer CBD can have a great impact on how their body absorbs CBD. If you want to learn more, check out this BLOG and video from our education director!

CBD Dog Health tinctures are applied with a dropper that measures one milliliter of oil (ml). You will also notice graduated markings on the side of dropper that allow for accurate dosing below 1 ml.  This allows you to be specific with your dosage.

Since we recommend dosage by mg – here is a guide to knowing how many milligrams (mg’s) of CBD are in a one dropper of oil.