Giving hemp to your golden retriever for the first time can be confusing and intimidating. Over the last 5 years, hemp has exploded unto the scene, with my low quality brands popping up to make a quick buck. How can you determine whether a hemp product is safe and effective for your golden retriever? We’ve created this guide with 5 vital tips for buying hemp for your golden retriever. Tip #5, in particular, might really surprise you!
1. Does the Hemp Oil You’re Giving Your Golden Retriever Have a Current COA (certificate of analysis)
Ensuring that the hemp product you use for your golden retriever is pure is absolutely essential due to how hemp is manufactured. Hemp is derived from hemp, which tends to absorb toxins from the earth. We have personally tested brands of hemp oil that have contained lead at 10x higher than safe levels.
While most hemp companies will have their product tested once, look for a brand that displays a current and updated COA on their website’s product page. It’s also absolutely vital that a hemp brand tests each and every batch of their hemp oil, as large variances can occur in the quality and purity.
The following is an example of a COA for the Cannanine hemp brand.
2. Has the Pet Hemp Brand Been In Business for At Least 3 Years?
Hemp for dogs has become a very profitable business, and many fly by night companies have popped up over the past few years. For this reason, we’d recommend looking for a company with a track record of at least 3 years in business. If a company can survive 3 years in business, their products are likely good enough quality to meet the standards of customers and regulators.
Learn more about the hemp endorsed by iHeartDogs, which was founded in 2018.
3. Am I Giving My Golden Retriever The Right Dosage of Hemp?
Many first time golden retriever owners make a mistake on dosing hemp. Fortunately, research shows there does not seem to be much of a risk of overdosing on hemp with dogs. However, it is advisable to start with a low dose and slowly increase, monitoring how your golden retriever responds. In some cases, golden retriever owners don’t realize that they can slowly increase the dosing if they fail to see results.
Typical dosing is recommended in the range of 0.2 mg to 0.5 mg per pound of bodyweight. Again, it doesn’t hurt to start low and slow. Oftentimes, if a dog does react negatively to hemp, it is often from the oil contained in the product. Usually the reaction will just be mild vomiting or diarrhea.
4. Understand The Difference Between the 4 Kinds of Products: Broad Spectrum, Full Spectrum, Hemp Isolate, and Hemp Seed Oil
Hemp for dogs comes with a confusing array of terms. Let’s break down the 4 kinds of products:
- Hemp seed oil – Hemp seed oil is derived from the seeds of the hemp plant, not the actual plant itself. Sometimes referred to as just “hemp oil”, this ingredient offers many benefits from the Omega-3s contained in it, but it does not contain hemp. Beware of products labeled only as ‘hemp oil’.
- Hemp isolate – An isolate product starts with a full spectrum hemp, and chemically removes the other cannabinoids from the oil. While you still get some of the benefit of the hemp, you lose the benefit of a wider spectrum of the hemp plant. For this reason, we’d recommend avoiding hemp isolates for dogs.
- Full spectrum – A full spectrum product contains all of the cannabinoids of the plant, including a small amount of THC. THC can be toxic to dogs, even in small doses. For that reason we prefer the next option, especially for smaller pups.
- Broad spectrum – A broad spectrum hemp product contains all of the cannabinoids with the exception of THC, which is removed. The end result is a product that contains nearly the full spectrum, minus the riskier THC. For most dogs, we believe broad spectrum is the best option.
5. Beware of Purchasing Hemp Products on Amazon or Chewy, As They DO NOT Contain Hemp
We have nothing against Amazon or Chewy, but at the time of this writing their policies do not allow for the sale of hemp on their marketplaces. Many unscrupulous brands list their “hemp oil” products on these stores in an effort to trick customers into believing they contain hemp, while it only contains hemp seed oil. While hemp seed oil offers many benefits, it does not offer the calming and pain relief properties of true hemp. For this reason, we’d recommend avoiding Amazon or Chewy when purchasing hemp, and instead purchase directly from the manufacturer’s website.
What Brand of Hemp Has the iHeartDogs Seal of Approval?
iHeartDogs helped formulate the Cannanine brand of hemp for dogs. In addition to being organically farmed, every batch of Cannanine is triple tested to ensure purity, safety, and efficacy.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hemp Oil, Chews & Treats for Golden Retrievers
Hemp vs. Fluoxetine/Prozac for Golden Retrievers: Which is More Effective?
Prozac/Fluoxetine an SSRI antidepressant used to treat a variety of behavioral disorders in golden retrievers. Many veterinarians prescribe Prozac for separation anxiety. In recent years, many pet owners have begun turning to hemp for more natural anxiety relief for their dogs.
Only you and your veterinarian can make the best choice for your golden retriever’s situation. In my personal experience with my dog’s separation anxiety, while my pup got temporary relief from Prozac, it also significantly changed her personality and energy. Eventually with a process of training and using hemp that I detail here, we were able to finally beat separation anxiety for good.
Hemp vs. NSAID Pain Medications like Rimadyl, carprofen, Novox, deracoxib, Deramaxx, firocoxib, Previcox, meloxicam, or Metacam: Which Is More Effective for Golden Retrievers?
NSAID medications can be powerful tools in fighting pain. They do, however, often come with long term side effects that can affect digestion, the kidneys, or the liver. Only you and your veterinarian can make the best choice for your golden retriever, but many owners have found that hemp offers more natural relief without any known side effects. Many golden retriever owners give hemp in addition to prescription medications, but be sure to discuss your plan with your veterinarian.
Can Hemp Help My Golden Retriever’s Joint Pain, Hips, Back, Arthritis or Mobility?
The last few years has produced exciting research on the effectiveness of hemp on an older dog’s mobility. Several clinical trials using hemp on dogs have shown improvement in mobility scores for dogs given hemp oil. Remember, arthritis is a degenerative condition that will continue to worsen, however it appears hemp can help slow the progression of pain. According to a poll administered to 400 dog owners, 59% reported that hemp was ‘very effective’ and 19% reported hemp was ‘somewhat effective’ in alleviating their dog’s joint pain.
Can Hemp Help My Golden Retriever’s Anxiety?
As detailed here, clinical trials using hemp for humans (who also have an endocannabinoid system like dogs) have shown its ability to calm anxiety. According to a poll administered by iHeartDogs to 400 dog owners using hemp, 41% of owners reported that hemp was ‘very effective’, while 25% reported it was ‘somewhat effective’ in helping their dog’s anxiety.
Can Hemp Help My Golden Retriever’s Allergies & Itchiness?
A 2020 study concluded that dogs using hemp were more likely to see a significant decrease in atopic dermatitis symptoms. In fact, the dogs in the study had a 51% decrease in CADESI-4 scores, meaning fewer allergy/itchiness symptoms were present after the study.
An iHeartDogs poll showed that 68% of respondents said that hemp was ‘very effective’ or ‘somewhat effective’ in alleviating their dog’s allergy symptoms.
Can Hemp Help My Golden Retriever’s Seizures?
One of the earliest uses for hemp in both humans and dogs was for minimizing epileptic seizures when medication failed to work. One study published in 2018 showed that an astonishing 89% of the dogs studied showed a drop in regular seizures after given hemp. The study was a double blind, placebo controlled test.
The same iHeartDogs poll showed that 70% of respondents claimed that hemp was ‘very effective’ or ‘somewhat effective’ at reducing the number of seizures experienced by their dog.
Which Hemp is Best for My Golden Retriever: Oil Tinctures, Soft Chews, or Treats?
Whether you give your golden retriever a hemp oil tincture, a hemp soft/gummy chew, or a treat is a personal choice.
There are some benefits to hemp being absorbed in the mouth sublingually, and your best bet for this rapid absorption is by using a hemp oil tincture. However, if your golden retriever won’t take oil directly to their mouth or in their food, a hemp soft chew or treat is an equally viable option.
Learn more about the different types of hemp available for your golden retriever here.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional.
Toledo, United States.
