A few months back I went to a recreational marijuana store. In the corner, I spotted “weed cookies” for dogs.
Ok, they weren’t the kind of cookies that would get a dog stoned but they said “hemp” and had a cannabis leaf on the package. They were cannabidiol (CBD) dog treats, which I would later learn was about to explode onto the market for pets. Suddenly, I started seeing several brands of CBD treats.
I think saying “weed cookie” is funny but I’m leery to use that term since there are so many misconceptions about what hemp products for pets are and aren’t. “Weed” is another name for marijuana, the drug that gets people high. CBD oil for pets is extracted from industrial hemp and contains no THC so there are no psychoactive effects. For a quick explanation of the differences, read CBD Hemp Oil vs. Medical Marijuana. The scary stories you hear about dogs overdosing on marijuana has nothing to do with CBD products. CBD has been found safe for dogs even in really high doses.
I was curious to know more about CBD for pets, and I love being on the cutting edge of trends, so my voracious-learner-scientist self dove deep into the information out there. The most prevalent information claims that CBD has cancer fighting properties and has been successful in helping to control seizures. There are a lot of other potential benefits of CBD for dogs though like improving itchy skin, their general health, and delaying, or diminishing hip and joint arthritis.
There was also a lot of confusing information. Most of this “conflicting” information had to do with the sourcing of CBD and the legality of it in the United States. When confused, it’s nice to speak with an actual person that knows what they are talking about.
In my research, I found several companies that make CBD treats for dogs. Between buying some, and some companies sending me samples, Chester and Gretel tried several different kinds. One company really stood out to me because they were small, were very knowledgeable, made a high-quality product, and their treats had a noticeable effect on Chester and Gretel. That company was Pet Releaf.
Disclosure: I totally love Pet Releaf products and have been working with them for several months. They have sent us some free product in exchange for me sharing information about them with you.
Steve, one of the founders of Pet Releaf, agreed to talk to me about CBD. He spent almost an hour explaining about the hemp plant, different ways it can be processed, what the research says about CBD and pets, and the legalities of it. The bottom line of the legality is, because CBD for pets doesn’t contain any THC, it’s not considered a controlled substance by the US Drug Enforcement Agency and is legal to possess in all 50 states.
Related: Shopping for Hemp CBD Dog Treats? Read This First!
Pet Releaf is my CBD supplement of choice for Chester and Gretel. It passed all of my requirements for a reliable, quality CBD supplement because it’s:
- Derived from industrial hemp
- Contains CBD extracted from the whole hemp plant
- Uses CBD extracted using the CO2 method (in the Netherlands)
- Is independently lab tested to confirm consistency in amount of CBD in the product
- Blended with coconut oil as a carrier so it’s like two supplements in one (the oil)
- Relatively affordable (some others were much more expensive)
A lot of thought went into their products. They spent a year researching, testing, and refining their products before release, including getting feedback from veterinarians.
Pet Releaf “edibles” (treats) are organic and were created by a professional chef who is knowledgeable about making food items that contain cannabis. He chose organic, human-grade ingredients with synergistic health benefits to enhance the effects of the CBD. The treats are made by hand in small batches and are baked slowly at low temperature, followed with a dehydration process to preserve them, so none of the CBD oil evaporates. The CBD in Pet Releaf is bioavailable and absorbed up to 90%.
The treats come in several different flavors: Blueberry-Cranberry, Carob-Coconut, Kale-Carrot, and Peanut Butter-Banana. Gretel loves them. Chester and Gretel love them all. I like that you can actually see dried cranberries in the Blueberry-Cranberry treats.
Her back injury derailed our plans but the CBD treats ended up being super handy to help keep anxiety at bay during her 8-weeks of crate rest. They helped Chester too. He’s is getting a little bit of dementia in his old age and that makes him anxious. Most days it’s subtle but on his bad days he acts agitated or confused and paces around the house. Both dogs definitely seem calmer after giving them CBD.
I usually give Chester and Gretel the amount of CBD (recommended on the back of the package) for healthy dogs but sometimes I like to bump the dose up a little. I give Chester more when he’s having a bad “old man” day and to Gretel after a hike or rigorous rehab exercises for her muscles and back. For the boost, I usually put 2 or 3 drops of the Pet Releaf CBD oil on a Pet Releaf treat or another regular treat. For convenience, when we are out, I give them a CBD boost by giving them more treats in a day. Like I said, CBD was found to be safe even in really high doses so there is no worry with giving them extra.
If you are thinking of buying CBD products for your dog, there is a lot to be aware of. You must read my article on “hempwashing” first. You’ll see that they aren’t all created equal and it could help you decide which CBD products are right for your pet.
Olivia says
3 bum swings! 3 more!
What a pawsome post & giveaway Rachel!
As I barked out before, we support the use of CBDs & look forward medical marijuana being legal & commonly used in the veterinarian field.
nose nudges,
Olivia
Olivia says
I just visited Pet Releaf’s website & had a look at the wooftastic edibites archives! It’ is a difficult choice but if I had to make one, The Peanut Butter Banana CBD Hemp Edibites would be likely my favorite. I just love bananas & they are so good for you.
With that said, I would love to try all the flavors; they sound both delicious & good for you!
nose nudges,
Olivia
Deci Reynolds says
I’ve been thinking of trying this for Moose – thank you for the info!
Stephanie says
I am so excited to read this post! I am proudly owned by three dachshunds – Gracie Lou Freebush and Gunnar (who are under-socialized rescues), and Liam who is two years post-IVDD surgery. I also foster dachshunds for a rescue organization, and they come to me with myriad health problems. I am excited to try the CBD treats for them to help with calming in stressful situations (vet visits) and for the benefits for the fosters who are older and a bit frail. Thanks for doing the leg work on this. I will be ordering som Pet Releaf products to try on the Weens!
Jessica Rhae says
Awesome. I hope it helps all of your pups.
Chelsea says
I think my dogs would LOVE the peanut butter & banana ones. I have 3 miniature doxies as well. While they are all fairly healthy, two are under-socialized and have fear issues. I would love to see if this product would be something that could help them.
Lindsay says
I’m starting to hear a lot about these types of treats and I haven’t done any research on them so this is helpful for me. I am entering your giveaway. Ace would probably choose the peanut butter and banana treats!
Crystal Beck says
I bet Koira would like the coconut the best. But she’d probably eat any of them. I wonder if it would help her with staying loose at flyball tournaments, when she is running a lot of the weekend. Right now, our vet has me giving her rimadyl during tournament weekends, but I would be happy to have an alternative to use instead.
Jessica Rhae says
Huh. That is an application I never thought of. It would be great if you could get a “non drug” option to help Koira. I’m a big fan of going with natural when I can. Of course, there are some thing that natural doesn’t work for.
steve says
Hi Crystal – steve from pet releaf here. we actually have a K9 team in Southern California that is using our oils for recovery after trainings and work sessions. They love us because it helps with the trainings and the recovery time without the side effects of the Pharma options. K9 dogs can’t be “doped up” on pain meds.
J Frank says
Emily votes for pub and banana
Janice Grzywacz says
I’ve tried to tweet and FB but didn’t get credit. So I’m heading over to the website to order the peanut butter banana treats. Hope they help my old man. Thanks for the tip.
Jessica Rhae says
I checked the back end of the giveaway and you’re right, it didn’t give you credit for visiting the Facebook page or tweeting. You should be able to try again (you can tweet for an entry every day anyway). If you’re still having trouble, email me at Jessica(at)PetTalkMedia(dot)com and I’ll see if I can get the issue worked out with you.
Jen says
We recently adopted a young, energetic dog … who tore his ACL two weeks later. He has some social anxiety issues, especially in the crate, and is on strict rest while we wait to see if we can avoid surgery. All of those things combined? They’re a nightmare! After one of our sweet neighbors stopped by a few weeks ago to tell me that one of our dogs was barking nonstop in the crate while we were gone, I was desperate. I went to the natural pet food store and picked up some of those Edibites and, let me tell you, I am a believer!!! Great product – and SO much better than putting him on Xanax, etc. for his anxiety!!
Jessica Rhae says
That is great to hear! I’ve read a lot of research about CBD treats but it’s always better when information comes from people in your circles. I’m so glad you didn’t have to go with the heavy drugs.
Carmen H. says
I would like to try the peanut butter banana edibites.
Adrianne says
I need to try these! Our dog is showing signs of dementia and has anxiety issues. I think these would help her.
M. K. Clinton says
There are so many amazing uses for marijuana and hemp. It is a shame that it is so misunderstood. Bentley and Pierre would try the Carob Coconut.
Vera K says
I think Thor would like the peanut butter banana flavor.
Amy@GoPetFriendly says
Buster and Ty would like to try the Carob and Coconut!
Jess, I really appreciate you for doing the research on these products. Buster suffers from anxiety, but is also medicated for seizures – most anti-anxiety medications are not available to us because they alter brain chemistry and could cause him to begin having seizures again. I’m going to do some more research about our specific situation, but the foundation you’ve laid in these posts is wonderful. Thank you!
Jessica Rhae says
The information out there is pretty confusing. I’ve tried to get to the bottom of this by diving head first into all of the resources, both online and in person, out there. Did you read my other article http://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/health-benefits-of-hemp-cbd-oil-for-dogs/? It sounds like you already know it might help Buster so you probably don’t need to know about all of the other potential benefits 🙂 It would be amazing if this helped him. The oil is more concentrated and better for helping more severe medical issues so you might want to look into that too. If you do try it, please share your experience.
Ashleigh Jones says
My dog rhodie suffers from anxiety and severe seizures as well and the medications prescribed just aren’t working. If you have tried the product i would love to know of your experience as this is my last hope for her.
Amy@GoPetFriendly says
Hi Ashleigh,
I’m sorry to hear that you’re not having any luck with Rhodie’s medications. Unfortunately, we haven’t tried any of these with Buster, so I can’t share my personal experience – but it certainly seems to me that it’s worth a try to help Rhodie. Good luck!
Angela says
I have given my dog Snoop the peanut butter & banana treats for his seizures. I break one treat in half and apply a 25mg dropper of oil on the treat 2x a day. His last seizure was April 6, 2017. He has officially been seizure free for one month as of. 5/6/17. I believe in Pet Releaf.
Jessica Rhae says
Great to hear it’s working for you and Snoop
Lorraine says
These sounds really great and I will give them a try. Lulu has been having some issues that I think these would help with. Thanks for the review.
Mary W says
My senior, 14 year old Boston Terrier rescue could definitely benefit from trying Pet Releaf edibites. He might like the Blueberry Cranberry flavor. His appetite comes and goes so we have days when it is difficult to get our BT to eat anything. I wonder if the CBD Hemp Oil would help stimulate his appetite?
Jessica Rhae says
I assume it would? I can’t say for sure though. I don’t know if it’s the THC or CBD that stimulates appetite and there is no THC in this. It’s sure worth a try though.
Kathy Klinger says
Our doxies both have back problems, one has been on pain medication and muscle relaxant for several months. They are both 11 years old and still want to do everything with us. I’m interested in trying the Pet Releaf product with them.
Mary says
My dog would like the peanut butter banana treats for sure. 🙂
Monika & Sam says
This product sounds like a viable treatment for fireworks season! I’m gonna have to try it out to see if it helps. Thanks for reviewing this product.
Monika & Sam says
P.S. Sam would love the peanut butter/banana flavor. 🙂
Lori says
I would love too hear how this product works for storm phobia.
I have a senior ACD that shakes and hides during storms. We do use a cannabis treat, which does help, but these sound safer and the research seems more thorough than the product we use.
He also had the start off arthritis in visas neck.
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Lori. In my personal case, Chester and Gretel do not have severe storm phobia so I am probably not much help there. Chester does get anxious though and I feel like CBD helps him to mellow out.
Amy A says
This is such a great idea for a product and love that you did your research on oil and found a company that seems great. I think my pups Nala and Cody would love the blueberry and cranberry flavor as well as the peanutbutter banana.
Em Mahr says
I think my dog would love to try the Peanut Butter Banana CBD Hemp Oil Edibites
Anacani Carrera says
Fantastic article with such amazing information. My boyfriend & I took our little one, Baker, to Sasquatch this weekend. When we got home he was just beat, despite all the water I had him drink. The fact that CBD also helps dogs astounded me. I’m sure if I had given him a treat at least once during our trip, he wouldn’t have slept for days trying to get muscle recovery. Such great information to have in handy, that’s for sure! Thanks for sharing this, and thanks for hosting such a rad giveaway!
Jessica Rhae says
I didn’t know dogs were allowed at Sasquatch. Did they let you bring Baker inside (or did you sneak him in?). That’s a lot of time he’s not sleeping around the house (I know my dogs sleep at least half of the day when we are at home) so he probably would have still slept for a long time. Maybe he wouldn’t have needed to sleep so much though and wouldn’t be sore from all of the walking and playing.
Anacani Carrera says
You’re right, they’re not. But the Dude is my therapy dog (for anxiety & PTSD), so he tends to be attached at my hip in dense public places. He and another service dog were the only ones there, so he had a lot of stimuli from people around him. We actually only stayed away from home for one night, solely cause I didn’t want to cause him any discomfort of not being in his comfort zone. Same with me, though. After being away from familiar places for too long my anxiety goes through the roof. So we kept our trip short. You’re right, all the walking, running, meeting the other service dog, meeting people, etc. was definitely a lot for him. Festivals aren’t out of the norm for him, but the area and temperature definitely was! I’m so glad I had water on me at all times to hydrate him.
Jessica Rhae says
Ah, yes. That makes sense. I’m glad you guys have fun.
Susan P. says
My guys would like the Peanut Butter-Banana or Blueberry-Cranberry CBD Hemp Edibites.
Sandy Weinstein says
i would love to try these. thank you. i think i would like the Blueberry-Cranberry and Kale-Carrot,
Julie says
He would so love the peanut butter!
Rebekah says
Such an interesting concept. My dogs would likely enjoy the blueberry-cranberry or peanut butter-banana bites the most.
Helga says
Kale and Carrot sounds good to my doxie, Sully. He loves carrots.
KateV says
The blueberry/cranberry.
Gabrielle says
My dog is crazy for veggies, so I think he’d love the Kale and Carrot edibles.
molly says
With out a doubt my dogs would love the Peanut Butter Banana. They love the nutty flavor of peanut butter and banana is one of their favorite fruits.
Christine Aiello says
I think Coco would like to try the Carob and Coconut Flavor. She loves coconut.
Linda says
Yum! I think peanut butter would be his favorite.
Emily Endrizzi says
I think my pups would most enjoy rhe Carob Coconut CBD Hemp Oil Edibites.
Andrea @ This Pug Life says
Your posts about CBD for dogs have been so informative! My guys would love to try the Blueberry-Cranberry flavor.
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks. I try to pack all of the information I’ve found into them but I still feel like I am missing some. I plan to write more in the future 🙂
Daniel Scott says
My dogs come running when I unscrew the peanut butter lid. I know they would go crazy for the peanut butter and banana flavor.
Emily Farrington says
Headed over to order some right now. Thanks for your additional article about these treats and items.
Ian says
I greatly appreciate your post. Given my Pomeranian has IVDD in his neck, I can relate to your worries. I used another CBD oil provider in the past and found it made all the difference in my dog. I’m about to order another bag.
After reading your article, I was very interested in trying releaf. I would have ordered from their site but I’m weary of a provider who says they do third party testing, yet they don’t post the results of their results to the public. I have found my other provider to be much more transparent about their research.
This concerns me about pursuing this product. I’m a big believer of proving it instead of saying it. Be careful dog lovers.
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Ian. It’s always good to be skeptical and ask questions. In this case, they list the guaranteed CBD levels on the label of the treats. If you meant that you want to see the scientific test results on every single batch run, I am not aware of any company that posts those for the public on their site. Are you saying the company you use does that?
Jaye says
HI Jessica! I use CBD Oil for myself and the company I order from Entourage Hemp posts their Certificate of Analysis for every product. Darn they don’t have canine CBD Oil. I think I’ll have to suggest they make canine treats?!?
Jessica Rhae says
It takes a significant investment of time and resources to formulate an effective and healthy CBD dog treat. I might suggest going with a company that has already done all of the research and produced treats. Two of my favorites – very knowledgeable and the treats were more effective than others on Chester and Gretel – are Pet Releaf (first choice) and Treatibles. I am not sure about Treatibles but Pet Releaf also tests their treats for guarunteed CBD content and makes that information available. Good luck.
charlotte says
I have three Standard Poodles, my oldest Jade 13, is having some serious problems with kidney counts and nothing is making her better and her weight is just falling off. I am going to try, the Blueberry-Cranberry CBD Hemp Edibites and the oil and pray it helps keep the quality of her life stable>> she is not in pain thank God. One of my face book Standard Poodle friends also has an elderly Standard this has helped and the moment I read that I rushed here and ordered, pray they will be here this week and give Jade additional support. I am grateful for all prayers and good thoughts
Happy New Year everyone and bless your beloved pets,
Charlotte, Jade, Issabella and Ava
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Charlotte. I’m sorry to hear about Jade. I understand your pain. It’s for a different reason but Chester has been losing a lot of weight lately. He is not in pain either, and seems in good spirits, but it’s hard to watch our babies “waste away”. Trying the CBD certainly can’t hurt. It affects all dogs a little differently so I hope that it can provide some, at least temporary, relief. I hope you can get the issue figured out. We’re sending good thoughts your way.
Lois says
I just bought 2 bags for our dogs as they get very nervous around the fireworks going off around this time of year. These worked well for all the dogs. They really liked the taste and could have cared less about the fireworks going off around us. I tried another brand the night before and they had no effect. I love these and will be giving them to our babies from now on.
My only issue is the price and availability. I was in Philly yesterday where I found them and I live about a half hour away (and not an easy drive and parking is a nightmare) but the people who sell them are willing to ship.
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Lois. I am glad CBD is helping your pup. Unfortunately, price is a big issue for CBD in general. $30 to $45 for a bag of treats are not uncommon. Considering that my dogs need a double dose in very stressful situations, that bag is lucky to last us a month. My pocketbook says ouch. I have also found Vetriscience Composure chews to be effective in some situations and they are cheaper than CBD. I sometimes will give the dogs a combination of the two so I can stretch the use of the CBD out longer.
Lindsay says
Jessica, I found your info on CBD treats and oil helpful. I’m thinking of ordering the Pet Release CBD oil for my dog Ace to potentially decrease his pain related to arthritis. I sure hope it helps him!
Vita says
We have a senior chihuahua with a degenerative disc disease in her spine. Usually she is perscribed Previcox. Just this week she had a flare up and I bought the Releaf brand banana and peanut butter treats, as well as the drops. When I left work she would not lift her head or get out of bed. When I came home and gave her 1 treat and 1/2 dropper of oil with a little wet food, within 1 hour she was walking around and wagging her tail. We are taking her to the vet in the morning but I wanted something to help in the mean time and I am so glad I tried these products. I am a believer of the healing properties of cannabis and its byproducts and this is no different. We will deifnitely have it on hand to help with her pain.
Jessica Rhae says
Thanks for sharing your experience. That’s wonderful news.
Mallory says
Hi Jessica, do you know if this oil is suitable for cats as well?
Jessica Rhae says
Yes, Pet Releaf CBD is also ok for cats: https://petreleaf.com/product-category/cats. They don’t have edible treats for cats yet though (their website says coming soon). Here is the oil for dogs and cats: https://petreleaf.com/product/hemp-oil
Annie says
I wonder if the benefits are the same for cats.
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Annie. I believe the results are similar. Pet Releaf as a product for cats, and information about giving it to them, on their website.