On most of our holiday gift lists, there is a category that was practically unheard of twenty years ago – gifts for the family furbabies. Whether it’s our own precious pitbull or Aunt Jane’s creaky fifteen year old cat, many of us have a whole lot of pets to buy for this season.

This year, why not make it something more meaningful than a generic chew toy, or a pet sweater? Why not give the gift of vibrant pet health? CBD tinctures for animals is the coming thing, and many vets actually recommend it for chronic conditions.

Why Does My Pet Need CBD?

CBD, or cannabidiol , is one of over a hundred plant compounds called cannabinoids that are found in cannabis or hemp. It’s related to THC, but not the same thing – it doesn’t have psychoactive properties or make you high. Human use of CBD is extremely popular for a lot of reasons, but pet use has taken off in recent years.

THC is bad for animals, but CBD is safe to use. It works by interacting with receptors in our endocannabinoid system. All mammals have an EC system, even some other animals like lizards have rudimentary versions.

And interestingly, while humans are big CBD users, most of the successful preliminary testing for CBD has actually been performed on animals.

Some of the potential benefits of CBD for animals include the following:

• Anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relieving) properties

• Mood stabilizing (may help animals with a lot of anxiety)

• Neuroprotective (guards against seizures)

Many pet owners use CBD for their older pets that have creaky, painful joints or for high anxiety animals. Others give it to their pets as a proactive, holistic solution to prolong health and wellness. In any case, a CBD tincture is easy to give – just squirt the appropriate dose into their food.

Talk to your vet about CBD. While not yet approved by the American Vet Association, many veterinarians are onboard with it, and can help you dosing instructions.

The Top 5 CBD Tinctures for Dogs

It’s incredibly important while shopping for CBD for your pets that you go with a reliable and trusted brand. The FDA doesn’t regulate CBD , and so the market is glutted with a lot of snake oil solutions that may not even contain any CBD at all.

To make your shopping easier, we’ve done the research for you. We’ve compiled a list of the top 5 CBD tinctures specifically designed for pets. These brands are well-established, well-reviewed, and offer independent third party testing on their products for potency and purity.

#1 Joy Organics Premium CBD Tincture for Dogs, Cats, and Pets

The CBD tincture for pets of Joy Organics is a USDA certified organic product formulated by a company that is well known for their quality and transparency. Their premium CBD is extracted from sustainably grown, domestic hemp and mixed only with organic olive oil for a pure and simple tincture. This broad spectrum CBD contains 0% THC, so it is completely safe for your pets.

The lab report for the product is right on the page – it’s third party tested for potency and purity. All of Joy Organics products are backed with a money back guarantee, and if you sign up for repeat purchase (every 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 weeks) you’ll get 30% off.

#2 Lazarus Naturals CBD Pet Tincture

Lazarus Naturals is another industry favorite, and offers pet tinctures in a variety of potencies to make dosing easy. There is even a wild salmon flavor available that uses only salmon oil for taste and a burst of healthy omega 3 oils. Like our top brand, they also offer third party test results right on the product page.

Lazarus Naturals does not have a subscription discount program, but they do offer an assistance program for qualifying applicants (low income, active service or military vets, or disability).

#3 NuLeaf Naturals Pet CBD Tincture

NuLeaf combines quality full-spectrum CBD with organic virgin hemp seed oil for a double hemp punch. Their pet tincture comes in a range of potencies from 300 to 800 mg per bottle, keeping in mind that pets come in all different sizes.

Their pet tincture is made from 100% organic ingredients (though not USDA certified), and displays third party test results to back their assurance of no added preservatives, emulsifiers, or flavors.

#4 CBDistillery Extra Strength Man’s Best Friend CBD Oil

A top brand at a lower price than most offerings, CBDistillery is great if you have multiple pets or just one pet that requires large doses. Their unflavored tincture is made from domestic industrial hemp with no additives, and is also 100% organic. Potencies range from 240 mg to 2425 mg per bottle.

Like all of our other picks, CBDistillery is completely transparent in their advertising. They offer third party tests for all products on their website.

#5 Charlotte’s Web Full Spectrum Hemp Extract Drops w/17 mg of CBD for Dogs

Charlotte’s Web has been a trusted name in CBD for years, and their products are held to a high quality standard. (You guessed it – they ALSO offer third party test results!) The pet formulation offers 17 mg of quality CBD extracted from U.S. grown hemp, as well as a full spectrum of plant-based cannabinoids.

It comes in unflavored, or an option flavored with natural chicken oil for the picky dog. It’s non-GMO, and free from additives, harsh chemicals, or pesticides. It’s quality tested 20+ times to ensure that your animal is getting the safest product available.

Pet CBD for the Holidays

Now that you know a little bit more about CBD and what it can do for your pets, why not take action? Don’t buy another predictable dog sweater for your furry loved one, but take it up a notch with the gift of vibrant health and wellness. As we all know, a happy pet makes for happy holidays.