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Review Summary
We give Pet Releaf® CBD products a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Pet Releaf makes health products for dogs and cats that use hemp extract (commonly called CBD) and other naturally sourced ingredients. They include oils, capsules, chews, and treats. Steve Smith, Alina Smith, and Chelsea Gennings started the company to provide a “less is more” choice for pet owners. In checking the ingredients of their products, I quickly detected a pattern of few ingredients, natural ingredients, and safe ingredients. Pet Releaf makes these products to be used by as many dogs and cats as possible with the lowest risk of negative effects.
Pet Releaf products are made in the United States in Colorado.
I found their products to be easy to use and dose, and my dogs loved some but not others. Read on for the story!
At a Glance: What We Reviewed
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Our Favorite
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Pet Releaf® Hip and Joint Releaf Hemp Edibites |
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Pet Releaf® Stress Releaf Hemp Edibites |
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Pet Releaf® Daily Releaf Hemp Oil |
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Pet Releaf® Professional Sentesa Tri-Active Formula |
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Pet Releaf® Skin and Paw Releaf Topical |
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Pet Releaf Products Reviewed
Who makes Pet Releaf Hemp Oils and Treats and where are they produced?
Pet Releaf is based out of Colorado and was founded by Steve Smith, Alina Smith, and Chelsea Gennings. Their products are formulated by or with the consultancy of veterinarians. The company was started in the early 2000s, and their products are made with hemp from sustainable American farms.
Which Types of Pets are Pet Releaf Hemp Oils and Treats Best Suited For?
Most Pet Releaf products are formulated specifically for dogs, although they make hemp oil for cats and their excellent Skin and Paw Relief topical works for either dogs or cats.
Discussion of the Primary Ingredients (Good & Bad)
The active ingredients in Pet Releaf products are right in line with their complementary and alternative approach to relieving pet anxiety and pain. For example, their Hip and Joint Releaf Edibites use D-Glucosamine HCl, Condroitin Sulfate, Noni, and Full Spectrum Hemp Extract. These ingredients have at least some evidence showing their efficacy for joint pain, and none are known to cause serious toxicity when used at appropriate doses and formulated well.
All the products I received contain ingredients similarly shown to help dogs feel better, with the central ingredient common to all the products being CBD and/or full spectrum hemp extract.
Pet Releaf uses plant-based inactive ingredients. I would be surprised if even the most conscientious pet owners found fault with things like organic barley flour, cultured rice flour, natural flavoring, organic vinegar, organic dried banana, etc.
The ingredients, active or otherwise, appear to be high quality.
My only complaint with the plant ingredients is that dogs that are used to eating a natural canine diet (that is, tending toward the carnivorous side of omnivorous) may find these treats unpalatable. The “peppered bacon flavor” did not fool my coon dog (she’s a Catahoula). There’s no bacon in it! If I were to buy a pack of these treats and my dog didn’t like them, it would be a bit of a pain to rub bacon grease or some other real meat flavor to get my dog to take them readily.
Third Party Lab Certification
One thing common in this industry is making it obvious, easy, and straightforward for the end consumer to look up the UPC or lot number for the product they purchased and see that a third-party laboratory has analyzed that lot of product and download a report of the contents. This is a good way to establish credibility with the end consumer.
Pet Releaf has certifications with the National Animal Supplement Council, the U.S. Hemp Authority, and some of their products have USDA organic certification. Many other manufacturers in the industry do not.
You can look at individual lab reports for products on the Pet Releaf website. It’s something that generally sets the hemp industry apart from large dog food companies, letting you know what’s in your lot of product as analyzed by a quality control laboratory you can call yourself.
A Quick Look at Pet Releaf Hemp Products
Reviews of the Pet Releaf Hemp Products We Tried
1. Pet Releaf Hip and Joint Releaf Hemp Edibites
Pet Releaf Hip and Joint Edibites come in a small plastic baggie. Each Edibite is small, relatively hard, and dogs find them chewy. I received a bag of the Peanut Butter and Banana Flavor. I was trepidatious about my dog’s receptiveness to this flavor as they usually prefer meat or fish based products, but my fears proved unfounded. Both my Catahoula and my Australian Shepherd found them delicious and considered them a treat.
As is the case with most hemp extract products, both dogs seemed calmer about 15 to 20 minutes after consumption. Neither of my dogs suffer from joint pain – and even if they did, some of the active ingredients in these bites take weeks or months to take full effect, so I was unable to test the efficacy of the joint-specific ingredients. That said, the glucosamine and chondroitin are the appropriate sorts to work per studies that have been done, and I have no doubt that if your dog stands to benefit from glucosamine and chondroitin, these chewables will do the job.
2. Pet Releaf Stress Releaf Hemp Edibites
We received the Peppered Bacon flavor. These are almost indistinguishable from the Hip and Joint Releaf Edibites save for the scent and (presumably) the flavor. They were only partly well received by my dogs despite being meat flavored. My Catahoula, Penny, did not like the flavor at all after a tentative sniff and lick test, and she rejected the treat. My Australian Shepherd, Luka, decided they were worth a chew after smelling and tasting. Again, both dogs seemed slightly more relaxed after consuming hemp.
Again, neither of my dogs are particularly stressed. They spend their days in a large half-acre run and are generally petted and loved with few worries or concerns. That said, they do have cattle to chase as they move up and down the fence against their run, and I’ve noted that instead of chasing cattle and barking at distant cars they tend to chill out after having CBD products. My guess is if they were particularly stressed, these CBD chewables would help.
3. Pet Releaf Daily Releaf Hemp Oil
Pet Releaf’s hemp oils seem particularly pleasant to the smell. I am never sure what the dogs think. Both my dogs are used to getting medications from me and generally tolerate administration of liquids and oils without a fuss, including CBD extracts. As with the other hemp extract products, both dogs showed signs of less agitation/excitement after administration. The glass dropper is well made and the markings showing dose are clearly marked and easy to use.
4. Pet Releaf Professional Sentesa Tri-Active Formula
This is Pet Releaf’s “Cadillac” formulation. It has premium ingredients and is designed to help dogs that struggle to walk or move without pain. The manufacturer has had these effects studied and the study found this formulation to be effective for improving happiness, energy, mobility, and calmness.
I wasn’t able to find the clinical study published by Pet Releaf, nor did it appear to be available on their website. It is described as a multicenter, double-blind, placebo study of 24 dogs. Having a background in analyzing studies, I feel compelled to note here that this is a tiny study group, and that the description of the product leads me to believe that the study results were obtained by subjective evaluation of the dog owners.
I do not believe that you should buy this extraordinarily expensive product because of any claims of this study being done or the results from that study. What I do think is that if your dog does suffer from painful mobility problems and if you are already spending money to treat those problems, you should consider trying Sentesa and see if it works. If the results you see first-hand are more compelling than standard CBD products or other therapies available for less money, then you know you’re getting your money’s worth.
I do not have a mobility-stricken dog on which to test this product’s claims, but the ingredients are fairly well studied and established and I believe it’s worth a test for a beloved pet’s comfort.
5. Pet Releaf Skin and Paw Releaf Topical
This is hands-down the best topical CBD formulation I have reviewed – and I have reviewed many of them. The smell, texture, melting point of the wax combination, and the visible improvement in dry dog paws/skin after application is just phenomenal. If your dog suffers from a dry nose, skin, or paws, you might be able to find a better product than this, but I have no idea what it would be.
Is it expensive? You bet. Are you getting what you pay for? Absolutely.
Our Experience With Pet Releaf Hemp Products
Of the dozens of CBD products for dogs I’ve reviewed and tried, Pet Releaf stands out for their dedication to quality ingredients (including inactive ingredients) and for the unique active ingredients used in some of their formulations (especially Sentesa). It’s easy to see the influence of having veterinarians involved in the formulation process and ingredient choice.
The packaging for the products is elegant and it is easy to determine the correct dose for your pet. The Edibites are very well formulated. They do not stick to the packaging or each other, are of uniform size and shape, and do not crumble or deform when handled. Dogs are able to chew them easily.
I did hit a few snags when I let my dogs test the Edibites. I blame the all-plant formulations. My dogs are both big meat eaters and often eat moose bones from the local farm store – they made it pretty clear they were not pleased I’d brought them plant-based bites instead of the usual. That said, they didn’t mind the peanut flavored bites.
The topical formulation “Skin and Paw Relief” was a special treat. It is well formulated, well packaged, and gives visible relief to dry paws and dry skin immediately when applied. The moisturizing/protective effects last for hours. I’m a hard sell on top-dollar products, but this is one of them I feel comfortable recommending at the list price. I fully believe the back of the bottle is correct when it says that this product can be used on a dog’s nose if it’s dry. It’s that gentle and easy to spread.
Final Verdict
Pet Releaf products are expensive, but well-formulated and offer some unique ingredient mixtures that I’m not aware you can get anywhere else. The Sentesa product is particularly intriguing and if you have a mobility-stricken dog that is not getting relief from drugs or those drugs are causing intolerable side effects, it may be worth buying a bottle to get them some relief. Their hemp Edibites and hemp oils are as good or better than any others I’ve bought or received for review, and for those dog owners who want plant-based formulations they are an excellent choice.
Pet Releaf is clearly devoted to quality and has taken the time and expense to earn numerous certifications from the organizations governing the quality of the product lines they offer. Their topical product is fantastic, going from a solid formulation to almost a warm butter-like texture as you spread it on your dog’s paws and skin.
I recommend them for consideration as a general source of CBD products for dogs and highly recommend dog owners whose dogs are mobility stricken consider their Sentesa products. Dog owners whose dogs suffer from dry nose, paws, or skin will be very happy with their Skin and Paw Releaf.
