You notice it when you’re filling the feed bucket. Your horse, normally the first to be at the stable door, will just hang back a moment, watching you rather than coming to the feed. It might have been a particularly busy day yesterday, the weather might have changed, or there might just be something different about the routine. You can’t quite put your finger on it at the time, but you know your animal well enough to know that it’s something that needs your attention.

Caring for an animal invariably involves getting to know the little details. You learn their idiosyncrasies, their likes and dislikes, their normal reactions to the world. If anything changes, you have a baseline against which to work and to ask questions. You may not always have an answer straight away, but attention is a vital part of good animal care.

No two animals are going to have exactly the same requirements. Their age, environment, previous experience, health, and level of activity are all going to have an effect on their welfare. The right approach starts with an understanding of the individual animal rather than with the assumption that one regime or one product is going to be right for them all.

Understanding What Your Animal Needs

An animal can’t explain that something is making it feel uncomfortable or that a situation it’s used to is now causing it stress. You have to work from the signs. Your dog may suddenly lose interest in something it’s always been interested in. Your horse may be reluctant to go into the trailer. An animal that normally devours its food may not touch it at all.

These changes don’t necessarily point to any one condition. Appetite, behavior, energy levels, and sleep can all be influenced by a whole range of things like environmental factors and other health issues. The key is to know what is normal for your animal so that you can spot when something is out of the ordinary and needs to be looked at further.

You can start by looking at the big picture. Has the daily routine changed? Is your animal getting sufficient, appropriate exercise, rest, nutrition, and socialization? Have there been any changes in the environment around it? Looking at the patterns that recur will go a long way to helping you explain your observations to the vet.

A Personal Approach to Animal Wellness

The idea that animals deserve individual consideration is at the heart of Mikko’s Choice, a small, woman-owned business,  which was started by Emma. It all came about through her own personal experiences, which had a massive impact on her views on health and animal care.

After breaking her back, Emma experienced the challenges of managing her own health while her dog was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has described cannabis as helping her move away from opioids. Cannabis was also instrumental is sending her dog’s cancer into remission for four years. These experiences shaped her interest in cannabis and its potential applications, although personal experiences cannot establish that CBD is an effective treatment for a particular condition.

Emma subsequently joined her brother’s medical cannabis delivery business in Los Angeles, gaining experience in the industry. Around 2015, she was also caring for Mikko, a rescue Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mustang who was extremely anxious. At the time, products intended for animals, particularly horses, were difficult to find.

Combining those experiences with her animal science degree, Emma decided to set up Mikko’s Choice. The name came from her horse and the idea that if an animal could choose a product that would make it feel better, it would choose that product. That remains the fundamental philosophy of the brand.

Looking at the Bigger Picture of Daily Care

Supplements can be part of an animal’s care regimen, but they cannot in any way replace the fundamentals. The right food, fresh water, opportunity to move, sufficient rest, environmental enrichment, and appropriate veterinary care are all still absolutely essential.

What these foundations look like will depend on the animal. A horse may benefit from suitable forage, regular movement, companionship, and an environment that accommodates its natural behaviors. A dog may need walks, play, mental stimulation, and predictable opportunities to rest.

A rescue animal going into a new home is going to need time, consistency, and patient handling. An older animal may require a different environment or a different level of activity. These are not interchangeable considerations, and a product that is appropriate for one animal may not be appropriate for another.

When you’re looking at a new wellness product, you need to consider it in the wider context. What is it actually for? What evidence is there for that use? Is it a sensible thing to do for your animal’s health? A discussion with your vet will help you to distinguish between sensible considerations and assumptions or marketing claims.

Understanding CBD Potency and Product Value

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound found in cannabis and hemp. There has been a growing interest in the use of CBD products for animals, though the scientific evidence for many of the proposed uses is still very limited, and the results can vary from species to species, formulation to formulation, and condition to condition. A product’s popularity or its concentration in no way establishes that it will achieve the desired outcome.

When you’re looking at CBD products, you have to look beyond the size of the bottle or the amount on the label. The total CBD content will tell you how much CBD is in the product. The concentration and the serving size will tell you how much CBD you’re getting in a given amount of product. The price per mg is another way of comparing products, though it doesn’t tell you whether the product is suitable or effective.

Mikko’s Choice is all about potency and formulation, with the view that a number of the competing products on the market actually offer very little CBD for the price. Their range is designed to deliver a high level of CBD. They also publish product information and comparison charts to help you understand the product.

Use the product information to ask better questions: How much CBD is in the product? How much is in the recommended serving? Is the stated amount verified by lab testing? Has a vet helped you work out whether CBD is appropriate for your animal?

Choosing a Practical Product Format

The way a product fits into your animal’s day-to-day routine will have a bearing on how convenient it is to use. Mikko’s Choice is available in a number of formats: liquid tincture and pellets, so that owners can experiment with the different formats depending on the product’s intended use and their animal’s situation.

The Mikko’s Choice CBD Tincture is a liquid formulation that can be measured, making it a format worth considering when precise measurement is important. The company describes it as suitable for small animals, while also noting that it can be used for livestock. Add the tincture to food/grain or put it on a treat. Its product information lists the CBD content and serving measurements, allowing you to examine the amount supplied in a measured serving. This tincture has 5,000 mg of CBD in the 60 ml bottle, which is 83 ml per 1 ml. Most competitors have 30 ml bottles with less than 1,000 mg in them, which is 34 mg per 1 ml. Mikko’s Choice prides itself on delivering more CBD per product and saving you money.

For livestock owners, Mikko’s Choice CBD Pellets offer a different format that can easily be incorporated into a feeding routine. The pellets are designed with livestock in mind, providing an alternative to liquid administration. Add the pellets to grain or give them by hand. There are two bag sizes: a 1lb and 3lb bag. Both are formulated so 2 scoops of the pellets deliver 100 mg of CBD. At this daily amount, the 1lb bag will last 32 servings, and the 3lb bag will last 96 servings. As with any supplement, however, you should confirm the product’s suitability for the particular species and intended use before introducing it.

Although the brand structures its products around certain animals and certain formats, that doesn’t mean that every formulation is in fact interchangeable across species. Animals will respond in different ways to CBD, and their safety profiles may be very different. Dosing is also something that needs to be considered carefully. Weight alone doesn’t necessarily dictate the correct CBD dose, and there is no one-size-fits-all dosing rule for every animal. The animal’s health status, species, formulation, and any other medication it may be on will all have an influence on the decision. Always consult your vet before giving CBD to your animal, especially if it has an existing health condition or is on medication. CBD can interact with certain drugs, and it’s important to have the risks assessed with your vet.

Looking Beyond the Label

Knowing what’s in the product is another key element in making an informed decision. The label, the manufacturing information, and independent laboratory reports can be of assistance in assessing what you’re actually buying.

Mikko’s Choice states their products are grown and manufactured in the US and are third-party tested. COAs (Certificates of Analysis) are available through the company website or product information and can be used to check cannabinoid content and view the results of the relevant laboratory tests.

When you’re looking at a COA,  make sure it’s for the product and batch you’re looking at. Check the cannabinoid levels reported and any contaminant testing that’s been done. If you’re not sure what the results mean, then ask the company or a professional to explain it to you.

Third-party testing is a useful quality consideration but doesn’t in any way prove that the product will be effective or safe for every animal. You still need to look at the evidence available, consider the intended use, and of course consult with your vet.

Extending Care Beyond Your Own Animals

Animal welfare extends well beyond the animals in your own home or stable. There are rescue groups and sanctuaries looking after animals that have been neglected, abandoned, or have otherwise suffered. The work of these organizations is vital, and they are very much reliant on the community to keep them going with the day-to-day running costs of food, accommodation, rehabilitation and vet bills.

Mikko’s Choice donates $5 from every sale to animal rescues and sanctuaries, with the recipient organizations rotating on a monthly basis. That’s another facet of the company’s approach to its work for you to take into account.

Choosing With Care

There is no one-size-fits-all formula for animal wellness. It all starts with knowing your animal’s normal behavior, being able to spot when something has changed, and then recognizing that a supplement is just one of the many things you might consider in the wider context.

When you’re back at that old stable door or just watching your dog settle down at the end of the day, you might still be asking yourself what your animal actually needs. But by being observant, by seeking out good advice, and by making your choices with care, you’ll be in a much better position to make those decisions in a considered way.