Holistapet Review

Welcome to our Holistapet review!

Eager for another round of anything peanut butter flavored, our panel of quadrupedal pet CBD samplers was put to work sampling several Holistapet oil tinctures, edibles, and other products.

As they did their part, we did ours, reviewing everything from Holistapet’s site to their supply chain.

As part of the review process, we had the pleasure of speaking with CEO Dareh Zadoorian, who filled in a lot of details for us.

Then, we plugged everything into our 27-point rating system, which awards points to CBD brands under the following categories:

• Quality
• Transparency
• Website Experience
• Customer Service
• Value
• Brand Value

According to our system, HolistaPet earned 80.1/100.

For a fully itemized breakdown of every ranking factor, we invite you to consult our How We Rate CBD Brands page. 

Here’s a quick look at some of our favorite Holistapet products before we continue with introductions and the review itself.

How Holistapet Got Started

The company now known as Holistapet (est. 2017) was initially a cannabis manufacturing company selling edibles, flower, and other cannabis products, per CEO Dareh.

It didn’t take long for the original leadership team – several of whom were/are seasoned digital marketers – to notice a disconnect between the daily tidal wave of “pet CBD” search queries and the sparse selection of high-quality pet CBD brands.

Over time, what started out as an observation morphed into a more serious pursuit, eventually culminating in the founding of Holistapet in 2017.

When asked to summarize the company’s mission, the CEO told us that Holistapet wants to provide a quality wellness product for pets at a very affordable rate. 

“Pets are often the first ‘child’ young couples bring into the world,” Dareh told us, adding, “We spend more on pets than ourselves, just like we would with a kid.”

What Makes Holistapet Unique?

Bolstered by their deep digital marketing roots, the Holistapet team has made a point to build and expand their brand almost exclusively with in-house talent, a model that has allowed for their staying power as a top five or better pet CBD brand.

Considering how many competing brands have expert formulators, pharmacists, and other medical science professionals on staff, the second differentiator they informed us of is a crucial one: the Holistapet veterinary advisory board.

The board is comprised of six highly qualified VMDs, who range in specialties from veterinary dermatology to neurology.

Our Holistapet Review

After sampling and reviewing several Holistapet products (well, our dogs did the sampling), doing our own research on the brand, testing their site and customer support services, and speaking with the CEO, we put our heads together to produce a comprehensive rating for the brand.

As a reminder from previous reviews, each major criterion (quality, transparency, etc.) is valued between 7.5 and 35 points, contributing to an overall score of 100. 

Like always, we will begin with the most heavily weighted category: quality. 

Quality

Max score = 35 points.
Holistapet = 32.5 points.

Simply grading on end product quality alone would only capture a sliver of the total user experience.

For example, everything from product packaging to hemp industry certifications can add to or detract from said quality.

As such, we make sure to leave no box unchecked in this department.

Product Quality

The first thing we noticed was the labeling, which not only provided dosage recommendations as a function of animal weight/size, but also outlined starting, regular, and “strong” serving sizes for owners ramping up as their pets accommodated.

Additionally, our treats and tinctures were labeled with basic product info, warnings, supplement facts, and the all-important QR code (providing access to lab reports).

As for ingredients, Holistapet uses zero refined sugars or harsh preservatives of any kind and plenty of natural/organic ingredients, which was evident in all our sampled products as well as those we reviewed online.

Holistapet’s hemp is sourced from Colorado farmers, and the brand offers every formulation type we look for: some permutation of “relief,” “rest,” and “active.”

Finally, the Holistapet product catalog includes all three hemp extract types: full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate.

Testing and Certification

Holistapet sends their products to CannaSafe, an ISO-17025-accredited third-party lab that accurately verifies the cannabinoid content in each product batch.

Considering CannaSafe’s pedigree in the cannabis industry, their certification, and the fact that they’re consulted by Holistapet at all, we awarded the brand full points for product testing.

Extraction Method

The hemp supplier that Holistapet works with (Colorado-based Cloud Farms) uses CO2 to remove cannabidiol and other cannabinoids from the hemp plant.

Since CO2 is widely regarded as the safest and most effective extraction method in the CBD industry because it leaves behind very small amounts of this non-toxic solvent, we’ve awarded full points for extraction as well.

Transparency

Max score = 12.5 points.
Holistapet = 6.875 points.

Especially when it’s a customer’s first point of contact, making them dig for basic information conveys a sense of untrustworthiness – not to mention the hassle.

We don’t expect brands to share every minute detail, but customers should at least have access to certificates of analysis, (ample) product information, an introduction to the brand itself, and a general outline of the supply chain.

Info Accessibility

While we credited Holistapet with making the wise decision to have all of their product batches tested with a well-reputed lab, we docked a significant amount of points for how the CBD brand relayed the testing results.

Specifically, the decision to only display the cannabinoid profile to site visitors and none of the residual solvent, pesticide, or toxin reports is concerning.

As such, we made a significant deduction in COA accessibility.

They fared much better in the arenas of product information and general brand info accessibility, however, thanks to their ample product and “about us” pages.

Supply Chain Transparency

Holistapet was more transparent than most brands about their supply chain; they promptly informed us of every step in the chain and their relationship with their supplier.

We only made a small deduction here because the customer-facing copy didn’t capture multiple points of the supply chain (we don’t expect a super detailed breakdown, but at least 2-3 important steps). 

Website Experience

Max score = 7.5 points.
Holistapet = 7 points.

No matter how deep a particular brand’s institutional and/or technical knowledge runs, if they can’t cleanly and conveniently package their value for all customers to see, business will suffer.

So long as the site design isn’t ugly/outdated to the point of distraction, for our purposes, the ecommerce experience (product navigation and purchasing) and site content (educational resources) are more important to the CBD consumer’s experience.

Product Navigation and Purchasing

All of Holistapet’s product pages are easy to access and navigate, both on an individual level and when browsing through their entire catalog.

Each product page contains more than enough information, going beyond product specs into more expansive explanations of specific ingredients, purported benefits, and more.

We were able to quickly select items and place them in the cart without the hassle of unnecessary upsell pages or a convoluted checkout process.

Site Content

Together, the Holistapet blog, product pages, dosing chart, and help center form a solid knowledge base, but there’s no centralized “CBD University” section to provide a flowing sequence of beginner-friendly material (e.g., here’s how the endocannabinoid system works, how CBD interacts with it, etc.).

Since much of this information is still available after some skipping around, we applied a small-to-medium deduction here. 

Customer Service

Max score = 10 points.
Holistapet = 9.125 points.

The quality and responsiveness of a brand’s customer support services can make or break their reputation for several reasons.

This is an area where brands can follow through on their claims and convert casual one-off purchasers into loyal customers.

As such, we award brands for the number of services they offer, how responsive these services are, and how flexible/accommodating their shipping and return policies are. 

Contact Options and Responsiveness

Holistapet provides the three customer support services we look for: phone, email, and chat.

After testing all three, we found them prompt and highly accommodating, as we received helpful responses to all our questions within minutes (email) or less.

Shipping and Return Policies

On top of the 30-day money back guarantee, a standard we uphold as a requirement for a perfect score in this area, Holistapet adds a fifteen-day grace period because they “don’t like strict rules either.”

There’s no fee for returns, and standard shipping (6-9) days is free.

Needless to say, Holistapet scores very well for shipping and return policies as well as all other customer support services.

Value

Max score = 10 points.
Holistapet = 9 points.

Since true value is not just the price, but the ingredient quality as well, we’ve made sure to equally weigh both of these factors so that cheaper and more expensive brands both have an opportunity to score well in this category.

Note: In the case of pet brands, we assume that pets need roughly one third the amount of CBD as humans do for any given month, so what may seem like a high price per milligram (of CBD) for a human CBD product may still be considered competitive for pet CBD.

Pricing and Ingredient Quality

 When using their 600mg CBD Oil Tincture for Dogs and Cats as a model, a month’s worth of Holistapet CBD for a medium-sized dog cost $58.95.

This earns the brand an impressive 90/100 for raw price, and since the majority of their products contain human-grade ingredients, L-theanine, tryptophan, and other enhancers, Holistapet also earns 90/100 for ingredient quality relative to price.

Brand Value

Max score = 25 points. 
Holistapet = 15.625 points.

Brand value can get a little subjective, but we define it as the total impact a particular CBD brand has on the CBD industry and local/global communities.

This encompasses many factors, such as product innovation, community and industry involvement, legislative activism, general philanthropy, and more.

Product Innovation and Supplier Oversight

Not having tried it, we can’t swear by its effectiveness, but the fact that Holistapet is the first brand we’ve seen to offer well-reviewed, CBD-infused catnip spray counts for product innovation.

Moreover, the brand uses “nano CBD” in the spray, which purportedly absorbs at a much higher efficiency than conventional CBD.

The CBD-infused dog shampoo also differentiates the brand from many of their competitors.

Since Holistapet partners exclusively with a reliable supplier (Colorado-based Cloud Farms), and since they own the rest of the supply chain (manufacturing, fulfillment, sales/marketing, etc.), we’ve awarded 90/100 points for this criterion.

Finally, the Holistapet team’s institutional knowledge runs very deep in the digital marketing, sales, and business leadership categories.

CEO Dareh has accrued experience in the healthcare, logistics, and hospitality industries, opportunities that afforded him the ability to work directly with patients, lead sales teams, and develop his managerial/sales skills along the way.

Moreover, sales and Marketing Executive Mark Fidelman brings a wealth of ecommerce experience to the brand, including the management of hundreds of millions of marketing dollars for multiple sizable brands.

Community, Research, and Legislative Investment

Cheef Holdings, Holistapet’s parent company, owns and operates another pet hemp brand, leaving a larger footprint on the pet CBD industry that earned them some credit under this category.

As for community-level involvement, Holistapet is fairly active, volunteering for several pet shelters and adoption centers, the SPCA of LA, individual events and donations, and more.

We also love to see pet brands that send products to anxious dogs at no-kill shelters, which Holistapet does.

They have not yet completed any studies, but they intend to follow that avenue after the COVID-19 pandemic is further subdued.

On the legislative side, Holistapet has done some lobbying and support to amend the PACT act, which significantly reworked legal requirements for companies looking to ship vaping products.

Overall, Holistapet has made a strong showing of support for their customers as well as local/global populations in various ways, but they did lose some credit on the research and legislative/regulatory activism front.

Our Holistapet Overall Rating

All totaled, Holistapet earned an overall rating of 80.125/100.

Here’s a quick summary of the highlights from our review:

• High product and hemp sourcing quality.
• Strong customer service
• Smooth ecommerce experience
• Affordable, human-grade pet CBD products

We were most impressed with how Holistapet almost aced the quality category, a less common occurrence for pet CBD brands.

In order to improve their score for future review updates, Holistapet could make key adjustments to their site copy (transparency), participate more actively in research and legislative activism.

Considering the high product quality/safety and the overwhelmingly positive response from online reviewers as well as our own testers, we’re comfortable recommending Holistapet to any pet owner striving to enhance wellness for their little (or not so little) companion. 

Holistapet Product Reviews

Concentration

This product is available in 150mg/0.5oz, 300mg/0.5oz, 600mg/1oz, 1200mg/1oz, and 3000mg/2oz concentrations.

Following is the cannabinoid breakdown according to the certificate of analysis (COA) for the 150mg tincture we sampled:

• CBD: 199.9mg
• Delta-9 THC: 6.8mg
• CBG: 3.4mg
• CBC: 2.9mg
• CBDV: 1.4mg

The ratio of CBD to supporting cannabinoids is roughly 14:1, which is fairly strong for a pet product; had they not over-delivered so strongly on the CBD, the ratio would be closer to our preferred 10:1. 

Overall, this product outperforms on all fronts: CBD, THC, and supporting cannabinoids.

Value

Here are the prices—including price-per-milligram—for each available concentration of this CBD Oil Tincture for Pets:

• 150mg: $25.95 ($0.17/mg)
• 300mg: $39.95 ($0.13/mg)
• 600mg: $58.95 ($0.10/mg)
• 1200mg: $79.95 ($0.07/mg)
• 3000mg: $144.95 ($0.05/mg)
  

For premium hemp products, we consider anything at or below the $0.10/mg cutoff to be a strong value.

Since Holistapet customers don’t have to purchase more than 1000mg of this CBD oil tincture to dip below this cutoff, we’re considering the product to be a solid value.

Packaging

Our 150mg tincture bottle came in a small box, and despite the very limited space for labeling (it’s a 0.5oz bottle), we were able to quickly glean basic product info, supplement facts, and even dosage recommendations on both bottle and box.

The bottle also features a QR code for accessing lab reports.

The dropper lid secured snugly every time, and worked efficiently throughout our use of the product.

Ingredients 

Here is the ingredient list according to our product label: CBD, hemp seed oil, hemp extract.

Though not as botanically enriched as some of the edibles, this minimalistic formulation is as clean as it gets, allowing the full-spectrum extract to do the talking with no artificial anything.

Taste 

As with every case, our canine testers were a little tentative when first trying this product, but the real deciding factor comes about 30 seconds after the initial sniff test: dinner time.

Sure enough, each tester wolfed down their food as usual with no issue after we added this oil.

Effectiveness

This tincture seemed to work a lot better on smaller, more vocal dogs—or at least the differences were more apparent.

For a few golden hours after giving this oil to our normally yippy Dachshund, we enjoyed complete silence, no matter how many motorists committed the grievous offense of driving past his house. 

We also noticed a subtle difference in the willingness of each tester to play at the park and interact (peacefully) with passersby.

Pros & Cons

Let’s start with the pros:

• Affordable
• Clean ingredient list
• Effective for hyper/vocal dogs

And now the cons:

• No enhancers (L-theanine, added terpenes, etc.)

Concentration

This product comes in 150mg, 300mg, and 600mg concentrations, all of which are available in 30-count tubs.

Here is the cannabinoid breakdown according to the COA for the 150mg tub of CBD Calming Chews for Dogs that we sampled (per piece):

• CBD: 4.7mg
• CBC: 1.4mg
• CBN: 0.5mg
• CBDV: 0.3mg

Though the CBD content should be 5mg per piece for this 150mg/30-count product, we were impressed to see such a low ratio of CBD to supporting cannabinoids (just over 2:1). 

Value

Here are the prices for each concentration of this product, price per milligram included:

• 150mg: $29.95 ($0.20/mg)
• 300mg: $39.95 ($0.13/mg)
• 600mg: $64.95 ($0.11/mg)

Generally, edibles fortified with non-CBD ingredients (like tryptophan and chamomile) are reasonably more expensive than CBD-only tinctures, a trend reflected here.

Still, $0.13/mg or less for anything larger than the smallest size is fairly competitive.

Packaging

These chews came in a darkly tinted tub complete with a screw-on lid.

The lid was very easy to quickly secure and remove, and the labeling contained an above-average amount of supportive information, including dosage recommendations.

Ingredients

Here’s the ingredient list for these CBD Dog Treats: Tryptophan (from almonds), chamomile, choline chloride, phosphatidylcholine, broad-spectrum hemp extract CBD, ascorbic acid, blackstrap molasses, calcium propionate, chickpea flour, coconut oil, glycerin, mixed tocopherols, peanut butter, peanut flour, sunflower lecithin, sweet potato powder, tapioca flour, water.

As usual, we found no harsh preservatives, refined sugar, or other harmful ingredients in this edible. 

Taste

Unsurprisingly, peanut butter flavoring claims yet another victory over even the most selective of our canine testers, easily winning all of them over on the first try.

Without question, these edibles and the Stress and Anxiety CBD Dog Treats (see below) were the most readily received by our testers, none of whom gave so much as a second sniff before devouring each dose.

Effectiveness

Our smaller tester experienced a bit of GI distress for a few hours after his first couple of doses, but this issue resolved on day three.

Otherwise, the results were very similar to the tincture; all testers demonstrated calmer behavior and a greater willingness to participate in situations that would normally make them anxious.

Thanks to this yin and yang (calming effect + increasing engagement), we found the edibles to be moderately effective for both vocal/hyperactive and older, more lethargic dogs. 

Pros & Cons

Let’s start with the pros:

• Very popular among all testers.
• Affordable for the quality.
• Effective for nervous and lethargic dogs alike.

And now the cons:

• Caused gastrointestinal distress in a few cases.

Concentration

These green apple and peanut butter CBD Dog Treats + Stress and Anxiety Relief are available in 150mg, 300mg, and 600mg concentrations (all in 30-count bags).

According to the certificate of analysis for our 150mg (30 x 5mg) product, each piece contained 4.8mg of cannabidiol, and no other cannabinoids were detected, including several variants of THC.

Again, we see a slight shorting of cannabidiol, which is a little less justifiable this time around because of the lack of supporting cannabinoid content.

However, Holistapet does make up some serious ground on the non-CBD ingredient front (see ingredients heading below).

Value

Here are the retail prices for each of the three concentrations of this product, complete with per-milligram breakdowns:

• 150mg: $26.95 ($0.18/mg)
• 300mg: $34.95 ($0.12/mg)
• 600mg: $64.95 ($0.11/mg)

This product is very close to the CBD Calming Soft Chews reviewed above in terms of pricing-hence, we consider it competitively priced.

Packaging

The seal included with this pouch is by no means flimsy or inconsistent, and Holistapet did well to use most of the space on this larger bag, providing the following pieces of information:

• Itemized breakdown of L-Theanine, chamomile, and other ingredients
• A list of purported benefits of CBD
• Dosage guide based on weight
• Paragraph summary about the product

Overall, we give Holistapet top marks for both the durability of the packaging and the breadth of information presented thereon. 

Ingredients

Here’s the ingredient list for these CBD Dog Treats + Stress and Anxiety Relief: L-theanine, chamomile, hemp seed powder, CBD oil, peanut butter, organic applesauce, brown rice flour, molasses, cinnamon, coconut oil.

Taste

These treats were in the same category as the peanut-butter-flavored soft chews reviewed above; all of our testers readily snapped them up after a very brief investigation.

By far, this product and the soft chews were the most well-received.

Effectiveness

It took three or four treats (reminder: our particular concentration was 5mg of CBD each) to see any effects, but when we reached this therapeutically relevant threshold, we noticed a moderate reduction in nervous behavior throughout our canine testing panel.

It may be a little more difficult for pet owners to discern the difference if their dogs don’t regularly show signs of anxiety (scratching furniture, excessive chewing, pacing, etc.), but since our dogs have all been touched with their share of anxiety, the benefits were readily apparent.

Specifically, we noticed less whimpering and pacing when strangers approached the house, less scratching furniture when we left the dog(s) home to run errands, and finally, the most precious commodity of all: silence.

Best of all, these treats ran their natural course without any unexpected departures or delays.

Pros & Cons

Let’s start with the pros:

• Effective for moderating nervous behavior
• Clean formulation + herbal enhancers
• Affordable for the quality

And now the cons:

• CBD content falls short of label claim (our product batch)
• No supporting cannabinoids detected

Recommended Products

All Holistapet Products

The Holistapet product catalog covers a lot of ground, including multiple pet types (dog, cat, horse), the three major extract types, three formulations, and five product types.

Here are the CBD product types currently offered by Holistapet:

• Oil Tinctures
• Capsules
• Edibles
• Topicals
• Miscellaneous

Whittling down their offerings even more to accommodate pets of different sizes, many Holistapet products come in a broad range of concentrations, and the brand does an excellent job recommending dosage levels based on each animal’s size.

As usual, we’ll start the full catalog breakdown with CBD oil.

CBD Oil

Holistapet customers can choose between a full-spectrum CBD oil for dogs and cats (available in five concentrations), a full-spectrum CBD oil for horses, and a CBG-infused (full-spectrum) oil for dogs and cats.

Each non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free tincture is enhanced with 100% natural ingredients and no additives or preservatives.

Finally, the range of concentrations is very broad, starting from 150mg and ramping up to 75000mg.

Best Use: CBD oil tinctures are often the preferred method for pet owners because this product type allows them the flexibility to drizzle the oil over the pet’s food while still allowing for consistent dose measuring.

CBD Capsules

Available in five concentrations ranging from 150mg to 3000mg, Holistapet’s CBD capsules were designed to provide cats and dogs of all sizes with a 100% natural, full-spectrum CBD extract.

Like their other offerings, this non-GMO, gluten-free, and dairy-free product contains no additives or preservatives, and is enhanced with organic superfoods.

Best Use: In the pet CBD context, capsules are often the preferred choice for owners whose pets are more sensitive to the hemp taste and smell. 

Edibles

Edibles are extremely popular in the pet CBD space because they can disguise the hemp taste effectively and placate pickier palates while still providing easily measurable doses. 

Fittingly, Holistapet’s pet CBD edibles category constitutes more than half of their entire offering, giving pet owners tons of options for their cat, dog, or horse.

Once again, this product category steers clear of refined sugars, fillers, preservatives, and other potentially harmful ingredients.

Best Use: Edibles are often the easiest approach for pets who are hesitant to try oil tinctures or capsules, and they still allow for consistent dose measuring.

CBD Topicals

For obvious reasons, absorption becomes a more pressing issue when it comes to pet CBD topicals, but there are ways to enhance absorption for even the shaggiest of pets.

One way is to simply add water, which is why we like to see products like Holistapet’s CBD-infused shampoo.

Best Use: A well-engineered pet CBD topical will nourish your pet’s coat and skin while delivering cannabidiol directly to the tissue for fast quick results.

Miscellaneous

If ever there were a pet CBD product worthy of the “miscellaneous” category, it would be nano-CBD-infused catnip spray.

That’s right, CBD-infused catnip spray—learn more below.

Conclusion

Holistapet has delivered a series of high-quality, herbally-infused products to the pet CBD market.

Overall, we had a positive experience with the brand, and our testers demonstrated several improvements in mood and activity level after trying a few of the brand’s products.

We recommend Holistapet to any dog, cat, or horse owner looking to naturally support their pet’s physical and mental well-being.