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In all animals, it turns out that an endogeneous cannabinoid system (aka endocannabinoid system) is involved in numerous physiological and neuropsychological functions – affecting the animal’s overall health (including sickness and pain).
Interestingly, all animals have an endocannabinoid system, not just humans. This
includes mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and even a few invertebrates. Some experts infer an evolutionary significance between natural selection and the presence of an endocannabinoid system. Regardless, the endocannabinoid system in all animals can be regulated by endogeneous compounds (“from within”) – such as 2AG or anadamide, or by exogoneous compounds (from outside), such as those that are derived from cannabis, namely THC or CBD.
The endocannabinoid system is intimately involved with a wide variety of biological processes, including (but not limited to) sleep, appetite, and mood. Scientists have identified two major receptor types involved with the endocannabinoid system, the CB1 
and CB2 receptors – and current work suggests that there may be more CB-type receptors. In all animals, the CB1 receptor is largely concentrated in the brain, while the CB2 receptor is more densely focused in the peripheral tissues of the immune system, the gastrointestinal system, as well as other organs throughout the body. Scientists have discovered that THC is a mixed agonist for CB1 and CB2 receptors – in other words, THC can activate both of these receptors. In contrast, CBD has little affinity at the CB1 and CB2 receptors. More recently, it has been demonstrated that CBD can stimulate different classes of receptors – the vanilloid pain receptors, anenosine receptors, serotonin receptors, and can inhibit the uptake of an endogenous cannabinoid anadamide by suppressing the enzyme – fatty acid amide hydroxylase (aka FAAH). These discoveries shed light on the efficacy of CBD as a pain relieving and anti-inflammatory therapeutic compound.
As with a lot of medical discoveries, research on the endocannabinoid system was/is largely performed on other animals – such as mice, rats, etc. because they have an endocannabinoid system. The suggestion that other animals may benefit from cannabis therapeutics, by consequence – is very real.
A specific example, epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder often found in dogs. This condition can be expressed by recurrent seizures, worsening as the animal ages. Scientists know the endocannabinoid (EC) system plays a central role in suppressing pathologic neuronal excitability and in controlling the spread of activity in an epileptic network. Correlations have been observed with low/inadequate endocannabinoid production and these epileptic conditions. Because humans have found amazing efficacy with cannabidiol (CBD) and the mitigation of certain types of seizures – other animals may respond the same.
For pets, CBD can effectively be used as an anti-inflammatory agent, pain-relieving compound, and anti-epileptic – just as with humans. Administration of cannabinoids can occur via pulmonary routes (vaporizing or smoking), ingestion (eating), transdermal (absorption through the skin). It would be impossible to administer cannabis via smoking with animals, and even with ingestion – there are a multiple parameters that can affect drug delivery, such as: animal type, animal weight, metabolism differences, etc. As a result, dosing cannabinoids for animals in a consistent and precise manner cannot be done with inhalation or ingestion.
In contrast, using transdermal applications, this drug can be properly dosed on a wide variety of animals, assuming access to the skin can be achieved. Using transdermal methods, dosing of cannabis can be accurate and precise, eliminating the need to account for the various metabolic systems found in different animals.
Here are some safe and tested products for pets
References:
Di Marzo, Vincenzo, Maurizio Bifulco, and Luciano De Petrocellis. “The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation.” Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 3.9 (2004): 771-784.
Guindon, Josée, and Andrea G. Hohmann. “The endocannabinoid system and pain.” CNS & neurological disorders drug targets 8.6 (2009): 403.
Baker, David, et al. “The therapeutic potential of cannabis.” The Lancet Neurology 2.5 (2003): 291-298.
McPartland, John M., Geoffrey W. Guy, and Vincenzo Di Marzo. “Care and feeding of the endocannabinoid system: A systematic review of potential clinical interventions that upregulate the endocannabinoid system.” PloS one 9.3 (2014): e89566.
The Human Endocannabinoid System Chart – http://the-human-solution.org
