CBD for Pets

CBD AND PETS
You might use cannabidiol, or CBD, to manage pain, reduce anxiety, help you relax or improve your sleep quality. Did you know that you can administer CBD to your dog for many of the same purposes? CBD is a holistic remedy that has therapeutic benefits for many of your four-legged friends.

Can You Give Cannabis to Your Dog?

With the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana spreading across the U.S., you may read scary stories about marijuana intoxication in pets. Consuming marijuana is rarely fatal for dogs. However, it can produce adverse effects, such as poor balance, hyperactivity and strange vocalizations. Cannabis for dogs is a controversial topic. More than ever, THC is poisoning dogs. However, THC is only one of the cannabinoids found in marijuana. When most people refer to dosing their dogs with cannabis, they’re referring to low-THC strains or CBD oil. The type of CBD oil that’s legal across the nation is made from industrial hemp. It may contain trace amounts of THC, but many companies remove all of the THC from the products. CBD is prohibited for sale in many states if it contains more than 0.3 percent THC. This makes a difference because THC is the cannabinoid that intoxicates you. It produces the mind-altering effects that make you feel euphoric or high. CBD will not make you high. Although it is similar to THC, it works differently in the body. Therefore, it can positively impact your dog’s health without making Fido feel funny. In other words, you don’t have to worry about poisoning or negative consequences when you use CBD oil for your dog. It doesn’t contain enough THC to produce adverse effects.

Why Your Vet Can’t Prescribe CBD?

Although you’re probably tempted to check with your veterinarian before giving CBD to your dog, you might be met with a blank stare. Many veterinary professionals aren’t familiar with CBD and don’t understand how it’s different from marijuana. Those that understand that CBD can be a beneficial treatment tend to use holistic and alternative approaches to pet care. This doesn’t mean that you should avoid talking to your veterinarian about CBD oil. It’s ideal if your veterinarian can help you explore the topic. Unfortunately, law from prescribing, administering, dispensing, recommending or approving cannabis prohibits veterinarians for their patients. This refers to medical marijuana that contains THC as well as its derivatives, which include CBD.As scientists discover more about the safety and efficacy of CBD, more veterinarians are on board with using it as a remedy for dogs. They just can’t prescribe it. They can discuss treatment with you, though, and they can point you to helpful resources. If your dog takes other medications, it’s worth it to ask your vet before giving it CBD.

CBD and Canine Wound Care?

If your dog has gotten in a fight or scratched itself with something, it might have a laceration. Cuts can be painful and may lead to excessive licking. CBD can improve healing in surface wounds. Ancient societies used cannabis for wound healing. Modern researchers aren’t sure how cannabinoids help, but they have found that cannabinoids contribute to wound closure in the intestines. This may be due to the fact that cannabinoid receptors exist in the colon. CBD may help with dermal wounds because it influences the cannabinoid receptors in the skin. It helps the skin maintain homeostasis, which is important when dogs are affected by disease or injury. CBD may also regulate pain sensations, modulating pain and itch. It diminishes skin inflammation by working on cannabinoid receptors and immune cells. CBD also has antibacterial properties. Applying it directly to a wound may ward off infection.

Why You Might Want to Give Your Dog CBD?

If your dog suffers from a chronic illness, your vet might have prescribed a medication. Most medications for anxiety, pain and digestive distress are associated with adverse side effects. CBD is not. A 2016 study collected responses from 632 pet owners who had given hemp products to their companion animals. More than 93 percent of the respondents claimed that the CBD products were at least as effective as other medications or remedies that they had tried. Over two-thirds of dog owners gave the CBD product for an ailment that was diagnosed by a veterinarian. The most common conditions for which respondents used CBD included:

• Seizures
• Cancer
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Pain
• Inflammation

When side effects were noted, they were typically limited to fatigue, increased thirst and appetite changes. You might want to give CBD to your dog because it may help relieve distressing symptoms without side effects. Some pet owners give the product to their canines regularly. Others use CBD for acute ailments, such as wound healing or anxiety attacks. In this article, we’ll explain in detail how CBD can help your pet. We’ll describe the conditions that CBD can help with and how to administer the product to your dog.

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CBD and Inflammatory Pain in Dogs
Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that is associated with joint pain and cartilage damage. Approximately 20 percent of dogs develop arthritis at some point in their lives. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of this disease. It usually affects more than one joint and may be induced by structural problems with the joint. 

The joints that are commonly affected by arthritis are the: 

• Hips 
• Elbows 
• Lower back 
• Knees 
• Wrists 

Other inflammatory conditions can cause degeneration in the joints. 

• Diabetes 
• Fungal or bacterial infections 
• Increased activity levels 
• Obesity 
• Cushing’s disease 

Research has consistently demonstrated that CBD can relieve inflammation. 

It may inhibit the activity of certain enzymes that are linked with inflammatory processes. Caprofen, an NSAID anti-inflammatory medication that’s often used for canine arthritis, works by inhibiting the same enzymes. Therefore, treating an arthritic dog with CBD can improve the condition by protecting the joints. It may even prevent the arthritis from getting worse. CBD may be preferable to NSAIDs because it is associated with fewer adverse effects. While many dogs tolerate NSAIDs, some experience digestive, kidney and liver problems when they consume these drugs. Large doses of these medications can cause overdose. Natural CBD oil has not been associated with any overdoses. 

Some synthetic CBD products have caused health problems. Stories about the adverse effects of synthetic CBD highlight the importance of buying high-quality CBD from reputable suppliers. In addition to NSAIDs, some dogs are regularly dosed with opioids to relieve pain. These don’t have anti-inflammatory effects at all. Narcotics work by altering pain signals and working with the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. They don’t address inflammation and joint damage. CBD may be more effective and safer to use than other medications for long-term pain. It has been found to be more powerful than certain narcotics. CBD can also be used along with traditional drugs for pain. Although CBD has not been extensively studied for use in dogs, researchers are trying to learn more about it. A veterinary researcher at Colorado State University recently completed a trial that used CBD to treat dogs with arthritis symptoms. Researchers at Cornell University also studied hemp-based CBD supplements to get an idea of proper dosing requirements. They found that administering 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight twice a day was effective for increasing mobility and enhancing comfort in dogs with osteoarthritis.