Chances are that you’ve probably heard about CBD oil for your dogs. It is the latest trend in pet wellness, but does it actually work?
First, let’s breakdown what CBD oil is:
CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound found most commonly in hemp. This means that CBD does NOT contain any of the psychoactive effects (THC) of cannabis.
This means that your dog is able to get some of the therapeutic benefits of THC, without worrying about getting “stoned”.
What does the science say?
Formal studies have been conducted to research the effects of these products in dogs, but as of now, there is no definitive answer.
However, we do know it has shown amazing potential in a clinical setting:
“…they seem to be less reactive to low level pain stimuli, for example arthritis and things like that, when they take the product, and certain anxieties, they seem less reactive to certain things.” explains Mark Verdino, MD, senior vice president and chief of veterinary staff at North Shore Animal League America.
Therefore, until we get more scientific data, the true power of CBD will remain unknown. However, we have seen some amazing effects that have been reported since the trend has become more popular. These include:
Lower your dog’s anxiety levels
This can be extremely beneficial to dogs in many circumstances, from separation anxiety to reactivity. The reduction in anxiety will help lead to a decrease in negative and / or destructive behavior.
As more humans develop anxiety in the USA, so will dogs. For this reason, it’ll be crucial to have a product like CBD to help fight against it.
Help fight cancer cells
According to the Animal Cancer Foundation, approximately six million dogs get diagnosed with cancer each year. A permanent cure has yet to surface, but there has been promising research into how CBD can help prevent cancer cells from spreading further.
Arthritis
One of the primary uses of CBD is for pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Colorado State Veterinary School recently published studies on the effects of CBD in arthritic animal patients. The study showed that CBD does help decrease the pain and inflammation associated with this disease.
Seizures
A recent study has shown that CBD products can help decrease the number of seizures in adult dogs. In the study, 89 percent of dogs who took CBD products saw a decrease in the number of seizures.
Skin disorders
CBD has been shown to help repair a healthy skin barrier. When this barrier is disrupted, allergies, bacteria, and yeast are allowed to invade the skin causing a varying host of diseases. Using CBD can help repair this layer and help soothe your pet’s discomfort.
There are studies published that show that CBD given to dog over a long period of time at very high dosages have little to no side effects, while most other medications used to treat dogs can have a large list of unwanted side effects. This makes CBD a great option, especially for those pets with chronic pain or other various medical conditions.
Is CBD Oil right for your dog?
If your dog has shown signs of separation anxiety, co-dependency, whining, or other anxious behaviors at home, CBD may be right for your dog.
It is used as a tool to help ease the transition through anxiety and show your dog another way to handle the change in environment. Therefore, If this product can help your dog relax in an anxious situation, it can fundamentally change the way they respond in the future.
Replacing a negative experience, (like barking when you leave the house) with a positive one (like calmly sleeping on a bed), can help fundamentally change the way your dog handles a similar situation in the future.
Wow, your blog is so good that it convinced me to get CBD for my dog. What product do you use?
For our dogs, we use King Kanine CBD products. Their products are 100% naturally derived from hemp, and are manufactured in a GMP Certified, ISO-90001 Certified FDA Facility. These products cannabinol levels are actively tested, ensuring that you are getting a potent product that will be effective for your dog. Our most commonly used product is the King Kalm 150mg with broad spectrum CBD oil combined with Krill and Hemp oil.
Disclaimer
With any tool that is used to assist pets, we must remember: it is a fix, but not a cure. Proper training and a leader-follower relationship is the key to remedying the underlying issues that are present in dogs. To learn more about training your dog, check our relationship based training manual and our blogs.
