Why People Are Buying CBD Products for Their Pets
Believe it or not, people are using CBD products to help their pets deal with pain, mobility problems, or inflammatory diseases. CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis, and it’s being used by people with or without their vet’s consent. Thing is: CBD products can be a better alternative than drugs used to treat things like cancer, joint complication, inflammatory or kidney diseases and problems, and even stress and anxiety.
The reason for this is that cannabidiol is pretty safe and has few side effects in comparison to prescription drugs used for those complications.
One would believe that a compound extracted from cannabis would be toxic for dogs, right? After all, THC is found in cannabis, and this compound is known for being toxic for most animals. THC is what gives cannabis its psychoactive and hallucinogenic properties, just in case you didn’t know.
Pets can suffer from marijuana toxicity from consuming marijuana products like brownies or pot butter, from direct contact with smoke, or from marijuana supplies. Signs of toxicity may appear after 5 minutes of consuming a product containing THC, and they may last hours to days depending on the type of animal that consumed the product, and the dose.
Here’s where cannabidiol is different. Cannabidiol is THC free. This specific compound is known for being non-psychotropic, meaning that it is non-toxic for dogs and cats (and other animals) and won’t get your pet high after consuming it. Still, in some cases, it may cause some drowsiness.
What’s So Good About It?
Well, cannabidiol has a lot of uses! For example, some dogs suffer from heavy cases of anxiety and stress. There’s one case I like to bring up when I’m talking about cannabidiol in pets: a little dog that used to get really anxious when its owner was not close.
This is known as separation anxiety. If your dog worries when you are about to head out, and behaves like a wrecking ball, destroying stuff or making a mess out of your house when you are not around, your pet may suffer from separation anxiety. If your dog or cat follows you everywhere in your house, that’s another sign for you.
This little dog used to scratch the floor and windows searching for its owner. He also used to chew things around, even things he shouldn’t be chewing, like sofa pillows. Barking and howling a lot, and even whining, was pretty much occasional.
Of course, that was the way this dog showed that he really wanted to have his owner by his side! He was saved from the streets and probably abandoned, so he really loved his owner.
With that said, there are several tricks the owner tried to relieve his dog’s anxiety, but the best thing he could do was buy a product to help it deal with it. And it was cannabidiol treats.
Just so you know, that dog owner was me. I started giving my little buddy dog treats containing cannabidiol when I left for work, and when I arrived. This certainly helped him calm down whenever I left the house, and things started to appear less disastrous whenever I arrived home.
Of course, it didn’t fix it completely. He’s still a little fur filled with energy, but he has pretty much fixed his anxiety problems, and that is something I’m thankful for.
If your dog suffers from separation anxiety, you should check this article for more information about it.
Still, other people use cannabidiol to solve other problems.
Most of the time, people used it to help their pets deal with pain produced from diseases like cancer. Cannabidiol has pain-relief properties with fewer side effects than other drugs. It also has anti-inflammatory qualities which are great to deal with joint problems, especially good for senior pets.
As I already mentioned before, CBD products are relatively safe, but they can have some side-effects, although they are pretty rare. In most cases, it can cause drowsiness, but it can also cause diarrhea, dry mouth, swollen eyes, and loss of appetite. In other cases, it can increase your dog’s appetite. Apparently, it depends on the type of product you are using.
How to Pick the Right Product.
When you are shopping for a cannabidiol product, you should always take in mind this: since research in cannabidiol is fairly new, some products aren’t formulated as responsibly as they should.
You should look for products that are following good manufacturing practices, or try to look for the seal from the NASC (The National Animal Supplement Council). You can always check for reviews on online stores before purchasing it. A good example of a responsible store is https://www.holistapet.com/.
You should also check how much THC the product contains. In most cases, THC can go as far as 0.8%, which is pretty low. A lot of products will contain 0.3%, and you should look for those.
A good trick to see if the manufacturer is good, is looking for the Certificate of Analysis, or COA. If the website doesn’t have it, you should consider this a big red flag.
How Much Should I Give to my Pet?
You should have expected this, but finding the right dosage for your pet can be tricky. This can vary depending on your dog’s age, size, weight, and even diet. The best thing you can do is go from a small dose, and slowly increasing until the effects start to kick.
CBD products usually come in oil, capsules, and treats. Their doses vary depending on the product, too, and that is something to consider.
