Much like humans, pets are no exemption to ailments and conditions such as anxiety, arthritis, joint pain, or stress. Common treatments that normally involve steroids could prove more damaging than the ailments themselves. There had to be some way for pet lovers and owners to deal with these issues that don’t include dangerous solutions and expensive vet appointments. Thankfully, here comes a line of all-natural and lab-tested CBD oil products to support animal health. An abundance of CBD pet products – capsules, salves, tinctures, and chew treats – have sprouted in the market for the past years. Might man’s best friend reap the same therapeutic benefits of cannabis? Veterinarians are beginning to look at that question.
California is the only state that allows vets to discuss cannabis with client pet owners. This left many consumers not know where to turn for advice. Aside from this, producers of cannabis-infused treats, tinctures, and edibles are limited in how they advertise the product’s effects and benefits. Consumers need to be careful with the wording. If a product is labeled “hemp-infused” or “hemp-based,” it does not necessarily mean there is a significant amount of CBD present. It is important to remember that since pet CBD is not yet FDA approved, the products don’t undergo quality control measures as compared to human medications.
A groundbreaking study at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine concluded that 80% of the dogs who took CBD oil for osteoarthritis showed a great improvement in pain levels and quality of life without noticeable side effects. The Colorado Veterinary Medical Association noted that there is increasing interest among pet owners in using CBD for chronic pain management and cancer therapy. The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation recently disbursed over $2 million for clinical trials to test the use of CBD as a treatment for epilepsy in dogs. Anecdotal evidence also identified the therapeutic benefits of CBD oil for pets with bowel issues, cancer and asthma for cats, and ligament diseases for horses.
CBD is a great painkiller for pets. It has renowned pain-killing properties to manage the symptom in different ways. It has anticonvulsants property which helps control seizures, tremors, tics, and spasms. It decreases the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and migration of immune cells which is very useful in treating a wide variety of illnesses. It can also slow tumor growth for dogs.
A study conducted in rats showed that CBD helped protect against colon cancer by stopping the development, growth, and spread of malignant tumors. Many pet owners choose to use CBD not only as a medicine to treat diseases but also as a regular supplement to promote the overall wellbeing of their pets. Studies show that it might be because CBD promotes anandamide production, which promotes nerve cell development in the brain.
Vetting CBD: Advice from an Expert
Elizabeth Mironchik-Frankenberg, DVM, said that figuring out the suited product and delivery method for your pet can be a daunting task. Here are some of her favorite tips:
- Since only in California has the legislation that authorized vets to discuss cannabis with their clients, many vets don’t know much about CBD. As a pet owner, it is good to be proactive. Don’t expect vets to bring this up with you.
- With so many CBD products of varying quality in the market today, pet owners need to do their due diligence. They have to ask questions and do their research.
- Look for the product’s Certificate of Analysis as well as the lab results. This is to make sure that the products have been formulated correctly, are free of contaminants, and contain the ingredients listed in the product labels. This information should be available on the company websites or you can connect with customer service and have them email the results to you.
- Always remember that your CBD is not always okay for your pets. There are ingredients that are perfectly fine for human consumption, but toxic for pets.
- Recommended dosages should be applied for tinctures based on the pet’s size. But it can be hard to tell how much CBD a certain product contains. As with humans, it is best to start low and gradually increase the dosage to avoid overdosing.
- Pets are smaller than humans. Be careful with dosages as too high dosage could result in oversedation.
It’s important for pet owners to try with caution if they decide to seek this type of treatment for their four-legged friends. The bottom line is that CBD has shown to anecdotally help certain pet issues but too few conclusive studies can back it up. Of course, you want to do what’s best for your furry family member. It is important to refer to your vets about your pet’s specific issues and heed their recommendations.
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