As you know, CBD has a laundry list of benefits for humans. Many use CBD for its many benefits from anxiety relief to pain relief, but what if there are benefits for other living creatures such as pets? The same receptors that CBD utilizes to give you medical benefits are also found in other animals such as dogs. There is an increasing use and commonality for using CBD for dogs. However, what are the benefits of using CBD for dogs? If there are even any.
I’m here to tell you that there is some proof that CBD helps dogs. It is not as proven as we would probably like, but there are studies as well as anecdotal evidence that point the many benefits of CBD for dogs and pets. Note that CBD affects all animals differently, especially pups of different ages and sizes. Usually the larger the dog, the more CBD that needs to be taken. CBD for dog dosages can be found here.
At Binoid CBD, we have specially tailored CBD oils for dogs. We carry CBD oils of all sizes, small, medium and large dogs alike.
Also note that cats should NOT be taking CBD, as their bodies break down and absorb CBD differently. Which can possibly be very dangerous for your cat or kitten. Without further ado, here is the best and largest benefits list for CBD and Dogs.
Benefits List Of CBD For Dogs
1. Osteoarthritis
A study done by Cornell University suggests that it helps osteoarthritis, stating that 80% of dogs showed improvement in pain after being measured by Veterinarians scales. This includes the Hudson activity scale and the canine brief pain inventory.
Osteoarthritis doesn’t just occur in dogs. In fact, since dogs are a little more reckless and, on their joints, more often, they’re more susceptible to inflammation of the joints. Deterioration becomes even more apparent in older dogs.
If you notice that your dog is staying off their feet more often or they’re clearly in paid with light exercise, then you’ll want to check with the vet. However, CBD can help alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis in dogs.
2. Pain
Dogs have a number of signs that indicate they’re in pain. You might hear them being more vocal than normal. They could also stop greeting you or may actually start avoiding you entirely. Dogs don’t like to burden their pack if they feel pain. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD can help reduce pain felt for different medical conditions.
One study was done to find if CBD helps with dog pains, and the study was completed in 2018, but was sponsored by a CBD producer. In this review dogs received either 2mg of CBD oil every 12 hours or a placebo. This was done over four weeks with a two-week clean period.
There are two ways to examine a dog’s pain, and pain relief. These methods are called the Hudson Activity and Canine Brief Pain Inventory scores. Both showed a significant decrease in pain in dogs.
The results of the study support anecdotal evidence and reports of what people have noticed with Pet CBD oils for dogs. The benefits include that CBD oil reduced pain (p < 0.03), and the Canine Brief Pain Inventory and Hudson activity scores showed clinically significant reduction in pain and an increase in activity with CBD treatment (p < 0.001).
3. Helps With Loud Noises
It’s no secret that dogs are afraid of fireworks. These animals are more sensitive to sound and may think of it was a threat. It’s also scary that they don’t have a place to run if they’re in a cage or don’t have many hiding places in the house.
One way to help prepare dogs for fireworks is to desensitize them to fireworks like playing fireworks sounds every now and then while having treats ready. This helps prepare dogs for fireworks. If this doesn’t work, then CBD helps calm them as well.
4. Mobility
There are a number of things that can cause dogs to be less mobile. One of the major things that cause immobility in dogs is aging. Any joint issues can affect the dog’s mobility as well as joint issues can cause pain that a dog doesn’t want to endure. If you notice that your dog doesn’t want to play as much as prefers to lay around, then you’ll want to take a look at potential causes of their immobility.
Your veterinarian might suggest lifestyle changes, but that might not be enough to reduce the pain felt from not being mobile. You might notice that your dog becomes depressed. CBD can help dogs manage the physical, emotional, and mental pain that comes from being disabled.
In the same study mentioned in point number two about pain, from the two score metrics (Hudson and Canine Brief) researchers found an increase in activity and movement aside from pain relief. This suggests that Cannabidiol may help dogs pain, which in turn would likely lead to an increase in movement and mobility because it is not as painful to do so.
5. Epilepsy
Unfortunately, epilepsy is very common in dogs. In fact, it’s one of the more common neurological disorders found in dogs. Epilepsy can be scary because the seizures are completely random and can be terrifying events each time.
However, there are some basic types of seizures found in dogs. If the dog has a generalized seizure, then it can affect both sides of the brain and cause issues with the entire body. A generalized seizure can cause a dog to not be aware that they’re urinating or defecating during the seizure. A focal seizure focuses on one part of the brain and can affect one specific part of the body or just one single side. Focal seizures might spread and become generalized seizures.
There are a number of different anti-epileptic drugs that you could talk to your vet about. However, they can develop a dependency on it or have intense side effects. You may notice that your dog starts vomiting or even develops dangerous heart arrhythmias. CBD has been found to work with the synthesizing of endocannabinoids for the dog’s endocannabinoid receptor. This helps regulate any injury caused by seizures. That means there’s the possibility CBD can help decrease how often or how powerful seizures are in dogs.
A small study recently published in June 2019 found evidence that CBD helps epilepsy as well as seizures in dogs in addition to osteoarthritis. The study notes that dogs who combined CBD with their epileptic medications had much less seizures than dogs taking the medication and a placebo. However, in both cases seizures decreased. Therefore more evidence needs to be found and tested for CBD as a “cure” for seizures and epilepsy in dogs.
6. Anxiety
Humans are not the only mammals that are affected by anxiety. Dogs suffer anxiety and panic similarly to humans. However, anxiety and panic in dogs could be a little more dangerous as they do not have as many coping mechanisms as humans do. They can develop intense phobias over time that will be a little difficult to train. Dogs do not have therapists after all.
The most common form of anxiety in dogs is separation anxiety. They do not understand why “their human” leaves to go to work or school. They can panic, start acting irrationally, or start destructive behavior. The first thing you want to do is go to your vet to see if these psychological issues aren’t being caused by any underlying physical conditions. However, if the vet finds that they’re just suffering anxiety, then you might want to avoid anti-anxiety medications as they can cause intense side effects.
If you find your dog breathing heavy often, or showing other signs of anxiety, it might be time to try CBD for your dog. For dogs of all sizes, CBD may help decrease freakouts or attacks.
In addition to CBD, you may want to try and implement simple lifestyle changes to possibly improve your dog’s anxiousness. Try to get your dog a little more outdoor time. You can also try putting them in calming and relaxing environments. However, if none of these are working, then you’ll definitely want to give CBD a try for your dog’s anxiety. Since CBD affects your pet’s endocannabinoid system, it will likely help alleviate and regulate their symptoms of anxiety and stress.
Dogs of all types can find benefits from anxiety from CBD; German Shepherds, Great Dane’s and even Chihuahuas. Size does not matter, just dosage. For smaller dogs start with a lower dosage of CBD, then increase until you witness optimal benefits for your pup.
CBD is very therapeutic for dogs that don’t have a lot of therapeutic options in the first place. Speaking of using CBD as an alternative to medication, let’s take a look at the final benefit: reducing the need for other medications.
7. A Reduction In Other Medications
People have started to turn to CBD instead of their pain medications, anti-anxiety medications, and other medications. The reason these medications can cause some really intense side effects. Many anti-anxiety medications alone can cause high blood pressure. This greatly increases your chances of heart disease or stroke.
The same can happen in dogs. Side effects from various dog medication can be vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or increased hunger or thirst. Stomach ulcers are one of the major side effects of anti-inflammatory medication that can lead to a higher risk of other gastrointestinal issues. Taking CBD has very little to no side effects for dogs. That’s why people have started replacing their dog’s medications with CBD.
However, before you decide to do anything, you should talk to your vet about your options. Bring up CBD and discuss the many benefits it can have for your dog or pet.
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