pets

Why CBD Is So Popular With Pet Owners Who Have Anxious Dogs

February 4, 2019 by Staff Writer

If someone asked you what medical condition do you think affects dogs more so than any other, would you guess it’s anxiety? This may surprise you, and you may immediately think, “My dog gets nervous, but he doesn’t have an anxiety condition!” Ask yourself these next questions, though:

Does your dog bark when they shouldn’t?
Do they freak out when you come home?
Do they hide or seek comfort during storms?
Have you noticed there are occasions where they pace, pant, or pin their ears back more than usual?

These are signs that your dog could have an anxiety condition.

Dogs give us a run for our money when it comes to who is more anxious. And in many cases, we are the cause of their anxiety. Dogs aren’t naturally afraid of thunder.

In truth, many dogs are susceptible to anxiety, and it’s easy to mess up and exacerbate it. Thankfully, we live in the perfect time to help our dogs with this issue. Today, cannabis products like CBD aren’t only helping us with our anxiety, but also our dogs.

For many, CBD has been the answer to helping their dogs tolerate thunderstorms, long workdays, and the strange neighborhood dog. Even better, when combined with training, CBD offers a powerful one-two punch solution for eliminating even the worst cases of anxiety.

Here’s how you can use CBD for your dog’s anxiety, as well as a few general tips that help prevent it.

Why Is CBD So Popular for Dog Anxiety?

CBD is popular amongst dog owners because CBD kicks anxiety’s butt when dogs get anxious. But why do our dogs get so anxious in the first place?

Why Is My Dog So Nervous?

Usually, the cause for your dog’s anxiety can be traced back to certain events during their puppyhood. Maybe a massive dog came up to them *bang anxiety*, or you clipped a nail too far back *leviathan level of anxiety*.

Dogs are pack animals, and when something scares them as a puppy, they come running to us. Our first response to this is to lighten our voices and comfort our dog, but this backfires because it reinforces their awareness/reaction to the situation. Essentially, you’ve just told your dog that there is a reason to be scared. Your best option to situations like this is to act like nothing happened – if needed, you can even throw a ball or toy to take their attention off of it.

These are just a few ways dogs can develop anxiety, though, yet with it being such a dilemma there isn’t a lot to help them.

With anxiety being so prevalent amongst dogs, many owners don’t feel a prescription drug is warranted to treat it. This doesn’t mean they don’t want to help their dog’s anxiety – they just don’t have an easily available option that is safe and effective. Until CBD…

CBD for Situational Anxiety

What’s great about CBD for dog anxiety is that it can help regardless of the source. For fleeting issues, like the 4th of July, CBD helps by offering around 6 hours of anxiety relief with just a single dose. Many owners find that this is all that’s needed.

Maybe your dog gets antsy on long car rides, but little do they know the beach is just a few hours away. CBD can help keep them – and you – stay calm on the road trip.

Using CBD for anxiety issues that don’t really warrant behavioral training is a great, quick, and easy fix for many pet owners.

CBD for Behavioral Anxiety

When you come home to a room that looks like a twister slammed a cow through your house – *90’s movie joke for ya* – you’re not dealing with mild or situational anxiety.

Behavioral anxiety includes aggression, severe separation anxiety, etc. and will require behavioral training to cure. But we all know training will not set in overnight, and your house can’t take one more hit, and work is tomorrow.

Again, the answer many owners are finding to this sticky situation is giving their dog CBD to help out in the meantime. In fact, one could argue that CBD is even more important for this form of anxiety as it can help dilute the emotional stress their anxiety is taking on them.

Final Thoughts

If you haven’t given your dog CBD before and are worried about the stigma or danger of giving your dog cannabis, don’t worry. Only high amounts of THC are toxic to dogs, and legal CBD has nowhere near enough – studies show small traces may even help.

As well, the dog community is perfectly fine with using CBD. Vets are still a bit wary of it – possibly due to legal reasons – but veterinarian clinical studies are starting to take place on dogs and are showing great results. Plus, the 2018 Farm Bill will catapult CBD’s acceptance among all forward.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for information and educational purposes only and is not intended to reflect the views of the publication.

Why CBD Is So Popular With Pet Owners Who Have Anxious Dogs
Source: Marijuana Times

6 Important Ways CBD Is Helping Our Pets

January 31, 2019 by Staff Writer

At one time, when you heard people talk about pets and cannabis, it would usually go something like “OH NO, my dog just ate my pot – what do I do?” But in 2019, you’re more likely to hear people talk about giving their pets cannabis to help with their medical issues.

The cannabis of which I speak of is CBD oil derived from the hemp plant. CBD is everywhere now – you can find it in gum, ice cream, soda, and more. And now, we’re giving it to our feline friends, our pups, and even to horses to help with a long list of medical conditions. Here are just six ways CBD is helping our pets stay happy and healthy.

CBD Can Reduce Inflammation

Unlike THC that attaches to CB1 receptors triggering psychoactive effects, CBD merely activates CB2 receptors by giving anandamide – which is a self-produced cannabinoid – a boost. Unlike CB1 receptors that reside heavily in the brain, CB2 receptors are found more in the immune system, where their activation promotes proper regulation.

Inflammation is a natural – and often times, beneficial – process, but when poorly regulated it turns on the body and causes issues out the wazoo.

CBD Provides Anxiety Relief

CBD oil for cat anxiety is one of God’s gifts to man. It can help calm them down when they are in their crate for more pleasant vacation trips – and even for less bloody scratches down your arm after vet visits.

And don’t even get us started on how you can use CBD oil for dogs’ anxiety. You may never have to come home to a destroyed house again. Research is showing that it really doesn’t matter where the source of anxiety is coming from, CBD can help.

In fact, CBD is a natural anti-anxiety mediator of THC. So if you find your current marijuana strain is making you nervous or paranoid, try taking some CBD.

CBD Has An Important Role in Cancer and Cancer Treatment

There are a number of studies out there highlighting the potential for cannabinoids like CBD and THC to become common drugs we use to fight pet cancer. However, there isn’t any reason to wait for that as many are already using CBD to help fight cancer.

One of the most difficult aspects of cancer treatment isn’t the disease, but the side effects from the drugs used for treatment: nausea, inflammation, pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, etc.

Not only does this make the whole process more strenuous, but it can also make the body’s fight against cancer more difficult, which can ultimately slow down recovery. CBD has somewhat similar benefits to medical marijuana, which has long been an incredible help in reducing the side effects of conventional cancer treatments. All without causing a high, that is!

CBD has helped pets going through cancer treatment regain their appetite, sleep better, experience less discomfort, fight back against inflammation, and possibly even protect/repair cells.

CBD Benefits Working Animals

Many of our pets dedicate themselves to giving humans a helping hand and work hard for our benefit. When we talk about CBD for pets, we usually think of our cats or dogs, but CBD oil for horses has taken off recently.

CBD can help our working horses with everything from recovery to performance to keeping them calmer during training and work, which can prevent injuries to both you and the horse. The last thing you want on your hands is an anxious 1000+ pound horse… because it really never goes well.

CBD Targets All Forms of Epilepsy

There are a number of dog breeds susceptible to epilepsy, and if you know anything about medical marijuana, you’re likely aware of the role it has played in reducing seizures.

Cannabis – including CBD – is indebted to how it’s helped people with drug-resistant forms of epilepsy. In fact, a few states first legalized CBD for the treatment of epilepsy and nothing else. That alone tells you how much it can help.

The thing that separates cannabis from conventional antiepileptic drugs on the market is its ability to help reduce seizures in all forms of epilepsy. When it comes to using CBD for epilepsy, this is one place it may be just as potent as marijuana. This is because CBD – not THC – has the most antiepileptic properties of any cannabinoid.

However, while studies show that CBD is the most potent antiepileptic cannabinoid, it’s about half as effective if it’s isolated and not full spectrum. Scientists believe the legal traces of THC allowed in full spectrum CBD (0.3%) helps – even though there isn’t enough to produce a high.

CBD Promotes Homeostasis for Preventive Health

Whenever you hear about how CBD works in the body, you’ll see the word “homeostasis” somewhere in its vicinity. So what is homeostasis and what does CBD have to do with it?

Homeostasis is any process that cells use to regulate, repair, and optimize both their performance and defense against their host’s environment. Everything from extreme temperatures to germs to stress can wear down our cells.

When this happens, the system they’re involved in – like the immune or nervous system – perform poorly, resulting in diseases. The cannabinoids in cannabis mimic select neurotransmitters (endocannabinoids) that trigger receptors that send signals to help cells undergo homeostasis.

Lots of science, but what this tells us is giving CBD to our pets may help them stay healthier, stronger, and live longer.

Final Thoughts

Remember, this is just six ways CBD can help improve the health of our pets. It’s fantastic to see the stigma surrounding cannabis go away and have the plant become more involved not only in our lives, but in our pets’ lives, too.

It’s important to only give your pet CBD oil with low (less than 1%) to no THC, as dogs and some other animals are sensitive to THC and they can overdose on large amounts.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for information and educational purposes only and is not intended to reflect the views of the publication.

6 Important Ways CBD Is Helping Our Pets
Source: Marijuana Times

New Study Suggests Veterinarians are Still Hesitant to Discuss CBD Treatments

January 9, 2019 by Staff Writer Leave a Comment

In the last 6 years, the cannabinoid known as CBD (cannabidiol) has gone from something almost no one had heard of to something almost everyone wants to know more about. With the recent federal legalization of hemp, the hemp-derived CBD industry is poised to grow faster than it already has.

And the questions that surround CBD are not confined to the human realm. Dog owners are increasingly interested in what CBD can do for their canine companions. But a recent study shows dog owners may have to find other avenues of information regarding CBD – avenues that do not include their dog’s veterinarian.

A recent online survey conducted by researchers from Colorado State University, North Carolina State University and the Veterinary Information Network collected responses from some 2,130 vets across the country and “gauged US veterinarians’ knowledge level, views and experiences related to the use of cannabinoids in the medical treatment of dogs.”

While roughly 61% of respondents felt comfortable discussing CBD with their colleagues, only 45.5% were comfortable discussing CBD with the pet owners they see. That means more than half of vets won’t even broach the subject of CBD with owners whose pets may benefit from it.

And while vets “practicing in states with legalized recreational marijuana were more likely to advise their clients and recommend the use of CBD,” surprisingly “[r]ecent veterinary graduates were less likely to recommend or prescribe CBD.”

One has to wonder while vets who are newer to practice would be less likely to recommend something we know much more about than we did 5 years ago. What we have learned about CBD in that time has been overwhelmingly positive, with even the World Health Organization declaring CBD to be not harmful. “At its November 2017 meeting, the WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) concluded that, in its pure state, cannabidiol does not appear to have abuse potential or cause harm.”

It would seem that the natural tendency is for those new to the vet business to be more likely to recommend CBD as time goes on as medical practitioners in general become more comfortable with the substance, but so far the data doesn’t seem to have borne that out.

One key to veterinary reluctance on CBD seems to be a wish for more information and guidance. “Participants felt their state veterinary associations and veterinary boards did not provide sufficient guidance for them to practice within applicable laws,” the study’s abstract reads in part. “Recent graduates and those practicing in states with legalized recreational marijuana were more likely to agree that research regarding the use of CBD in dogs is needed.”

Another reminder that there is still a long way to go to unleashing the full potential of the cannabis plant for those who need it, whether they have two legs or four.

New Study Suggests Veterinarians are Still Hesitant to Discuss CBD Treatments
Source: Marijuana Times