How Can CBD Oil Help Your Dog?
CBD oil is pretty popular nowadays. People all around the world use CBD for anxiety, to cure various muscle issues, etc. There are plenty of benefits to it, and little to no downsides, making it very good if you’re dealing with a variety of ailments.
It has also recently been shown that CBD oil doesn’t only help humans. Pet parents and veterinarians are actually finding that it can help your dog as well. While the brains of a dog and a human are obviously different, cannabidiol actually affects certain parts of the body that we have in common — most notable of which is the endocannabinoid system.
Dogs actually have more CB1 and THC receptors in their brains than humans, and this is one of the reasons why cannabis affects us differently. This is also why, if a dog ingests THC, it may lead to unwanted side effects, so that only CBD is recommended. CBD oil is available at labroots. So, how does CBD oil help your dog?
What does CBD do to your dog?
When a dog ingests CBD, the substance affects how the dog perceives stress and pain, and will also give a bit of a boost to their dopamine levels, resulting in a better mood. The CBD’s interaction with the dog’s endocannabinoid system will also result in reduced inflammation, as well as the blocking of GPR signaling. This lowers cancer cell reproduction. Among others, some of the most notable benefits include:
— Reduces inflammation
— Relieves joint pain and arthritis
— Relieves anxiety, as well as barking or whining from separation anxiety, vet appointments, or loud noises such as fireworks and thunderstorms
— Reduces vomiting and nausea as a result of other medications or car rides
— Reduces seizures in dogs that suffer from epilepsy
— Improves the appetite
— Improves the health of both the nervous and the digestive system
— Greatly improves sleep
Now, this isn’t to say that there aren’t other benefits. However, the ones above are the most important, and as you can see, CBD oil can help your dog with many issues that owners actually consider to be common for dogs. Let’s take a look at a bit more details for some of these conditions.
If your dog suffers from anxiety, CBD oil can reduce the effects a great deal. CBD has a calming effect, which can be particularly helpful when your dog has separation anxiety. When you leave your house for work, you can give your dog a daily dose in order to calm them down. On an irregular basis, this can help when dogs get frightened during fireworks or thunderstorms.
It’s no secret that epilepsy affects quite a few dogs. There are many medications that are used to treat seizures that actually come with negative side effects, such as increased appetite and thirst, which may result in weight gain… not to mention depression, and the fact that the medication is expensive. CBD oil, on the other hand, is usually much less expensive, and even more important, much less physically taxing on your dog. This is why many dog owners resort to it to treat seizures.
Cancer is another condition where CBD oil can help. When you’re treating your dog, you will find that many of the medications and treatments can result in nausea. Cannabis can actually reduce nausea quite a bit. To add to that, cannabis is also known to reduce the growth of cancer cells, and this may even result in a much-improved quality of life for your pet.
Arthritis is a common issue for older dogs. They experience chronic pain, making it difficult for them to move around. However, CBD has anti-inflammatory properties, which result in pain relief. A daily dose can make your dog’s daily life much more comfortable, and they’ll be able to move around much easier. As a result, they will live a fuller life.
Last but not least, CBD can help with appetite stimulation. Yes, you read that right: there are dogs that have severe issues with their appetite. Most notably, this is the case with dogs that have cancer, or older dogs. CBD binds to brain receptors that trigger hunger, and thus stimulates the appetite.
How much CBD is safe?
To wrap things up, while there are no official dosing guidelines, there’s a general recommendation that suggests 0.2 ml of CBD oil per pound of your pet’s weight, per day. If you want to stay safe, you’ll want to start a bit lower than this, and slowly increase the dosage as you watch the results. When you notice a positive response, stop increasing the dosage. Since dogs don’t develop a tolerance to CBD as people do with THC, you should be good to go with that amount without increasing it.