Let’s face it, sometimes we care more about our animals than we do ourselves. Is it because of their cute faces? Their furry little bodies? Or perhaps the way they love us unconditionally? Whatever the reason we love our animals and when they are unhappy, we are also unhappy.
Whether your animal is healthy as a horse (pun intended) or they have day-to-day discomfort, CBD (or cannabidiol) is something you may want to look into. Why? What can CBD do for my pet? And the big question: is it good for them?
Read on and we will fill you in on what we have researched, what others have researched, and what users themselves think.
Back to the basics
First, we should make sure our readers understand what CBD is and what it is not. What is CBD? CBD or cannabidiol is one the 113 cannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa plant. This particular component will not give the ‘high’ feeling those who use marijuana describe.
What is the difference between marijuana and what CBD is you may ask next? CBD is found in marijuana as well as the hemp plant. These are two variations of the Cannabis sativa plant. The hemp plant contains higher amounts of CBD and at or less than .3% of THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol).
THC is another one of the 113 cannabinoids found in the Cannabis sativa plants. This cannabinoid is the component that is psychoactive. This is the biggest difference between CBD and THC, and they are commonly confused with one another.
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CBD was legalized in 2018 by the Farm Bill. This bill allows farmers across the country to grow and sell hemp plants. This is not the case with THC and marijuana. There are only a handful of states that have legalized the growth and use of marijuana products. They are legalized for medicinal use as well as recreational in some states.
It is important to note that THC can be very harmful to animals so when looking for a CBD product make sure there is a “THC free” label. Small amounts of THC do not affect humans in a negative way, but it can in animals.
CBD + dogs
Now that we have gotten what CBD is and what it is not out of the way, is CBD good for dogs? What about other animals?
The reasons that pet owners start giving their animals CBD are generally the same reasons they give themselves CBD. One of these reasons is that CBD has been described to support joint health. We here at Panacea Life Sciences did our own research on this particular topic. We chose to look at dogs who have age-related movement issues. We had pet owners administer CBD to their dogs to see if there was any improvement in the dog’s ability to run, climb stairs, or get up from a sitting position. After four weeks of giving CBD to their dogs twice a day, owners described that their canines had increased mobility. This research included only dogs that had visible or noted movement issues, but based on these results, we can infer that it may offer some help for all dogs suffering from joint health issues. You can read more about the specifics of the study here.
Another reason people have decided to use CBD is because of the possible benefits it has on those who get feelings of anxiousness. In this study Panacea observed horses to test the possible effects of CBD on joint health or feelings of anxiousness. This was a two-week study where the horses where administered 50 mg CBD two times a day. The researchers found that the use of CBD lowered the horse’s discomfort as well as helped produced a sense of calm.
These studies are great indicators of what CBD could possibly assist your pet with. With that being said it is important to speak with a veterinarian before administering CBD to your pet. Start off with a lower amount and then slowly increase until you see the results you want.
Now that we know CBD may be useful to your furry friends. What else can it do?
Other uses of CBD
What other ways do people use CBD? Here is a list:
- Skin health: There are several products that are geared toward the health of one’s skin. These come in lotions, salves, and even cremes. This study shows the benefits of using a CBD topical. A CBD topical was given to people who had and did not have current skin conditions. Those with skin conditions reported improvements in their skin health. There are also hand sanitizers that have been made to do what hand sanitizers do, kill bacteria! We have hand sanitizer as well as a hand cleansing creme.
- FDA approved medications: There are several FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) medications that have been approved to treat conditions in humans. Epidiolex is one of them. This is used to help stop seizures from these two severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Marinol (dronabinol), Syndros (dronabinol), and Cesamet (nabilone) assist those people who are going through anti-cancer treatments. It helps the nausea related to the treatment become reduced.
There are many reasons why people decided to use CBD and there is still much research needed to find more. These are just a few of the ones that people have noted.
Your dog and CBD
Now you know what CBD is, what CBD is not, why people give CBD to their animals and what other uses CBD has for you. It is important to understand that CBD is a naturally occurring plant but still needs research done surrounding it. Always start with a small amount of CBD and slowly increase until you or your dog feels the desired effect. Everyone loves “man’s best friend” and instead of using harsh medications it may be worth it to try CBD as a more holistic way to assist your family’s furry friend.
As always if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email us at [email protected]
