As a pet owner, you go out of your way to find the best treatment for your pet and improve their health and overall condition. Seeing your pet ill and not in its healthy, playful nature can be devastating. You might have already heard of how people are using CBD products for the treatment for certain diseases and as supplements. But did you know you can use CBD for pets? For example, well known brands like Innovet Pet have launched an entire CBD collection dedicated exclusively to your beloved pet.
Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is a compound found in the cannabis plant. The cannabis industry is attached to a lot of stigmas. This is mainly because the cannabis plant is associated with its psychoactive properties and is used primarily for entertainment. However, there are many benefits of CBD and here are five things that you might not know about CBD’s impact on your pet.
It’s Not Psychoactive or Toxic
CBD for pets is used for medicinal purposes, to improve their health and relieve tension in their bodies. There are different ways to administer CBD in your pet’s diet, for example, you can simply add CBD in their food or treats depending on the recommended dosage in the labels of the CBD infused product that you have bought.
One of the things you need to know about CBD is that it’s not psychoactive. It won’t get your pets high. One of the primary components in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This is what gives psychoactive effects, and that’s why it’s widely used for recreational activities. However, CBD can contain at least 0.3% of THC, which is the legal dose.
It’s better always to check the labels before you purchase CBD infused products as CBD without THC is much safer for consumption for your pets. CBD isn’t toxic and has few side-effects which are usually mistaken as overdosing. The common side effects are reduced appetite, dry mouth, diarrhea, fatigue and drowsiness. It might also interact with the medications your pet is taking. It’s recommended that you check first with a veterinarian to avoid any complications.
Reduces Anxiety
Anxiety can affect our pets in different ways as it affects us. Situational and behavioral problems are the two common reasons for anxiety in our pets. Experiencing loud thunderstorms, meeting strangers and traveling into places that they’re not familiar with can cause situational problems. On the other hand, behavioral problems are mainly caused by malnutrition, injuries, illnesses and mostly due to separation anxiety. Symptoms of anxiety in our pets can include panting too much, whimpering, trembling, aggression, loss of appetite, nervous licking of their lips and urinating or defecating on the floor despite being potty trained.
Incorporating CBD infused products in your pet’s diet can alleviate these symptoms to help them experience some relief. Just like in humans, CBD interacts with our pet’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) to naturally relieve their anxiety.
Helps To Reduce Pain
CBD is also popular for its ability to help reduce pain. Pets also suffer from pain from time to time, whether internal or external. CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that can help to alleviate chronic pain in our pets. It significantly helps to stop the swelling associated with chronic pain, which is usually common in older pets. CBD relieves pain by targeting the receptor responsible for it. It binds to CB1 and CB2 receptors in our pets’ brain and nervous system, and this changes the way our pets feel pain.
CBD opens up communication between these two receptors to enable our pet’s body to improve its immune response. The reason why this is helpful in regulating pain for our pets is because most pets have a deficiency in cannabinoids in their body. Therefore, incorporating CBD in their diet as a supplement can restore balance in their endocannabinoid system. It alleviates pain from arthritis, pancreatitis, nerve-related pain, inflammation due to oxidative stress and neuropathic pain.
Alleviates Seizures
An uncontrolled and abnormal burst of electrical activity in our pet’s brain causes seizures. This can affect how they look and their behavior. Seizures can look like uncontrollable shaking and twitches that can last to several minutes.
Many things can cause seizures in our pets; these can be when they accidentally ingested poison when they suffer from stroke, if they have head injuries, electrolytes problems or lived and kidney diseases. Symptoms that you need to look out for can include stiffening, muscle twitching, drooling, chewing their tongue, collapsing and loss of consciousness. One prominent symptom is when your pet falls on their side and make paddling motions.
CBD has therapeutic effects in relieving epilepsy and seizures in our pets due to its effects on our pet’s endocannabinoid system. It can also limit the duration of seizures. As mentioned earlier, CBD has side effects but can be managed by taking the recommended dosage. However, it has minimal side effects when used in treating epilepsy and seizures, which make it a better option than using the usual seizure medications.
Increases Appetite
Various reasons cause loss of appetite in our pets. Without the ability to speak, pets always rely on their owners to figure when they lose their appetite. Sometimes, it’s usually something minor that can be handled at home. However, most of the time, you will need to visit your vet. It can be due to illnesses or eating something they shouldn’t be eating. There are also instances that stress and dental issues can also cause loss of appetite in our pets.
CBD interacts with our pet’s endocannabinoid system to control endocrine processes. The cannabinoid receptors in the hypothalamus trigger their brain’s reward-based aspect of eating, which stimulates their appetite.
Key Takeaways
Including CBD to your pet’s diet has a lot of benefits. It’s not psychoactive or toxic and has minimal side effects that can be managed. It reduces anxiety, pain, regulates instances of seizures and restores your pet’s appetite. Lastly, if your pet is suffering from pain, CBD can be beneficial in suppressing chronic pain, and these benefits can make your pet to be lively again.
