Some people may be surprised to learn that CBD is not only a great remedy for humans, but can also be very beneficial for animals as well. Similar to humans, animals, mostly mammals, have an endocannabinoid system of their own that helps them absorb cannabinoids in their body naturally. 

One of the most popular cannabinoids of Cannabis, Cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD, is commonly used as a remedy to treat a wide variety of ailments in pets. Most mammals, including dogs and cats, can consume CBD for different ailments including pain management and even anxiety. 

Many pet owners believe that CBD is a good solution to treat anxiety and mood swings problems in dogs and cats. However, without a significant amount of scientific studies completed yet, most research to date has been conducted for pets with by peer-reviewed research. 

Can you use CBD for Pets? 

Cannabidiol or CBD is one of the cannabinoids of Cannabis that’s available in the abundant form in the plant and it is a non-intoxicating substance, meaning that it can’t get you or your pet  high. CBD is known to have many positive health benefits for humans and it is a proven remedy to treat pain, reduce inflammation and stress. 

And with the help of recently published research, medical researchers shared that CBD can be used for certain pets, including dogs. The research found that CBD appeared to significantly reduce the pain levels of the dogs tested, while also improving their mood and making them more active. During the research, medical researchers found no adverse effects of CBD on dogs.

Benefits of CBD for Pets 

Since the legalization of CBD, millions of pet owners have tried CBD for their pets for a variety of different ailments. From treating painful arthritis to common skin conditions, CBD can be used for many purposes with your pet. Here’s the top potential benefits of CBD for your pets that you should be familiar with:

Arthritis Treatment 

Arthritis is one of the most common diseases found in cats and dogs and there’s few options for medication to treat arthritis in animals. Arthritis causes severe pain in bones and joints which makes it extremely painful for animals to move around. It’s a common ailment in dogs and when it’s at it’s worst they have to be carried because of their condition. However, many pet owners have shared that CBD worked well in treating arthritis in their dogs and cats. 

Furthermore, a peer-reviewed study also reflects that CBD can be crucial in helping dogs with managing pain. 

Help with Seizures

According to a NCBI study epilepsy is one of the leading neurological disorders found in pets with dogs most affected by this issue. Epilepsy causes fits and seizures and they can significantly decrease the quality of life for dogs and with too little treatment available they often  go untreated. However, CBD with its seizure-fighting properties can be a an excellent remedy to be used for the treatment of epilepsy and other related psychotic illnesses that causes seizures in dogs and other pets. 

After initial research, CBD was found extremely effective in treating seizures and that’s one of the reasons why CBD is one of the few drugs approved for the treatment of epilepsy in pets. While CBD may not be able to completely cure epilepsy, it is effective in reducing seizure frequency.

Eases Pain 

One of the reasons behind the success of CBD is its ability to help manage the pain for your pet. And not only in humans but also, dogs can also benefit from this ability of CBD. The characteristics of CBD reduce inflammation from the affected sites and significantly reduce the pain, and as a result increase the quality of life for pets and dogs.

Compared to over-the-counter opioids, CBD is a more safe and effective remedy that can offer pain relief for a longer period of time for your pets. Furthermore, there are no known harmful side effects of CBD for your dogs or cats, making it an ideal remedy for pet pain relief. 

Helps with Anxiety 

Anxiety is fairly common in pets, especially the ones that live alone. And once detected, treating the anxiety in pets can be a challenging task. But, CBD oil’s significance in treating anxiety in pets is revolutionary in the field of science. Based on the findings of the initial research studies, CBD alters the brain’s reaction to serotonin which results in reduced anxiety levels in pets, especially dogs and cats. 

The consumption of CBD helps your pets feel more calm and relaxed. Whether it’s from living alone to after traveling, CBD oil is the best remedy to offer to your pets for making them feel relaxed and free from anxiety.  To those who are wondering how to use CBD for dog anxiety, a few drops of CBD oil in your dog’s food will do the trick for you. 

Unlike other medicines, CBD can be consumed easily by dogs and cats. People can either mix the CBD oil in their food or use other innovative CBD-infused foods to offer CBD to their dogs, cats, and other pets. 

Conclusion 

The results that CBD has shown in treating a wide variety of illnesses in pets have made it one of the most talked about pet health remedies. Not only can it offer significant health benefits, but  it also doesn’t have any known health disadvantages. Over-dosing could impose slight implications like dry mouth and sleepiness, but there’s no evidence that it could be harmful to pets in any way. Fig & Thistle Apothecary regularly carries CBD pet products, which can be found on their dispensary menu.