How Does CBD Help Dogs?

CBD for dogs is on the rage right now. But will it help your dogs? How does CBD help dogs and other pets? How it will make your dog feel? Hint: it won’t make them high.

Cannabidiol or CBD is a chemical found in cannabis.

Although it’s from a Cannabis plant, it doesn’t have psychoactive effects, unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

In that case, it won’t produce a high or euphoria effect.

Studies about CBD for dogs are still in their initial stages. However, there’s anecdotal evidence that it may help treat your dog’s anxiety, cancer, arthritis, and pain.

Read: Is CBD SAfe for Dogs That Suffer Anxiety?

However, the FDA hasn’t approved anything yet of CBD products to be used in animals.

How Does CBD Make a Dog Feel?

As mentioned, there is no scientific data that can show whether or not CBD is effective for dogs. But based on how cannabidiol affects humans, there are side effects of CBD to dogs.

For instance, a small drop may cause light-headedness.

Some dog owners are using CBD to treat their pets’ anxiety. CBD offers calming effects. Thus, it may be effective in alleviating anxiety symptoms.

However, the calming effect can also cause your dogs to be slightly drowsy.

How quickly Does CBD Work in Dogs?

It takes between 30 minutes and 45 minutes for the CBD to start working. CBD oil can work quicker than biscuits or treats infused with CBD.

The reason for this is that some ingredients of biscuits or treats may take time to be broken down.

However, the effectiveness is the same whether you use CBD oil, biscuits, or treats.

The effects of CBD can last from 4 to 8 hours. But it’s just an estimate.

However, the duration varies depending on your pet’s size, breed, and severity of its symptoms.

The older the dog is, the longer it takes for CBD to be digested or metabolized in the pet’s body.

Do Vets Recommend CBD for Dogs?

The FDA hasn’t approved CBD to be used on dogs. Hence, vets can risk license suspension in some states. They are also likely to be penalized.

However, other states can offer little more freedom to vets.

For instance, California passed legislation that prevents regulators from penalizing vets for advising their clients about the use of CBD for their pets.

Other states are still in the works.

In that case, you should not expect your vet to recommend any CBD products.

Some vets may advise you to try using CBD for your dogs. However, they may not provide you with a prescription.

States, where medical cannabis is considered legal, don’t have laws that allow vets to prescribe CBD for dogs or other pets. Instead, the existing laws about cannabis use are for human consumption.

These laws don’t allow vets to dispense, prescribe or recommend CBD products for animal patients.

Why You Would Want to Use CBD in Dogs?

It can be effective in treating anxiety, chronic pain, epilepsy, and irritable bowel disease (IBD).

But, as mentioned earlier, there are only a few reliable studies that looked into the effects of CBD on dogs.

In this study, researchers administered between 2 mg and 8 mg per kilo of bodyweight to dogs. They saw that 80% of those dogs experienced an improvement in their mobility and pain.

Read: Cannabidiol and Epilepsy

In another study, researchers gave dogs with epilepsy CBD and seizure medication. They found that their seizure episodes were reduced significantly.

However, researchers recommend that further studies are needed to help them provide a definite conclusion.

Is CBD Bad for Dogs?

The 2018 Farm Bill legalizes hemp-derived CBD. Because of this law, analysts predict that the market for CBD for dogs will reach $125 million in two years.

Unfortunately, the world of CBD in pets is still new. There are various unknowns that experts need to discover.

Now, to answer the question about whether or not CBD is bad for your dogs, this product is generally safe. Animals can tolerate it well.

However, there are studies showed that dogs receiving CBD treatment have increased liver enzyme alkaline phosphatase.

It didn’t mean that the dog’s liver was failing. The elevated ALP could be a lot of things. It could be benign or it could indicate a more serious issue.

In that case, if your dog is already suffering from liver disease, you shouldn’t administer it.

Keep in mind that the liver metabolizes CBD. If your dog has a liver condition, then it can’t tolerate this product well.

Furthermore, the CBD market is not well-regulated, at least for now. In that case, some CBD products may contain ingredients that can be harmful to your dogs.

Worse, they may include THC, which is toxic to your dogs and cats. THC, as mentioned earlier, is found in Cannabis that causes you to feel euphoric or get high.

If you wish to try CBD for dogs, make sure that you only use products with a certificate of analysis. The COA must match the number on the product’s packaging.

COA is given to a product after an independent laboratory lab has tested it and has confirmed the ingredients and potency of the product.

CBD for dogs must not contain THC. If it does, the amount must be less than 0.3%. This amount is safe for animals.

To be on the safe side, make sure that the CBD doesn’t have any 0.0%. And even if the product doesn’t have it, you should still observe your dog’s symptoms.

You must be on the lookout for vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, and restlessness. These are common symptoms of THC poisoning.

Generally, CBD for dogs is safe. If there are symptoms, they are not alarming.

Then again, there’s only a little research conducted to verify the effectiveness and safety of CBD. Hence, if you wish to use it in your dogs or cats, you should administer it with caution.

Conclusion

How does CBD help dogs? There are several uses of this product in dogs or other pets. It can be used to treat their anxiety, epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, among others.

But more studies are needed to confirm how effective and safe this product is to be used in animals.

To know more about CBD for dogs, make sure to check out our other posts on this topic here.