It is heartbreaking to watch your dog suffer due to age or sickness. It is even worse when you feel helpless. But what if you can do something about it? A good start is investing in pet health insurance.
Companies like Bivvy offer affordable coverage options that can protect your pet regardless of age, size, gender, or breed. Additionally, CBD dog treats can help mitigate some ailments your dog might be experiencing due to old age or specific health issues. CBD dog treats are treats that contain cannabidiol.
Cannabidiol is a type of cannabinoid organically found in a hemp or marijuana plant. In humans and pets, the ingredient helps relieve chronic pain and anxiety. It comes in different forms such as capsules, oil, or treats.
How CBD Treats Work for Dogs
Much like human beings, dogs have an endocannabinoid system in the molecular structure. The cells of the endocannabinoid system are responsible for telling different systems what to do according to what the brain needs.
In other words, when there is an imbalance in an organ or system, the cells take instructions from the brain and send them to the failing organ or system. Such an imbalance could come in the form of indigestion, anxiety, pain, inflammation, stress, and so on.
There are phytocannabinoids as well as endocannabinoids. While endocannabinoids are in humans, phytocannabinoids are in plants. An example is a cannabis.
So naturally, phytocannabinoids are in cannabidiol. And when taken, they mimic the human’s endocannabinoids. How? They communicate with receptors C1 and C2, which are cannabinoid receptors. Hence, the healing and relief.
Visit https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19630737/ to read more about the similarities between phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids.
There is also a belief that a body produces more endocannabinoids when it is encouraged by CBD. That is ingesting the ingredient in any form helps the body produce endocannabinoids in healthy amounts.
Therefore, since dogs have the same endocannabinoid system as humans, it improves any imbalance in the system of an ailing dog when it eats any treat infused with the ingredient.
Are They Important?
CBD treats for dogs are as important as any other treatment you can get for an ailing canine. If it is going to get a dog some relief and is legal and safe, why not?
There are different health issues a dog can have and which can be treated with dog treats infused with it. Some of them are:
Seizures
Colorado State University carried out a study which is showing promising results. And in a study testing cannabidiol on 16 dogs who had regular seizures, seizures reduced in about 89% of them.
Anxiety
There is no solid proof scientifically that cannabidiol works in removing anxiety in dogs. However, some pet owners whose dogs are afraid of thunderstorms used CBD oil on them and reported some relief from their anxiety.
Arthritis
A study was carried out in 2018 to see if CBD was going to relieve pain in dogs who had osteoarthritis. There was reported lameness prior to the study.
A dosage of 2 milligrams of CBD oil was given to the dogs for 8 weeks, with 2 weeks between to separate them into 4 weeks. 22 dogs began that study but only 16 finished it.
After the 8 weeks, there was an improvement in the pain level and mobility of the dogs, though lameness remained. Click here to read more on the study.
Cancer
While there is no evidence that CBD can treat cancer in a dog, it has shown some promise in rats and mice. The National Cancer Institute refers to a two-year study to show this.
In other words, it may kill and protect from cancerous cells such as those that show up in the mammary glands, liver, pancreas, and lungs.
Are CBD Treats Safe?
CBD in dog treats is relatively safe. It is true that research is not as up to speed as pet owners would want. This is especially true for those who have dogs with one health condition or another.
Therefore, if there is any relief measure that is good enough, they are willing to try it. And those who have tried CBD on their dogs have reported anecdotal success so far.
However, it does not come without one or more side effects. The same is true for humans when they use it.
Some of the side effects that could occur with the use of CBD in dogs are:
- Low blood pressure if the dose is too high
- Dry mouth. This will make a dog very thirsty
- Drowsiness when given in high doses
Because of this, it is important to see a veterinary doctor before using cannabidiol for your dog, no matter the dosage. This is especially true if this is new and if a dog is on another medication.
Besides, some states still consider the ingredient a controlled substance. So the authorities may not smile at its use, especially on animals.
However, there are organic or natural CBD treats that your dog can take. You can go to holistapet treats for help with finding these safe and natural products.
Bottom Line
Our dogs are usually our best friends or close to that. And if they are in pain, we want to do all we can to help them.
However, it is important to be careful when using any new medication on animals, especially one that has no medical backing yet.
So while CBD looks promising for the treatment of some dog health issues, administer it with caution.
Have a session with your dog’s vet and lay the issue out before them. They are usually in the best position to give expert advice.
