In recent years cannabis food supplements have become an effective alternative to pharmaceutical approach. This goes for people and our pets as well. But why exactly is the use of CBD for pets on the rise? Cannabis food supplements have many positive effects and little to no side effects with majority of people and animals. They are 100 % natural and mammals can absorb them very well.
Good absorption with mammals is possible due to our endocannabinoid system. It responds to cannabinoids found in cannabis and helps with the homeostasis of the entire body. The most famous cannabinoids are CBD and THC. You can read more about cannabinoids and endocannabinoid system here.
If you read the content of the above link, or you are not new to cannabinoids you probably know, that CBD is non-psychoactive compared to THC. That is why the use of CBD for pets gets more exposure. However, we cannot dismiss THC and other cannabinoids as they work best together (the entourage effect). You can view a short summary of the use of CBD for pets in the below video, which also discusses THC.
WHAT CAN CANNABIS HELP WITH?
While it can help with some health conditions, cannabis is not a cure all plant. As mentioned before, CBD affects the endocannabinoid system which is responsible for many basic body functions such as sleep, pain mitigation, inflammation, stress, anxiety, and many others.
We all had good and bad experience with endocannabinoid system, but probably did not even realize it. Do you remember having a runner’s high or a great feeling after a long workout? This is our endocannabinoid system at work. The feeling is caused by anandamide, which is very similar to THC by its chemical structure.
The endocannabinoid system affects a wide part of our brain and our bodies. That is why cannabinoids are being researched in people and animals to help with:
- Cancer,
- Joint pain and pancreatitis,
- Digestion problems and sickness,
- Anxiety and nervousness,
- Movement issues,
- Aging,
- Cardiovascular disease
- Skin and allergies,
- Seizures and epilepsy, and
- Infection’s disease.
DOES PRODUCT QUALITY HAVE AN EFFECT?
Because cannabis and CBD based products are mostly safe, with no side effects we can quickly be fooled that all of them are of the same quality and will consequently have the same effects.
This can present a big problem and because of it, your pet might not be able to feel the full positive effects, that cannabis brings. The entire process, from soil quality, to correct cultivation, plant drying, extraction, storage and substance adding is very important. That is why it is important to choose high quality, natural products. Only then can the use of CBD for pets reach its maximum potential.
DOSE QUANTITIES FOR YOUR PETS
When selecting the correct CBD dosage for your pet, their size is very important. Dogs and cats are the most common pets which makes them the most frequent users of cannabis products. For example, we will use 5% CBD oil, which is the most widely used cannabis product.
How Much and When?
The use of CBD for pets can be multiple times a day due to relatively fast absorption and digestion of CBD oil in the body. We recommend starting with smaller doses, observe your pet and gradually increase the dosage.
In the beginning evening hours consumption is recommended. Your pet has to get used to cannabis at first. After a week or two, they can start consuming it during the day as well.
In the spreadsheet below, you can find the daily dosage of CBD oil for different animal sizes. You can also split the usage into morning and evening part (evening part should have a larger dose). You should observe your pet and increase the dosage if required.
Animal weight | 5 % CBD oil quantity per day (in drops) |
< 10 kg | 1 – 2 |
10 – 20 kg | 3 – 4 |
21 – 30 kg | 5 – 6 |
31 – 40 kg | 7 – 8 |
41 – 50 kg | 9 – 10 |
CBD Use for Smaller Pets
Use of CBD for pets is also very effective with smaller animals such as hamsters, parrots, rabbits, guinea pigs and similar. Cannabis used in research for measuring its effect on endocannabinoid system of laboratory animals (such as rats) consequently cured cancer, diabetes, tumors, anxiety and inflammation of these animals.
Recommended CBD oil dosage for smaller animals is 1 -2 drops per day. Depending on the condition, we can increase the dosage to 2 – 3 drops up to 3 times a day. Similarly, we start with a smaller dose, observe the pet and increase the dosage if required
USE OF CBD FOR PETS AND CLINICAL TRIALS
Clinical trials showed that 89% of dogs that consumed CBD oil had less seizures. Cornell university researchers performed a double-blind cross study on dogs with osteoarthritis and measured significant pain reduction and increase in activity of the animals that regularly used CBD oil. Study did not detect any side effects.
Studies performed on laboratory animals showed positive effects on cardiovascular health, respiratory system health, with cancer and pain mitigation. While researchers advise the research are preliminary, they have positive opinion on all the results.
Stephanie McGrath, DVM, neurologist James L. Voss of veterinary clinic of University of Colorado states: “We found a correlation between quantity of CBD in the dog’s system and the significant reduction in seizures. It is very exciting to see, that maybe in the future we can look at CBD as an alternative to current anticonvulsant medication.”
VETERINARIANS SUPPORT CBD?
A survey conducted among Veterinary Information Network showed, that 79% of veterinarians who have clinical experience with the use of cannabis products claim that CBD helped with chronical pain of the animals. More than 62% claimed to have positive effects with anxiety mitigation. More than 80% of veterinarians claim there was no side effects, only slight sleepiness in some cases.
Another study published in “Frontiers in Veterinary Science” concluded that more than 82% of veterinarians agree or strongly agree, CBD use for pets has many advantages for the animals.
OWNERS ARE VERY SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS
Many pet owners swear on using CBD to help pets with health conditions such as anxiety, pain, digestion problems and inflammation. Study conducted among owners who use CBD for their dogs showed that less than 5% of animals had side effects and the most common side effect was lethargy (lack of energy).
Joshua Hartsel, PhD, chemist and CEO of company Delta 9 Technologies stated:
“Because all mammals have endocannabinoid system, the same or similar positive effects of cannabinoids on people, can be applied to most of this veterinary species.” In fact, people have been using medical cannabis for their pets and farm animals at least from 19th century on.
HEALTHY PET IS A HAPPY PET
With a little of cannabis extract, your pet could live a longer and happier life. Maybe you are wondering if your pet can overdose on CBD? The good news is it CAN’T! In case of higher doses your pet only falls asleep a bit faster.
If you are still deciding on which product to choose, you can view our online store and discover 100% natural 5% CBD oil DRAGON TEARS or CBD cream DRAGON TOUCH for nurturing your pets’ skin and paws.
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G. D. C.
24. 06. 2021
