If you’ve been hearing a lot about CBD oil from hemp lately, you’re not alone. Interest in this natural supplement has exploded in popularity for both humans and animals.
Here’s 6 reasons dog owners are raving about it:
1. It Helps Stressed Out Dogs, Including Those With Separation Anxiety or Noise Anxiety
The life of a dog might not seem stressful, but many pups suffer from different kinds of situational and behavioral anxiety. CBD oil targets the endocannabinoid system to help the body balance emotions. The endocannabinoid system is the same in all mammals. It’s comprised of spaced-out receptors that communicate to keep the body balanced. CBD oil works to initiate chemical transmissions between receptors that help the dog feel calm in times of stress. Pet owners use it for dogs with separation anxiety, phobias, and general anxiety.
2. It Relieves Chronic Pain and Inflammation
CBD oil naturally helps reduce inflammation in all parts of the body. The same endocannabinoid receptors that work together to relieve anxiety also target areas in the body experiencing pain due to inflammation, damaged nerves, and injury.
Many holistic veterinarians recommend CBD oil to senior dogs suffering from joint pain. It isn’t a cure for arthritis, but it soothes the inflammation caused by worn down cartilage, and it helps dogs feel better and stay active. It’s also used to alleviate painful symptoms of intestinal inflammation, and it’s often administered after surgery and during injury recovery to invoke the immune system for faster healing.2
3. It Increases Appetite and Fights Nausea
Food and nutrients are essential for a healthy dog, and a good diet is especially important when that dog is battling a serious illness. They need food to give their body the strength to fight back, but many health conditions shut down appetite. When they can’t eat, they become weak and are even more vulnerable to whatever kind of damage their illness is causing.
CBD oil works to counter this effect by stimulating appetite.2 Whether it’s nausea or a general weariness that’s keeping the dog from eating, CBD oil triggers the feeling of being hungry. When the dog eats without feeling sick and vomiting the food back up, they absorb much-needed nutrients to help their body stay strong and healthy.
RELATED: Which brand of CBD Oil Does iHeartDogs Recommend?
Using CBD oil to alleviate pain and promote overall well-being for your dog is something more and more people are catching on to. There’s still a lot scientists don’t know, but initial studies on humans show promising potential. More studies focusing on CBD oil for dogs are currently in the works, and dog owners and holistic veterinarians await results to learn just how far CBD oil can take the future of veterinary medicine.
4. CBD Offers Benefits To Brain Health In Aging Dogs
CBD has shown the ability to support normal cellular function and promote healthy aging through mitochondrial support.
In addition, CBD is currently being studied for its apparent antipsychotic, anti-nausea, and anticonvulsant, and anti-inflammatory benefits. The anti-inflammatory benefits, in particular, may offer the most benefit to the brain and aging. In one study on Alzheimer’s, CBD was observed to actually hinder the development of Alzheimer’s symptoms.
5. It’s Nontoxic and Won’t Make Your Dog High
The first concern people have for administering CBD oil to their pets is exposing them to potential toxins related to cannabis. While the cannabis plant is most commonly associated with marijuana, hemp is its safer cousin. Unlike marijuana, hemp is not psychoactive, which means it can’t make you (or your dog) high.2
It’s the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana that gives people the hazy, euphoric mindset of being high. CBD oil from hemp, however, is cannabis that contains less than .3% THC. CBD oil has all the therapeutic properties of cannabis without the mind-altering characteristics of THC. There are no toxins related to CBD oil from hemp, and there’s no risk of overdosing.3
6. It’s 100% Legal in All 50 States
The changing legality of cannabis is hard to keep track of, but when it comes to CBD oil from hemp, it’s easy. Unlike marijuana, hemp is legal in all 50 states.1 As a hemp product, that means CBD oil is legal, too. Medical marijuana is legal in about half of states, but with negligible amounts THC, those rules don’t apply to hemp. It’s perfectly legal to buy and possess CBD oil as long as it’s obtained from hemp and has less than .3% THC.
Which Brand of CBD Oil Is Safe & Effective for Dogs?
Our team was fortunate to be consulted on the creation of the Cannanine brand of CBD oil for dogs. Unlike most CBD oils, Cannanine is 100% THC free. And like all of our products, every purchase provides healthy meals for shelter dogs.
Need more information on hemp oil? View our detailed, complete guide to CBD oil for dogs.
Sources
1. All The Best Pet Care
2. Dog’s Naturally Magazine
3. PetMD
via Whisker Therapy