How To Care for Your Dog Using CBD

How can you care for your dog and improve its health using CBD? 

CBD dog treats are exploding! In popularity that is! The popularity of CBD, the non-intoxicating medicinal compound found in cannabis, is not just exploding among humans. It’s also rising fast among another species of mammals — dogs. Sales of CBD dog treats and CBD oil products made specifically for man’s best friend have been on a rapid rise as of late — and for good reason, says Simply Pet Dog CBD. 

Pet owners nationwide are delighted by the results they’re seeing including reductions in anxiety, aggression, nausea, and pain, as well as some less common conditions such as seizures.

What exactly is CBD, and what are the physiological mechanisms which enable this fascinating compound to produce beneficial results in such a wide variety of medical conditions that might be dogging your furry friend?

In order to answer these questions, pet CBD experts from MediPets, one of the top pet CBD companies in the U.S. have decided to help with some tips of their own.

CBD Dog Treats: What Is CBD and Where Does It Come From?

CBD is short for a compound called cannabidiol. It’s one of a family of compounds known as cannabinoids. There are two kinds of cannabinoids — the ones produced by our own bodies — and also by dogs and other mammals — which are called endocannabinoids, and the ones produced in plants such as cannabis which is called phytocannabinoids. Both of these types of cannabinoids are necessary for good health.

Our CBD products are made with CBD oil which is extracted from a type of cannabinoid-rich hemp which is completely free of another cannabinoid, THC, which is commonly found in marijuana, but not in hemp. So CBD dog treats made with CBD derived from hemp are non-intoxicating. They won’t get your dog high.

Dog Owners Are Snapping Up CBD Dog Treats

The most common reason for buying our CBD dog treats is to reduce pain and anxiety. Dogs experience variations of anxiety just like humans. They deal with issues such as separation anxiety, fear of people and other dogs — social anxiety — loud noises, and the like. Also, some dogs have compulsive habits such as chewing and scratching, and pulling out their own hair which is similar to human conditions like OCD.

On the pain side, older dogs often suffer from joint pains which seem to respond well to treatment with CBD dog treats in the same way that humans benefit from CBD oil. Dogs can also suffer from what’s called neuropathic pain which is the result of damaged nerves and can be caused by conditions such as diabetes, autoimmune conditions like arthritis, infections, and hereditary conditions among other things. Also, as pain from injuries and surgeries.

Another thing that our customers say is helped by CBD is nausea. Dogs that tend to throw up a lot might have conditions of the stomach or neurological conditions which make them feel sick to their stomach and cause them to vomit or affect their appetite. These problems also affect their nutrient uptake and adversely affect their health in a number of ways.

Although somewhat rare, a good number of dogs experience seizures much like humans with conditions such as epilepsy. These seizures can be really scary for owners and life-threatening for dogs. CBD is proven to reduce seizures in humans and dog owners are also having really good results.

These are just some of the reasons people give their dogs CBD oil and CBD dog treats. There are also a number of other conditions for which CBD might provide benefits.

CBD Dog Treats: How Do They Help Dogs?

When people read about all these pet conditions which can be helped with CBD they can be skeptical, but it’s not that hard to explain.

Cannabinoids are what are known as signaling molecules. Their purpose is to relay instructions to individual bodily systems on a cellular level. The brain can’t connect with every cell in the body so it uses this system of signaling molecules.

There are well over 100 various cannabinoids and each has its own function. One of the most important functions of cannabinoids is to regulate and modulate the activity of nerves and neurons as well as the production of neurotransmitters and hormones. Imbalances in this system — it’s known as the endocannabinoid system — can result in all kinds of medical disorders.  

So, the endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating a very wide variety of bodily functions. It’s what makes us feel hungry when we’re low on nutrients and makes us feel full after we’ve eaten. It’s also responsible for things like sleep cycles. When we need rest it makes us feel sleepy, and when we’ve had enough rest it wakes us up. Cannabinoid imbalances, if they take place in the brain, can result in uncontrolled neural activity resulting in seizures. They also regulate things like pain response and immune response.

The immune system is controlled by the endocannabinoid system. One of the functions of the immune system is to respond to injuries and infections. If the endocannabinoid system is out of balance it can result in the overproduction of inflammatory proteins called cytokines which can, in turn, result in swelling and pain. Or it can cause what is known as autoimmune conditions where the immune system mistakes the body’s own tissues as foreign invaders and attacks them.

Conditions like arthritis and intestinal problems are caused by an autoimmune response.

So, that’s the reason that CBD dog treats can help dogs with such a wide array of medical problems. It helps to bring these chemical signaling systems back into balance.

CBD Dog Treats: What Should Dog Owners Know?

One milligram of CBD actually has billions of CBD molecules, and these molecules find their way into the bloodstream and circulate through the body. One dog CBD treat can contain as much as 10 milligrams of CBD. So for smaller dogs, you might even want to give them half of a treat. It’s not like regular dog treats that you want to be giving your dog throughout the day. Once or twice a day depending on the dog’s condition should do the trick. It’s not that giving the dog too much can make it sick — CBD is not toxic — but there’s no reason to overspend on it.

Conditions like anxiety should respond well to lower doses. But if you’re dealing with a dog that has frequent seizures higher doses may be required. If you’re dealing with serious conditions like these you should also talk about the treatment with your vet.

Not all vets are yet on board with CBD. If they’re immediately skeptical, then they’re probably not aware of all the evidence that’s been piling up over the years that shows that CBD has some powerful health benefits. You might need to find a vet who is more knowledgeable about the use of CBD to get answers as to what might be a proper dosage for your dog’s condition.

I believe most of MediPets CBD dog treats come in 100-milligram packages. That number is going to be obviously lower for cats. You can just divide the number of treats into the total 100 milligrams to see how much is in each treat. Also, some of the products say on the website how much is in each treat.

CBD Dog Treats: The Best Advice Is To Start Slowly

The best advice is to just start slow with lower doses and work your way up until you see some improvement in the dog’s condition. The effects compound over time, so give it time. It might only take a couple of milligrams a day to see results in a smaller dog.

And don’t give your dog CBD products made for humans. Obviously, dogs are smaller, but also dogs have more endocannabinoid receptors, probably because their natural diets are much lower in plant cannabinoids. So stick with CBD products made for dogs and you should be good to go.

And finally, never give your dog marijuana or products containing THC. Even tiny amounts of THC can make a dog very sick. Stick with pet CBD products.