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There’s plenty of hype today about the endless benefits of CBD oil for dogs in pain, and how it can ease discomfort in dogs. With so many CBD pet products to choose from, it’s best to understand a bit about all the scientific jargon out there before you decide which CBD product is best for your pooch.
Dogs like people feel pain when sick or injured. That said, pain management is a routine part of the physical examination and treatment plan in veterinary medicine. With pain comes different types of behaviors linked to a physical problem. It may be aggression, lethargy or other behavioral changes. It’s up to each pet parent to be able to recognize the signs of pain in their dogs, since dogs may act differently when in pain.
Your veterinarian will diagnose the problem, and select the right treatment plan for effective pain management in your dog. Before choosing a CBD oil for pain management, it is best to consult with your veterinarian first.
Because dogs cannot communicate in the same way as people, it makes it all the more necessary for pet parents to spot the signs of chronic pain in their dogs. These may include the following:
Veterinarians will need to reduce stress and provide all-round care for an effective pain treatment regime. That said, it’s important to always discuss with your veterinarian alternate methods of pain treatment, since traditional methods like opioids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids and other drugs may be prescribed as the first option for pain management. With both acute and chronic pain, a combination of drug and nondrug methods may be effective in treating pain.
Hemp CBD may help with the following conditions:
Hemp refers to the cannabis varieties that are grown as an agricultural crop, and also contain low amounts of THC(tetrahydrocannabinol). THC is federally illegal in the US if it contains a higher amount than the O.3% allowed for use, though it’s been approved for both recreational and medical use in Canada, and numerous US states. WebMD also explains further what CBD is and does.
For all CBD pet products to be legal, they need to have less than 0.3% THC. CBD is natural, safe, and is derived from hemp and cannabis. Most CBD dog products will use CBD from hemp. That said, there is no “high” and dogs will not consume THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, resulting in psychoactive effects with your dog getting “high”.
CBD is a non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid and yields therapeutic and medicinal purposes for dogs. To help you understand more about the benefits of CBD oil for dogs dealing with pain, let’s look at some research.
The potency of CBD oils both in capsule form and those in bottles with droppers are much more potent and are sometimes more difficult to administer to difficult dogs that don’t take meds via droppers.
A few product lines contain phytocannabinoids, terpenes and fatty acids which support a huge range of ailments like phobias, joint pain, inflammation, digestive issues, mobility, seizures, and anxiety. Since we’re talking about CBD for pain, let’s look at the numerous benefits of CBD oil for dogs dealing with pain.
That said, there still needs to be more research done on the benefits of CBD as an effective treatment for the above-mentioned health conditions.
With all CBD dog products including edibles, the dosage will vary according to the brand you choose. Dogs will need different dosages, so it’s important to discuss with your vet first prior to using any CBD dog product. Consult with your veterinarian for safe and accurate dosage instructions.
Finding out whether your CBD oil is safe for your dog is simple enough to do! Today with the unsanctioned medical use of CBD- based products containing a variety of oils, supplements, gums, and some with a very high concentration of extracts, it is all the more important to understand safety issues related to CBD oil use in dogs, and to understand what to look out for when purchasing a safe, high-quality CBD oil for your pooch, that is free of contaminants.
With all the recent research available, you’ll become familiar with CBD dosing and safety standards, and learn more about why the purity and consistency of CBD oil are important, and also, most importantly, about any safety precautions your dog should take when consuming CBD oil in any CBD pet product.
CBD may have the following side effects:
Studies have also shown that it may also act as a blood thinner by increasing the levels of Coumadin in the blood. It may also increase the levels of other medications that your dog is on. That said, consult with your veterinarian prior to purchasing or using any CBD products on your dog. Your veterinarian will be able to discuss the recommended and safe dosing for a particular CBD pet product with you.
Numerous CBD oils will need to begin at 0.5mg/kg twice daily over a period of three days. This is increased to 1mg/kg twice daily over three days. Your veterinarian will be able to help you calculate the correct CBD dose and to convert your dog’s weight in pounds or kilograms. The dose needs to get multiplied by the number of kilograms to get the dose in milligrams. Always consult with your veterinarian prior to using CBD on your dog.
Harvard Health blog adds that “Without sufficient high-quality evidence in human studies we can’t pinpoint effective doses, and because CBD is currently being mostly available as an unregulated supplement, it’s difficult to know exactly what you are getting. If you decide to try CBD, talk with your doctor — if for no other reason than to make sure it won’t affect other medications you are taking.”
When looking at all the CBD pet products, the most important consideration is if a CBD product uses an isolate or a full-spectrum oil. A full spectrum oil is the most potent and is derived from the entire plant.
The extraction of the oil takes place via a carbon dioxide process called CO2 extraction which entails using pressurized carbon dioxide to extract the CBD from the entire plant. CO2 functions as a solvent when reaching extreme temperatures, yet because it is under a boiling point, it’s cold. It is processed to create oil from the plant. It is also a clean and environmentally friendly process.
Natural Doggie is a brand of CBD pet products that uses full spectrum oil derived from non-GMO, organic colorado hemp.
CBD oil may be useful in numerous ways in the treatment of cancer, as well as for all the symptoms that accompany cancer treatment and that causes pain. Besides its ability to destroy certain cancer cells, and prevent the growth of blood vessels to tumors, CBD also offers antioxidant properties and may help slow down tumor growth. Recent studies demonstrate that CBD is effective in improving the efficiency of chemotherapy in people with cancer.
Recent studies published in the Harvard Health blog demonstrate that CBD oil is effective in reducing seizures. “In numerous studies, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and in some cases, it was able to stop them altogether. Videos of the effects of CBD on these children and their seizures are readily available on the Internet for viewing, and they are quite striking. Recently the FDA approved the first ever cannabis-derived medicine for these conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD,” via Harvard Health blog. 1. Harvard Health goes on to explain how CBD is also effective in reducing anxiety and insomnia.
With cancer pain being severe when tumors are affecting bone, CBD studies have demonstrated that it’s use has decreased pain and inflammation. Although CBD should not be used on its own for pain management, pet parents can add it to a regular pain treatment regime. Consult with your veterinarian for more advice.
According to theWorld Health Organization (WHO) “CBD oil may have the potential to kill certain cancer cells and stop tumor growth in blood vessels. It also may help with chemotherapy side effects in both humans and pets. Hemp contains other natural compounds like terpenes and flavonoids. That said, limonene, which is a terpene has been found to have anti-cancerous properties. CBD can be converted to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) under experimental conditions; however, this does not appear to occur to any significant effect in patients undergoing CBD treatment.”
So far, there have been no studies that show negative interactions between CBD and other drugs when dealing with pain management. The norms with pain management dosing for cancer pain is usually a “higher dose of CBD such as 2mg/kg to 3mg/kg twice daily,” via Animal Wellness, Volume 21, Issue 3, page 48.
Another study from theEuropean Journal of Pain adds that CBD can be added to the skin to reduce pain and inflammation stemming from arthritis. Similarly, there have been numerous other studies demonstrating how CBD may be used to lessen inflammatory and neuropathic pain, which are two of the most difficult types of chronic pain to treat.
“Outcomes of this study indicate that topical application of CBD gel is an effective treatment for reduction in inflammation and hypersensitivity associated with the rodent adjuvant-induced monoarthritis model.” The results were in relation to the absence of psychoactive behaviors.
“CBD is a known non-psychoactive cannabinoid, and due to its low affinity for the CB1 receptors it would be expected that exploratory behavioral activity would be similar among treatment groups compared to negative side-effects associated with THC. These studies demonstrate transdermal administration of CBD has long-lasting therapeutic effects without psychoactive side-effects. Thus, the use of topical CBD has potential as an effective treatment of arthritic symptomatology,” via NCBI.
The bottom line on CBD oil for dogs is that as a responsible pet parent, it’s necessary to do the very best for your pooch, and that means asking your veterinarian if CBD oil is a good match for your dog. In short, purchasing a high-grade CBD oil that is made in the US, and consulting with your veterinarian for the correct dosing and advice about reputable manufacturers. That said, you’ll have the correct information on how to purchase the right CBD oil for your pooch!
Claudia Bensimoun
Claudia Bensimoun is a freelance journalist and author, and specializes in veterinary content, and eBooks. She's a long-time feature writer for Animal Wellness magazine, Fido Friendly magazine, and the United States Dog Agility Association. In addition, Bensimoun has written for numerous pet websites, magazines, newspapers and online publications. Her interests include wildlife conservation, animal welfare, disaster/ humanitarian relief, veterinary research, and veganism.
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