Can CBD products help to treat our pets?

CBD is used to treat and suppress the symptoms of a wide range of diseases in humans. For some pets, especially mammals, we can use CBD to greatly alleviate our pets’ suffering. In this article you will learn about cases where CBD has improved a pet’s quality of life and an expert’s opinion.

We’ll start with a touching story. In 2019, a woman named Rachel Feldman came home from work to find her 14-year-old female dog struggling to stand up to greet her. Her back paws were dragging behind her and you could tell she was in immeasurable pain. It turned out she was suffering from bone cancer. She immediately visited the vet and was given pain medication. However, these were not enough. But then she had an idea. If CBD products can help people, they could help her dog. So she bought one hemp oil, mixed it with dog food and gave it to her dog several times. Foxie’s condition improved, and in the last weeks of her life she was able to play in the snow and catch balls with her owners again. According to Ms. Feldman, she was given extra time to spend as best she could thanks to CBD.

How has the situation changed in recent years?

Over the past few years, the laws around marijuana use have eased up a bit. So it’s no wonder that pet owners and vets themselves are reaching for variations of cannabis products that contain CBD. Cannabidiol mainly helps in pain management, alleviates anxiety, helps with intestinal problems, and in dogs and cats also helps with seizure management.

Recently, a large number of veterinary CBD products have appeared on the market, such as tinctures, toys, treats and even peanut butter for your pet. A pet owner may then find CBD products that are not ideal for their pet, or are totally bullshit. You have to choosing well between them.

Experts’ opinions on the use of CBD for pets

Dr. Gary Richter did a webinar a while back where people asked him questions about things related to this issue. When asked if CBD can help pets he answered unequivocally yes. Richter has seen several cases where, for example, no anti-inflammatory drugs have worked for dogs, but after taking CBD, many of them have gotten better after the first day of taking the cannabinoid.

“Not every dog has had such a dramatic change in their condition after taking CBD. It’s not a panacea, but cannabis is a perfect option.”

Dr. Nicholas Dodman, who is an animal behaviorist and HSVMA Humane Society representative, has conducted several studies in which some pet owners have taken the opportunity to use CBD products and almost every one of them has been happy with the outcome. Dodman’s opinion was unequivocal.

“CBD works and is safe. Personally, I think this is a breakthrough.”

However, both Richter and Dodman recommend that pet owners discuss their decision to use CBD with their veterinarian rather than mindlessly using it as a substitute for a medication. In fact, CBD is sometimes affectionately used not to alleviate the symptoms of cancer, but to treat it, which it is not a good decision in most cases.

How are CBD products perceived by the public and what do you encounter in the market?

To date, CBD products for pets are sold as a form of dietary supplement, without further approval from the Food and Drug Administration, with a focus on veterinary medicine. This is probably because CBD products are not classified as pharmaceuticals in this industry.

What is important is the quality of the product and the instructions. Some pet owners don’t look at the ingredients and concentration of the active ingredients at all and dose as they please. It is hard to judge the quality, but if an animal doesn’t even eat it, there is a fault somewhere.

Even the labels tend to be wrong, as after several tests, some CBD products contain more cannabidiol than the label states.

Because Dr. Richter encountered these cases and noticed misconduct on the part of manufacturers and retailers, he co-founded the Veterinary Cannabis Society to improve manufacturing standards, train veterinarians in the administration of CBD products, and explain to retailers what to tell customers.

Based on the experience of humans and veterinary experts, there is a high probability that CBD will improve your dog or cat’s quality of life and alleviate the symptoms of a wide range of ailments. There is also no reason to doubt that it will have the same effect on smaller or larger and more massive mammals such as horses. It is best to consult a veterinarian about tailoring the dosage to a particular animal. If this is not possible, then use at least the appropriate amount to the human dose in proportion to weight.

Nuka’s note

Based on the experience of humans and veterinary experts, there is a high probability that CBD will improve your dog or cat’s quality of life and alleviate the symptoms of a wide range of ailments. There is also no reason to doubt that it will have the same effect on smaller or larger and more massive mammals such as horses. It is best to consult a veterinarian about dosage to a particular animal. If this is not possible, then use at least the appropriate amount to the human dose in proportion to weight.

There is also the question of whether it is appropriate to give CBD to an animal as a preventative measure. We believe it is not, because the symptoms of illness are the only thing that alert us that something is wrong with our pet.

If you’re interested in learning more about the medicinal uses of CBD, check out other Nuka articles in the health section.