CBD FOR PETS?
Let’s take a moment to describe the unconditional love we get from our pets. They are our therapist when we are struggling, our emotional support system, our friend, they keep us warm, happy, make us feel safe, keep us company, and the list goes on. These selfless creatures ask for nothing in return but our loyalty, love, and protection. CBD for pets is our way of thanking these treasures for all that they bring to our lives.
There are times when I wish our pets can talk to us like in those cartoons/movies we love so much. If we knew our pet was in pain or stressed, we could help them the way they help us. Man, we need Dr. Doolittle. What a gift that would be, to hear what ailments our pet is suffering.
We are coming up on the 4th of July. This is a rough time for many animals. The loud cracks of fireworks in the knight air can be traumatizing. So, is there anything that can help? Do we have to go to the vet for treatment prior to events that could be alarming to our pet? Using CBD for your pets can help alleviate the anxiety they feel during these times.
CBD has many uses for our beloved pets; pain relief, anticonvulsant, inflammation relief, stress relief, digestive help, anxiety, and promotes heart health. Let’s get into more detail.
CBD FOR PETS: PAIN RELIEF
It is well known that CBD can be used for pain in people, but did you know that your pets body responds similarly to yours in regard to how CBD works to relieve pain. Much like people, pets have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that is used to help maintain balance in the body. The ECS works naturally with CBD to initiate the desired responses in the body. In 97, there was a study published that showed the ECS was deeply involved in pain relief.
CBD can help manage pain in a number of ways; it can stop the absorption of anandamide ( a chemical the dulls pain signals in the brain) and is also used an anti-inflammatory ( which is the cause of a lot of pain in the body).
ANTICONVULSANT
Did you know that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved CBD for seizures and epilepsy? This is probably the best-known medicinal uses for CBD. CBD can be used to control seizures, tremors, tics, or 
spasms. Why does this work? CBD is a natural anticonvulsant.
This discovery was made famous in 2013 by a wonderful young girl named Charlotte Figi. Charlotte suffered from 300 seizures weekly and was given a tincture of CBD that brought her seizures down to 2 to 3 times a month.
Since this case there have been many studies that have been done to prove the effectiveness of CBD on tremors, spasms, and tics as well. There have been studies that prove CBD can help manage seizures caused by epilepsy.
Because our pets have a similar ECS system it is not a leap to suggest that given the amount of research in support of its use as an anticonvulsant that our pets will get the same benefits.
INLAMMATION RELIEF
CBD’s know anti-inflammatory effects is believed to be one of the reasons CBD is useful in treating a variety of conditions. Like us our pets put a lot of wear and tear on their bodies. Now we know when someone is sore or swelling. The lovely grown when sitting or standing (ooh, the knees), the complaining about bending over (my back!), the wincing when opening a jar (my arthritis). Is this just me. Am I the only one that whines and growns. Well, our pets do not have the luxury of complaining about their sore muscles and we do not always see the swelling in their joints, but it is there.
CBD is well known to treat symptoms of inflammation in arthritis, MS, irritable bowl syndrome and so on. Some inflammation is caused by a malfunction in the immune system. CBD works with the ECS receptors to help balance that. By lowering the inflammation, we can help lower the pain associated with it.
STRESS/ANXIETY
Do any of you have a pet that appears to have a phobia? Maybe your pet is scared of the stairs in the house. Are you the one that has to carry your pet up/down the stairs every day? We are not judging; this is a real thing. Our pets can experience anxiety, stress and even phobias. There are many types of stress that our pets experience from noise to travel to even just being separated from you. Animals respond to stress similarly to people, chewing, shaking, aggression and a few that most people to not experience, barking and urinating.
CBD has been shown in research to reduce the feelings of anxiety and reduce the symptoms that are associated.
DIGESTION
Humans and pets will from time to time experience nausea and vomiting. Now typically these symptoms do not last long, and our bodies recover quickly. Now, there are those times that our body does not respond to whatever is causing these feeling and the extended symptoms can lead to decreased appetite, rapid weight loss, dehydration and so on.
Of course, there are medications available for pets that are suffering from these symptoms, but those come with a variety of side effects, including hypotension, sedation, lower the seizure threshold, drooling, lethargy, loss of appetite, and diarrhea.
There is extensive evidence that CBD is successful at controlling both nausea and vomiting while still stimulating appetite. Some studies have even suggested that CBD is more effective then some modern medications. The absolute BEST part is that CBD does not cause any side effects of traditional pharmaceuticals.
CBD FOR PETS!
With all the information provided it is safe to say that CBD can be helpful to our pets for a number of reasons without any side effects. Our pets that are suffering from anxiety, pain, inflammation, digestion issues, or seizures do not have to suffer any longer. The science is there, the evidence is in your pet can benefit from the wonders that CBD has to offer!
References:
https://cannabissupplementsforpets.com/benefits-of-cbd-for-dogs/
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/5-reasons-to-use-hemp-oil-for-dogs/
BY: KELLY COULTER
Kelly researches and writes about the use of CBD in the fitness and health community. She holds a Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. When she isn’t running an in-school Bootcamp class for 7th and 8th graders, teaching science for 6th and 7th graders, or coaching kids classes at her local gym, she is chasing her son Dominic around and leading a life of example with regular training, food prep weekends, and an active, healthy lifestyle. She previously ran the athletic department for her Charter School but has since passed the torch to her Assistant Director so she can pursue other opportunities to spread the word of fitness and health in her local community.