CBD has many curative properties. More than just a wellness trend, it has been known to help humans with pain relief, arthritis, lowering blood pressure, anxiety care, and a whole lot more. As a pet parent, you might wonder if CBD has any benefits to offer your pets.
The good news is that it does! However, you do need products that are formulated especially for your dog or cat for them to be effective. If you’re new to CBD in general, don’t worry, we have got you covered. Read on to learn all about CBD for dogs, how it can help them, and what products to choose.
What is CBD?
CBD stands for cannabidiol, a compound found in the cannabis plant. Unlike its counterpart THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol), it doesn’t get you (or your pet!) high. Most CBD is isolated from hemp or the non-psychoactive parts of the plant.
How does CBD work?
Just like humans, our pets’ bodily functions are regulated by hormones. Our bodies also possess a system called the ‘endocannabinoid system’ (ECS) which plays a role in the release of hormones. CBD binds to endocannabinoid receptors in the ECS (we’re talking on molecular levels here) to regulate and balance processes like appetite and digestion, metabolism, chronic pain, inflammation and other immune system responses, mood, motor control, stress, and skin and nerve function.
Understanding the Labels
Choosing the best CBD product for your furry friend can get confusing with terms like full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate used on labels. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Full-Spectrum CBD: This contains all the chemicals found in the plant which include terpenes (which have excellent anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer values and antioxidant activities), anti-inflammatory flavonoids, and a tiny amount (less than 0.3%) of THC.
Broad-Spectrum CBD: Contains all of the above minus the THC.
CBD Isolate: The product contains only CBD and nothing else.
What Can CBD Help Your Dog With?
CBD can help your pet with a range of health issues. Although the treatment of health problems using CBD is a relatively new field, early studies show promising results. Providing you stick to recommended doses, there are little to no side effects as well.
Epilepsy: One of the best-known uses of CBD is for the treatment of epilepsy. CBD has been shown to dramatically reduce epileptic seizure frequency, as well as number of epileptic seizure days in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy.
Pain Management: You want your doggie to have the best quality of life as they age. CBD can help ease pain in arthritic dogs and help them lead more active lives.
Anxiety: Although science is conflicted on this one, anecdotal evidence from pet owners and veterinarians suggests that CBD helps pets keep calm in stressful situations.
The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD have also demonstrated results in reducing itching in dogs.
How to Pick Safe CBD Products for Your Dog
As the CBD industry is new, there are several products on the market that are not accurately labeled according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. This can raise concerns when you want to purchase a hemp product for your dog. One of the most important factors to look for is if a product has been tested for quality. All the products available at Apeiron North Fields are tested for their ingredients by an external laboratory to make sure that we deliver the highest-quality products. The results can be viewed on our COA page.
Our pet hemp tincture is bacon flavored, so you don’t have to coax your furry buddy to eat it. The flavor also makes it easy to conceal in a meal or in treats. You can get your pooch started on this by administering a low dosage and increasing it as you go along. The recommended dose is 1mg per pound of body weight. You can administer this dose twice a day.
Our broad-spectrum chews come in a fun steak shape that your pet is sure to love. As each treat contains the same amount of CBD, it’s easy to administer the correct dose every single time.
Remember, if you’re ever in doubt always consult your veterinarian.
Shop CBD for your dog or for yourself on Apeiron North Fields today or get in touch with us if you don’t see a product you are looking for.
