The endocannabinoid system is a regulatory system you will find in every mammal. Just as we can feel the positive effects of CBD oil, the supportive effect of the hemp extract can also be felt by our pets. So, it’s definitely worth checking and giving our four-legged friends some natural support with an addition of a little CBD oil.
Where can we see the positive effects CBD oil has on our pets?
Hemp phytocannabinoids work in harmony with the body’s natural endocannabinoid system, a system that helps regulate different bodily functions of our dogs and cats.
Supportive effects of CBD include:
- Anti-inflammatory action
- Pain relief
- Immune system support (for example autoimmune diseases, cancer)
- Nervous system support
- Cardiovascular support
- Reducing anxiety
CBD can help soothe your dog’s acute and chronic problems. It is beneficial at relieving pain and strengthening the immune system and it’s also known for its anti-inflammatory effects. It helps relieve skin problems, soothes digestive disorders, and, last but not least, has an anti-stress effect that can help reduce aggression. The beneficial effects that CBD has on our furry friends are many and veterinarians are discovering new ones every day; CBD can even have a beneficial effect on sprains, fractures, muscle strains, and arthritis.
Pets & pyrotechnics
The best example at the moment would be the season’s use of fireworks, especially firecrackers. The surprise outbursts of noise and flashes are an actual nightmare for many cats and dogs. To soothe your pet and help them relax from this type of stress, you can apply some CBD oil and protect them from the trauma.
How do cats and dogs respond to the addition of phytocannabinoids in the form of CBD drops?
Further research is needed to thoroughly compare the differences between the pet endocannabinoid system and our own, and how their system responds to phytocannabinoids (synthetic and plant cannabinoids) such as CBD.
What we do know is that there are two main types of cannabinoid receptors in a pet’s body (cats, dogs, and similar) - CB1 and CB2. These receptors help balance and regulate the pet’s immune and central nervous systems, which can ultimately affect issues like inflammation, pain, allergies, and also their mood.
The endocannabinoid system has three main components: receptors, endocannabinoids, and enzymes. Endocannabinoids (chemicals that animals produce naturally) are formed on-demand and bind to receptors, especially during times of stress, illness, or injury.
Phytocannabinoids, such as CBD, work similarly to the body’s internal endocannabinoids and activate cannabinoid receptors.
Compared to all other species, including humans, dogs have the highest density of CB1 receptors in their brains. A recent publication revealed that cats appear to have a lower absorption rate and probably also metabolise CBD faster than dogs. Because of this, cats may need CBD more frequently than dogs to maintain sufficient levels in their blood.
But one thing is certain; every pet is different and not all of them will experience the same results when given CBD products.
How do we determine the ideal dose of CBD for an animal?
The maximum daily dose of CBD should be somewhere around 1 mg/kg/day. But you should start off much smaller, for example somewhere around 0,05 mg/kg/day, and increase the dose until you see an effect.
A 10 kg dog can safely be started at 0.5 mg of CBD per day. But to get more visible results, the dose would need to gradually be increased to about 1 mg/kg per day. For a 10 kg dog, that would mean 10 mg of CBD per day.
Is CBD safe for cats and dogs?
Let’s put your mind at ease; your four-legged friend will not experience any psychoactive effects because of CBD. In other words, CBD won’t intoxicate them in any way. The most common side effect they might experience would be mild drowsiness, similar to the side effects of some other animal medicines.
Here’s what our dear @wutheexplorer had to say about her experience (actually, it was Wu’s experience:)
MY EXPERIENCE WITH CBD
I was a very scared puppy. Every sound, new environment, unknown people, and animals were very stressful for me. In doggy school and at the vet’s they recommended I try out CBD drops.
What the heck are CBD drops, I wondered. All of a sudden, I was getting something oily put under my tongue with my breakfast and dinner, once in the morning and once in the evening. The first time around, I really had no clue what it was. I soon realized it wasn’t bad at all, so I did my best to lick the dropper too, the one my mommy used to give my ‘dose’, as she called it.
Let me tell you how cool I am now. I walk around the centre of Ljubljana, no problem. You know Čopova street, always full of people and dogs, with so many distractions? Piece of cake. A full café with people constantly walking by me, while the waiters make all kinds of noise with the coffee cups and other loud things? Couldn’t care less.
In short, dear furry friends, I want to let you know that CBD drops did amazing things for me. A big thank you to auntie @klavdijapoklukar from @hemptouch.si, for setting me up!
*btw, this isn’t a sponsored post. It’s my actual experience and I wanted to share it with you, since December is here, and it always brings a lot of distractions and loud noises.
Yours, @wutheexplorer.
Studies:
Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Clinical Efficacy of Cannabidiol Treatment in Osteoarthritic Dogs:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6065210/
Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Clinical Efficacy of Cannabidiol Treatment in Osteoarthritic Dogs
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2018.00165/full
