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As a dog owner, it can be heartbreaking to watch your beloved pet go from being active and playing all day and turn into a less mobile and quieter being. Our dogs may not verbally express what they are feeling, but we can always tell when they feel less than their best due to illness, stress, or advanced age.
The good news is, there is a medicinal product on the market that is proving to be life-changing for many people, and as it happens, it can be of benefit to dogs as well.
Why CBD is a safer alternative to traditional medication
Cannabinol (CBD) comes from the same family as marijuana, but unlike the latter, which can get you high, CBD does not have psychoactive effects. This natural compound has been around for thousands of years.
Nevertheless, research on CBD is still preliminary. There is still much that researchers do not know about it, primarily since, in most cases, experiments can only be performed on rats rather than humans.
Despite limited research, scientists have observed CBD’s encouraging results regarding chronic diseases and mental health issues. Some of the health issues CBD can help with include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, anxiety, depression, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, PTSD, heart disease, and more.
Even more encouraging is that CBD has not exhibited harmful effects on humans or animals, thus making it a safer alternative to traditional medication.
Five mind-blowing ways senior dogs can benefit from CBD
Now that you know a little more about CBD, here are five great reasons why you should consider giving CBD to help your aging dog.
1. CBD is fantastic for pain management
Hip dysplasia or IVDD, arthritis, or inflammation, these are all health conditions that can affect your dog’s day-to-day activities. Pain management is key to decreasing the aches and giving your pet relief, and you can do this with a dose of CBD.
Studies on CBD as a powerful pain-relieving medication show great promise. In one study, conducted on rats with arthritis, researchers observed the pain-relieving effects of CBD. Scientists administered 62.3mg of CBD per day for four days, and they noticed a decrease in pain in the rats’ joints.
2. CBD is gentler on the organs
If your dog has had a history of health issues, you know that there are various pain medications to manage your pet’s pain. The problem with some of this traditional medication is that it can have serious side effects and damage other organs such as your dog’s liver or kidneys.
With age, our organs begin to wear down, and this happens to animals as well. So being gentle on these organs is critical to keeping your pet healthier for longer. The side effects of some traditional medication are significant. Some medicines can cause kidney and liver toxicity, as well as gastrointestinal ulcers and perforations. For dogs who already have kidney or liver issues, this can worsen their state, or worse, lead to death.
CBD provides you with a different alternative. You can still help your pet with the right dose but avoid causing more damage to his already weak state. Administering CBD is more accessible, as well. You can give your dog a drop of CBD oil, or you can shop vegan CBD tincture in the flavor your dog prefers.
3. CBD is excellent for anxiety
More than anything else, CBD seems to have become a trending product thanks to Instagram influencers hailing it a natural alternative to relieving anxiety. Many users have described CBD as removing, rather than adding to their experience, saying how CBD removes those negative feelings, which cause stress and anxiety.
Luckily, CBD’s work on anxiety isn’t just a trend. Studies have shown the positive effects CBD has on anxiety. It has been administered to people suffering from different mental health issues, including PTSD, depression, postpartum, menopause, and anxiety.
For your dog, CBD can provide relief from the stress and anxiety caused by an operation, pain, or an accident that left him traumatized. By increasing the dog’s serotonin level, CBD will help your pet relax and feel calmer. This, paired with a calm environment, will help your dog enjoy more peaceful days.
4. CBD helps increase appetite
A reduction in appetite is common among aging dogs, especially if they are ill or in pain. The problem is, food is critical to having your dog remain strong and healthy for longer. While force-feeding your dog isn’t practical, using CBD to increase your pet’s appetite is.
CBD works on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the body. The latter uses receptors to manage critical bodily functions, such as pain, mood, sleep, and more. The ECS also happens to control our hunger level. While researchers have yet to learn how CBD interacts with the ECS’s receptors, what they have observed is that it positively affects them, and in this case, it increases appetite.
5. CBD encourages sleep
What’s fascinating about CBD is that it has a double effect. In low doses, CBD acts as a stimulant, giving your dog a boost in energy to improve his quality of life. Alternatively, when taken in high doses, CBD encourages sleep by making your dog feel more relaxed.
If your dog is suffering from poor sleep due to pain, illness, or trauma, using CBD to help him get longer stretches of sleep is an excellent way to enhance his quality of life. Moreover, if you want your dog to stay still as much as possible to heal from a wound, using CBD to encourage more prolonged bouts of sleep is a safe way of ensuring that the wound is not touched. An added advantage is that CBD helps wounds heal more quickly.
Giving CBD to your dog
Although CBD comes with a long list of advantages, you must consult a medical professional before administering CBD to your dog. A professional will ensure that CBD does not have adverse effects on other medications you may be giving your dog. Moreover, as with other medicines, the dose of CBD for dogs varies from that of humans, so be sure you are giving your dog the right amount.
Jeffery Thompson is a full-time content marketing specialist. He has been closely following the pet, CBD and Cannabis industry trends for quite some time. He has dabbled in various domains before the cannabis industry. On his off days, he likes to spend his time at the nearest animal shelter or nose deep in a book.
