CBD Oil for Dogs

Plenty of people give CBD to their friends and family but many have probably not considered the possibility of giving CBD to one of their favorite members of the family: their dogs. While it has not been heavily researched to the point that we can draw definitive conclusions on how it impacts man’s best friend, there are quite a few canine owners out there who have said that CBD has been able to help their dogs with a variety of different issues. If you have heard about or take CBD yourself and were wondering if you were able to give it to your dog as well, continue reading to learn more about its potential application with animals.

What is CBD?

It may be a little scary at first to think about giving your pet CBD but once you understand what it is, you will feel much safer! CBD is a chemical compound that is found within the hemp plant. This chemical belongs to a group of other chemicals known as cannabinoids, which all serve a purpose and interact with the body in different ways when the hemp plant is consumed or absorbed. To give you a better picture of what CBD is, take a second to research marijuana. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC, which is another cannabinoid found in the hemp plant that is responsible for the psychoactive experience users feel when they smoke or ingest the drug. Fortunately, CBD is said to provide all of the medical benefits of without the psychoactive high you get with THC.

Benefits

Because dogs have very similar anatomical structures to humans (the endocannabinoid system contained within humans functions the same as the endocannabinoid system found within dogs), CBD is said to benefit them in some of the same ways. Here are some of the benefits that CBD may be able to provide for your dog.

Anti-Inflammation

CBD is widely known for a couple of its supposed properties and one of them is its anti-inflammatory properties. When inflammation becomes a problem for your dog and they are constantly swelling or dealing with an autoimmune disease that is affecting their overall quality of life, CBD may be able to interfere with the inflammation process so that your dog can experience some relief from the overwhelming symptoms that often accompany these problems.

Separation Anxiety

Yet another well-known quality, CBD is said to be extremely beneficial in humans or animals that are dealing with high levels of stress or anxiety. In the case of dogs that have separation anxiety, it can be hard to leave them alone for even a brief period of time and the overall feeling that they get daily can greatly impact their mental and physical health. Dogs who are dealing with anxiety may be able to feel a sense of calm when they take CBD so that they can relax when their owners are gone.

Hip Dysplasia

For those who have not heard of this issue, hip dysplasia is a skeletal condition in which a dog’s hip joint doesn’t form properly and causes friction when the joints rub together. This is often very painful for the dog who is dealing with it and they may end up losing motion altogether in this area. CBD may be able to make it easier for the dog to live with while you seek out treatment options and may help to slow down the progression of the condition as well.

Joint Pain

Dogs play hard and much like with humans, this continuous wearing down of the body may lead the dog to deal with arthritis later on in life. This slows down the dog and makes it painful to the point where they aren’t able to move around in the way that they would like to. CBD is said to be great for pain and the substance may help your dog cope with any type of joint pain they have.

How to Give your Dog CBD?

Although it would seem relatively tricky to administer CBD to your dog, you can actually do it in many of the traditional ways that humans take CBD. That being said, here are two of the easiest way to give CBD to your dog.

Dog Snacks

Dog snacks are essentially edibles for your dog. Typically sold in shapes that are appealing to animals, these dog snacks are usually made from organic ingredients that are safe to ingest as well a specific dosage of CBD per treat. Whatever the required dose is that your dog needs in order to experience the possible benefits, these dog snacks are easy to dose and give to your dog as they are often quite tasty. If you are looking for a simple way to give your dog CBD, dog snacks are the way to go.

Tincture on Their Snacks

If you have not yet heard of these products, CBD oils are products that are designed to be taken orally and include a dropper that sucks up the liquid and easily distributes it. With dogs, you will not be able to administer it sublingually but you can put it on their treats or snacks so that they get the dose of CBD that you want to give them. For some dogs, this may not work as CBD liquids may contain the strong hemp flavor. However, some dogs may not care as much and others may simply want you to give it right to them in liquid form!

Conclusion

Because it has not been researched deeply, there are no guarantees that CBD will be able to help your dog and you should always be cautious when giving CBD to your dog to make sure that they don’t experience any negative side effects. Still, because dogs share our endocannabinoid system, they may be able to enjoy similar benefits. If you have been wanting to try giving your dog CBD but haven’t learned enough about the substance, the guide above will give you all of the information needed to move forward with the process.