There has been a lot of buzz about CBD’s ability to relieve numerous medical and health conditions for people. But did you know that you could also use CBD for your pets? Go to any dog park or a places where people frequent with their pets and you’ll hear pet owners talk about the wide variety of ways they are helping their fur babies with CBD.
Just when you thought CBD couldn’t work any better, it discovers another way. But there is one big question pet owners are asking: how safe is CBD to use on your animals?
What You Need To Know First
Unfortunately, since CBD oil and cannabis medicine is still being researched, there haven’t been any studies regarding the use of cannabis with pets. And because of this, “the American Veterinary Medical Association can’t state that vets are allowed to even discuss cannabis as a possible recommended medication without risking their medical license.”
The AMVA did release a document titled, “Cannabis: What Veterinarians Need to Know”. It discusses information about cannabis, and cannabinoids like THC and CBD, and what to do in case pets are exposed to cannabis and suffer a toxic reaction. The document, however, also states that most of the toxic cases of dogs exposed to marijuana also involved puppies, and food that’s toxic to all dogs, including chocolate, raisins, and xylitol.
However, there is no evidence that CBD extract or oil has a toxic effect on dogs. Despite this finding, federal regulations still rule that CBD oil or edibles are illegal for pet use.
New Research Shows Promise
But, with the legalization of cannabis in some states, more and more doctors and organizations have begun conducting trials and studies regarding the use of cannabis with pets. The American Kennel Club awarded Dr. Stephanie McGrath, a neurologist and assistant professor at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, a $350,000 grant in January 2018 for three-year study of the effects of CBD use for epilepsy in dogs.
For 24 weeks, dogs with at least two seizures a month were given either a CBD oil treatment or a placebo. By June 2018, they reported that 89% drop in regular seizures of the dogs. They are also currently conducting clinical trials regarding using CBD oil treatment in dogs suffering from osteoarthritis.
The Right Way to Introduce CBD to Pets
If you would like to administer CBD oil treatment on your pets, take proper precaution and always work with a licensed and trusted veterinarian. Dr. Cornelia Wagner, veterinarian and owner of Hawthorne Veterinary Clinic in Portland, OR, is open to the idea of using cannabis or CBD oil with the treatment for your pet with proper care. She says that “there are no clear medical guidelines for doing so” and she recommends to always start with the lowest dosage possible. For CBD products, always start dosage with 0.5mg/kg/day. For THC products, start with an oral dose of 0.1mg/kg once or twice a day.
If there is no negative reaction after 5 days, the dosage can be increased but only up to 0.5mg/week of CBD until the desired effect is achieved. THC must be administered in smaller amounts because pets have complex endocannabinoid system as humans, with many more receptors, and THC effects might be stronger with them than with humans.
How CBD Can Help
CBD can be used on your pets as a painkiller, as an anticonvulsant (for pets with regular occurring seizures), anti-inflammatory, reduces anxiety, stress, or phobia, controls nausea or vomiting, stops the development and slows the growth or spread of malignant tumors, and as a regular supplement for the overall health and wellbeing of your pets.
Remember, if you are planning to use CBD oil on your pets, look for a trusted source and seek help administering it safely. And make sure that your state allows the use of cannabis or CBD. Even if you work with an out-of-state veterinarian, where it’s legal, make sure that when you go back to your state, you won’t have any issues with your state’s law on cannabis use.