American pet owners are slated to spend $125 million on hemp-based cannabidiol (CBD) products by 2022.
Cannabidiol is a compound present in hemp and cannabis. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it won’t get your dog ‘high.’
As such, CBD oil doesn’t have THC’s psychoactive effect, and it is fast rising as a substance that can help treat dogs that are unwell.
Although you may have heard about the benefits of CBD, you might still have questions. Read this article to learn ten uses of cannabis oil that can help your dog stay healthy.
1. Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are common symptoms that can be quite annoying not just for you but your furry friend as well.
Your dog might start being nauseous and even vomit due to several causes such as medication (chemotherapy for example) or certain conditions that trigger it.
Regardless of why your dog is nauseous or vomiting, know that it should not be taken lightly.
If you let your dog keep vomiting or struggle with nausea, it might lead to weight loss, fatigue, and a decreased appetite.
There are many options in the market for drugs that deal with nausea and vomiting (also known as antiemetic drugs).
Although these drugs can be effective at eliminating nausea and vomiting, they also cause unwanted side effects. These include:
- Excess drolling
- Diarrhea
- Hypotension
- Poor appetite
- Low seizure thresholds for epileptic dogs
CBD oil for dogs also has antiemetic properties. When your dog takes the CBD, it stimulates the 5-HT1A receptors.
The result is that the animal experiences less nausea and a weaker accompanying desire to vomit.
The icing on the cake is that unlike traditional antiemetic drugs, CBD doesn’t cause any side effects to your dog.
2. Pain
Watching your dog deal with pain can be heart-wrenching. It doesn’t matter if it is periodic or chronic pain. You will want to do anything to give your loved pet some relief.
Just like you, your dog has the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which controls its mood, physiology, and other daily experiences.
The endocannabinoid system is basically a biochemical system that attracts certain compounds in your body as well as your dog’s.
One of the compounds the system attracts is cannabidiol. The receptors in the endocannabinoid system catch CBD and enable its travel to the brain via the nervous system.
It is through this mechanism that CBD helps fight pain in your dog’s system.
Once your furry friend ingests CBD for dogs, it briefly stops the absorption of anandamide in its system.
Anandamide is a chemical that enables the dampening of pain signals in your dog’s body.
Since this chemical isn’t being absorbed its level starts increasing. That temporary increase is what helps to reduce the pain your dog is feeling.
3. Stress and Anxiety
Stress and anxiety are natural responses to stimuli, and your dog also experiences them.
Old dogs, for example, experience Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) which can make them anxious among other things.
No matter what the source of anxiety or stress is, you need to help your beloved pet beat it.
When your dog is anxious, it will display several symptoms, which include:
- Tremors
- Aggression
- Fidgeting
- Pacing
- Panting
- Persistent barking
- Chewing furniture, clothes, and shoes
- Urinating or defecating inside the house or its sleeping space
- Whining or whimpering
CBD can help reduce your dog’s anxiety level, thereby calming it.
Scientists are still not sure how it achieves this effect, but it is thought that it might be through mimicking traditional anxiety drugs.
These drugs temporarily increase the Serotonin levels in the brain. The increase improves its mood and consequently reduces its anxiety and stress.
4. Cancer
Cancer in pets is sadly a common affair and often results in death.
Since there is no known cure for cancer as yet, the most reliable method of dealing with cancer in your pet is chemotherapy.
Just like in human beings, chemotherapy also has some adverse effects in dogs. These include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Low or no appetite
- Fatigue or lethargy
Recently, research has shown that CBD for pets also has anti-tumor properties that can help fight cancer in your dog.
For example, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center’s study in Boston found that CBD can cause programmable cell death, inhibiting breast cancer’s growth.
Furthermore, analysis by Madrid’s Complutense University does show that CBD and other cannabinoids can heighten the effect of chemotherapy.
The researches posit that CBD achieves this by increasing the rate at which cancer cells absorb chemotherapy agents while at the same time protecting healthy cells.
5. Allergies
Can you recall a time when you saw your dog struggling with an allergy?
When your dog gets an allergy, it interferes with your pet’s ECS functioning. Due to this, its body will interpret the allergens as a threat even though it could be something as harmless as pollen.
Your dog’s body will react by triggering reactions like sneezing and itchiness to protect itself.
At this point, a vet will most likely prescribe traditional allergy drugs for your dog. But the problem with these drugs is that they work via suppressing the immune system.
Consequently, your dog will become more vulnerable to any real threats.
CBD oil for dogs with allergies provides relief from allergies in a better way. When you use CBD, it will only affect your dog’s brain receptors and not suppress its immune system.
Thus, not only does your dog get relief, but it stays healthy in the process.
6. Poor Appetite
When you note that your dog isn’t eating as much as it used to, it can be quite disconcerting.
A major reason for this is because your dog’s appetite doesn’t fluctuate by itself. There is always an underlying issue influencing the decline.
Anxiety, depression, and stress are some things that can contribute to your dog’s poor appetite. Physical injuries can also make your dog not want to eat as much.
Your dog’s appetite is regulated by its ECS. When it is low, CBD can stimulate the receptors which can increase your pet’s appetite.
Another way in which CBD helps improve a dog’s appetite is by stimulating the cannabinoid receptors found in the hypothalamus.
These receptors trigger the reward-based aspect of feeding. By giving your dog CBD oil for pets, you can help stimulate the receptors, thereby increasing the appetite.
7. Seizures
The most common reason for seizures in dogs happens to be canine epilepsy.
Canine epilepsy affects the functioning of neurons, which causes them to fire in a rapid and uncontrolled manner.
Some common symptoms of seizures in dogs include:
- Stiffness
- Jerking and twitching
- Sudden collapsing
- A confused or dazed look
- Excess drooling or foaming at the mouth
- Temporary loss of consciousness
CBD happens to be a natural anticonvulsant. Unlike traditional options, it doesn’t leave your dog with unwanted side effects.
8. Cardiovascular Health
It can be devastating to learn that your furry friend is suffering from a cardiovascular problem.
Dogs that are small in size and are at least five years old are at a higher risk of heart problems than their bigger and younger counterparts.
There are several types of risks to your dog’s cardiovascular health, such as Mitral Valve Disease, Cardiac Arrhythmia, Cardiac Arrhythmia, and Valvular disease.
Using CBD can help reduce the injury sustained due to irregular heart rates and damaged blood vessels. It can also help lower your dog’s heart rate when it spikes due to stress and anxiety.
9. Inflammation
CBD has a reputation for its anti-inflammatory effects. Its ability to interact with immune cells receptors is thought to be the key to fighting inflammation.
Th17 cells produce cytokines that trigger inflammation. When you give your dog CBD, it enters the system and decreases both the production and release of cytokines.
Thus, your dog will be able to fight autoimmunity problems, hypersensitivity, and even allergies.
By helping reduce inflammation, CBD lowers pain and other symptoms of conditions like irritable bowel disease.
10. Neurodegeneration
Neurodegenerative diseases exist in dogs just as they do in humans.
A neurodegenerative disease, as the name suggests, is one that leads to your dog’s neurons losing their structure and ability to function. At times the neurons end up dying.
When your dog has a neurodegenerative disease, it will exhibit symptoms such as stiff muscles, tremors, amnesia, fatigue, and dizziness.
CBD has shown great promise in being able to combat neurodegenerative diseases in dogs. For example, in senior canines, CBD can help protect the brain from cell death.
A notable benefit to using CBD in combating neurodegenerative diseases is that it doesn’t have the same kinds of side effects as traditional medication does.
Look After Your Dog’s Health with Cannabis Oil
It is important to seek a firm understanding of how CBD can help your furry friend handle physical and behavioral challenges so that you can provide them with the best care.
However, the bottom line is that cannabis oil offers many benefits to dogs
Are you a dog lover who holds their beloved pet close to the heart? Keep reading our blog to learn more about dog care.
