Pet owners have started to use CBD for a reason. As someone who owns both a cat and a dog, and they both suffer from separation anxiety, CBD has become a useful, harmless way to solve this problem.
Of course, CBD has many other uses, and as it is right now, even humans can use it. Even though you can find oils and ointments out there aimed to be used by humans, most cannabidiol-based products can be used by animals too.
As mentioned in this article, humans can benefit from CBD oil, but there are products primarly focused on animals, and in my opinion, they work better, and you should stick to them if you are planning to use them on your pets.
But before we go into details about the many edible cannabis products you can find and how they can benefit your pets and yourself, we should discuss what CBD is.
To Put It Simply
CBD is the short name for a compound found in the cannabis plant known as cannabidiol. Normally, you would think that cannabidiol and cannabis are related, and indeed they are related, but not in the way you may think about it.
Cannabidiol-based products are actually made out of the hemp plant, which is related to cannabis but is really different from it. For example, cannabis is well known for containing high levels of THC, but low levels of cannabidiol. The hemp plant is exactly the contrary.
Why is this so important? Well, THC, also known as Tretrahydrocannabidiol, is a compound found in cannabis and marijuana that gives both things its psychoactive effects. In short: THC is what gets both animals and humans hight.
But here’s the thing: the cannabidiol products sold at places like Area 52 need to contain 0.3% THC or less to be legal. This little amount of THC is actually harmless, and won’t get anyone high.
This is very important considering that Tetrahydrocannabidiol can be toxic to animals. The reason why marijuana and cannabis can be toxic to animals (both when consumed or when the smoke is inhaled) is that their brains work differently from ours.
Cats and dogs have more cannabinoid receptors than us, and they can get overwhelmed pretty easily when THC is involved.
If you don’t believe me, you should visit https://phys.org/news/2018-11-veterinary-experts-cannabis-fatal-poison.html.
Thankfully, all products based on CBD are harmless to cats and dogs, and won’t get a person high after consuming it.
Then, How Does It Work?
Well, the main reason why people get cannabidiol is to relieve the pain that comes from a great variety of inflammatory diseases and complications.
Did you know that some hospitals are starting to use cannabis and cannabidiol-based products to help their patients deal with the pain caused by cancer and chemotherapies?
Also, a study conducted in 214 people suffering from Epileptic seizures revealed that seizures were reduced by 34% thanks to cannabidiol. Only 12% of the participants suffered from side-effects, including drowsiness, anxiety, diarrhea and dry mouth.
I myself have used CBD treats for my dog and cat to help them deal with their separation anxiety. Separation anxiety is what makes your dog or cat go mad whenever you are not around, and it makes them stick to you like glue when you are.
I usually found a mess whenever I arrived home, so I started looking for an alternative. Thankfully, at the Holistapet site, I found dog and cat treats. After I started using them, things started to get better.
If you research online, you’ll probably find people suffering from inflammatory diseases using CBD oil and ointments to relieve the pain and recover some of their mobility. For pet owners, it’s a miracle that helped their buddies deal with the pain coming from joint inflammation and cancer.
What’s So Great About CBD
The reason why CBD is so great is that side-effects tend to be pretty harmless in comparison to the side-effects caused by other drugs aiming to achieve the same purposes. Worst case scenario, you’ll get diarrhea, a dry mouth, or drowsiness.
Still, there’s a really good method to avoid this: knowing your dose. This is the same for dogs and cats. Knowing what is the right dosage can make a huge difference when you are trying to avoid side-effects.
If you consume too much oil, your chances of suffering from a side-effect will surely increase, but if you take too little, you won’t benefit from it.
That’s why you should do your research beforehand. Thankfully, you can find dosage calculators and guides on the internet.
The best advice is to stick to small doses at first, depending on the size and weight of your little buddy. For a cat, I’d recommend sticking with really small doses, since they are considerably smaller than dogs.
Some products, like the one I purchased for my cat and dog, have a little guide on the back explaining how much you should give it per day.
Treats are great because they are easier to manage and calculate in contrast to oil-based products. They are also pretty appealing for both cats and dogs. You can also try a catnip oil-based spray, if you think your cat will love it.
