The Benefits of CBD for Pets
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The benefits of CBD for pets is becoming common knowledge in the world of healthcare. Research has already demonstrated the ability of CBD to help with many human ailments, like lowering stress levels, reducing inflammation, and treating insomnia. But do these same benefits transfer to pets? Is CBD a safe alternative treatment for your animals?
Before we dive into those questions, let’s start by reviewing what CBD actually is.
All About CBD
To begin, we must identify the difference between CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). While both are natural compounds derived from the cannabis sativa plant, they do very different things.
Despite their similar chemical structures, CBD and THC have very different psychoactive effects. CBD, or cannabidiol, contains less than 0.3% THC, so it does not cause people (or animals) to feel “loopy” or “intoxicated” the same way that THC does.
Despite the THC content being low, the psychoactive properties are still present and useful. However, your pets will not hallucinate or “get high” from using a CBD-infused product.
Here are some of the ways CBD can help your pets.
Help Your Pet De-stress
If you have an animal who frequently becomes anxious or afraid, CBD can benefit them by reducing their stress levels.
CBD interacts with receptors in the brain, and can keep typical stress signals from having as much of an effect on the body of your pet.
Many pets are startled by fireworks and heavy storms, so CBD is a great product to have on hand to keep your pet from feeling too afraid of what’s going on around them. It’s a natural way to reduce your pet’s anxiety without the side effects of prescription medication.
Natural Pain Relief
While more research and testing are needed in this area, pets have been shown to experience less pain when CBD is introduced to their system.
Pain is often caused by inflammation of certain cells or body parts. Luckily, CBD has tremendous anti-inflammatory properties that may calm your pet’s joint inflammation which, in turn, reduces their pain.
This makes CBD a great supplement for older dogs, many of whom end up developing inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Make sure you discuss any supplements with your veterinarian before starting treatment with CBD. While it is a natural product, it can still interact with other types of medication when not used properly.
Better Appetite and Less Nausea
Again, this area needs more research before it can be verified as a cure, but CBD has been shown to improve the appetite of pets and keep them from feeling as nauseous.
For pet parents who struggle to get their pets to eat enough to sustain them, using CBD can help improve your pet’s appetite.
Reducing nausea can also stop sick and elderly pets from vomiting as often. There is some evidence that CBD can help regulate your pets digestive system.
The next time you start to worry about your pet’s well-being, consider purchasing a CBD-based product to help your pet.
If you have doubts about the product, or specific worries about treating your pet with CBD, consult your veterinarian at your pet’s next check-up.