Can CBD Help My Aging Dog?
CBD oil from hemp is a medicinal herb many senior dog owners are looking into. In fact, CBD for aging dogs is one of the most talked-about topics in our 120,000 member senior dog group on Facebook.
The benefits of CBD oil are reaching more dogs every day. Here are a few reasons why senior dog owners are choosing it for their pets:
1. CBD May Offer Significant Benefits To Brain Health In Aging Dogs
CBD has shown the ability to support normal cellular function and promote healthy aging through mitochondrial support.
In addition, CBD is currently being studied for its apparent antipsychotic, anti-nausea, and anticonvulsant, and anti-swelling benefits. The anti-swelling benefits, in particular, may offer the most benefit to the aging brain.
2. CBD Helps Senior Dogs With Stress
The life of a dog might not seem stressful, but many pups suffer from different kinds of situational and behavioral stress. CBD oil targets the endocannabinoid system to help the body balance emotions. The endocannabinoid system is the same in all mammals. It’s comprised of spaced-out receptors that communicate to keep the body balanced. CBD oil works to initiate chemical transmissions between receptors that help the dog feel calm in times of stress. Pet owners use it for dogs with separation stress, phobias, and general stress.
3. CBD Can Help Relieve Chronic Pain, Especially Joint Problems
CBD oil naturally helps reduce swelling in all parts of the body. The same endocannabinoid receptors that work together to relieve stress also target areas in the body experiencing pain due to swelling, damaged nerves, and injury.
RELATED: Which Brand Of CBD Oil Does iHeartDogs.com Recommend?
Many holistic veterinarians recommend CBD oil to senior dogs suffering from joint pain. While it isn’t a cure for all joint issues, it can ease the swelling caused by worn-down cartilage, and it helps dogs feel better and stay active. It’s also used to alleviate painful symptoms of intestinal swelling, and it’s often administered after surgery and during injury recovery to invoke the immune system for faster healing.2
4. CBD Increases Appetite And Fights Nausea
Food and nutrients are essential for a healthy aging dog, and a good diet is especially important when that dog is battling a serious illness. They need food to give their body the strength to fight back, but many health conditions shut down appetite. When they can’t eat, they become weak and are even more vulnerable to whatever kind of damage their illness is causing.
CBD oil works to counter this effect by stimulating appetite.2 Whether it’s nausea or a general weariness that’s keeping the dog from eating, CBD oil triggers the sensation of hunger. When the dog eats without feeling sick and vomiting the food back up, they absorb much-needed nutrients to help their body stay strong and healthy.
Using CBD oil to alleviate pain and promote overall well-being for your dog is something more and more people are catching on to. There’s still a lot scientists don’t know, but initial studies on humans show promising potential. More studies focusing on CBD oil for dogs are currently in the works, and dog owners and holistic veterinarians await results to learn just how far CBD oil can take the future of veterinary medicine.
CBD Is Legal In All 50 States And Will Not Make Your Dog “High”
The first concern people have for administering CBD oil to their pets is exposing them to potential toxins related to cannabis. While the cannabis plant is most commonly associated with marijuana, hemp is its safer cousin. Unlike marijuana, hemp is not psychoactive, which means it can’t make you (or your dog) high.2
It’s the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana that gives people a high. CBD oil from hemp, however, is cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC (for pets we recommend choosing a product that is 100% THC free). CBD oil has all the therapeutic properties of cannabis without the mind-altering characteristics of THC. There are no toxins related to CBD oil from hemp, and there’s no risk of overdosing.3
The changing legality of cannabis is hard to keep track of, but when it comes to CBD oil from hemp, it’s easy. Unlike marijuana, hemp is legal in all 50 states.1 As a hemp product, that means CBD oil is legal, too. Medical marijuana is legal in about half of states, but with negligible amounts of THC, those rules don’t apply to hemp. It’s perfectly legal to buy and possess CBD oil as long as it’s obtained from hemp and has less than 0.3% THC.
If you’d like to learn more about CBD hemp oil, we’d encourage you to view our recently published ultimate guide to CBD for dogs.
Related: If you think your dog won’t take an oil, you might consider trying CBD treats for dogs instead.
Which Brand Of CBD Oil Is Safe & Effective For Senior Dogs?
Our team was fortunate to be consulted on the creation of the Cannanine brand of CBD oil for dogs. Unlike most CBD oils, Cannanine is 100% THC free. And since all of our products help dogs in some way, every purchase of Cannanine provides healthy meals for shelter dogs.
Sources
1. All The Best Pet Care
2. Dog’s Naturally Magazine
3. PetMD
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional.
