With its anti-inflammatory properties, brain-toxicity protection and anxiety-reducing benefits, CBD is gaining traction as a natural, holistic way to treat dogs for a variety of ailments. Giving your pooch a therapeutic treat, chew, tincture or dietary supplement is more than just the latest pet wellness trend. This medical breakthrough excels at providing pups with pain relief to greatly improve wellness and quality of life. 

By binding to the endocannabinoid receptors in your dog’s bloodstream, CBD can provide a range of health-boosting benefits and restore out-of-balance functions.  

Reducing Chronic Inflammation

Of all its many uses, CBD is most commonly called upon to relieve chronic inflammation pain, treating everything from bowel disorders to arthritis. According to 2019 data from the American Pet Products Association (APPA), one in four dogs are treated for arthritis. When Cornell University researchers looked into the efficacy of this natural remedy, they found that the anti-inflammatory properties in CBD helped relieve the severity of pain in arthritic dogs with no negative side effects. Increasing pet obesity is also contributing to more frequent joint pain disorders, driving treatments to capture nearly a quarter of the CBD market for canines, the APPA also reports.

Calming Anxious Personalities

Whether your pup is anxious to ride in cars, quivers in fear during thunderstorms, has separation anxiety when you leave or is overly aggressive around strangers, CBD supplements are widely used to stabilize mood disorders. As the Clinical Ethology of the Veterinary Faculty reports, anxiety issues in dogs are on the rise with nearly 88% of treated patients in 2018 showing symptoms. Along with helping to reduce troubling behaviors like trembling, whimpering, pacing, panting and urinating in the house, CBD supplements also improve memory and deepen sleep by stimulating the production of serotonin, the body’s natural mood stabilizer. 

Strengthening Heart Health

Reducing stress, anxiety and inflammation has its own heart-health benefits, but CBD studies show that supplements can actually repair damaged blood vessels, lower blood pressure and regulate irregular heart rates. The Drake Center animal hospital shares that only about 10% of dogs suffer from heart disease, but the likelihood grows as our pups age with an estimated 75% of senior dogs being treated for cardiomyopathy. Fortunately, nearly all heart disease cases in dogs are acquired, which means it is preventable. CBD is believed to deliver several other cardiac benefits that keep the heart pumping in a healthy way, such as dilating the arteries to prevent strokes. Most heart conditions are treated with prescription medication, so CBD supplements can also ease the common side effects of appetite loss, lethargy and diarrhea. 

Treating Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is difficult to diagnose and even tougher to treat. These sensory ailments, which present as a variety of issues ranging from phantom scratching and excessive licking to seizures and difficulty standing, stem from either spinal cord injuries or diseases that damage the nerves. Your vet may need to prescribe an array of medications to find the source of the problems. As a natural alternative, many pet owners report using CBD to provide relief for these neuropathic illnesses, including movement and coordination problems. Hemp-derived cannabinoids support body balance because they stimulate the central and peripheral nervous systems. It is important to not give dogs THC, however, since it negatively affects the canine central nervous system.

Appetite Stimulation

Devastated pet owners who found out that their dogs have cancer have been shocked to see such a dramatic difference in quality of life after starting CBD treatments. While CBD does not offer a cure, anecdotal reports say that results are immediate, producing happier demeanors, curbing nausea and boosting appetites. Since CBD interacts with your dog’s endocannabinoid system, its effects also extend to aiding the digestive tract, encouraging a higher metabolism and improving liver function. CBD treats or dietary supplements can also be used for encouraging fussy dogs to eat or reducing vomiting for everyday illnesses. 

There are several options for administering CBD to your dog, including hemp treats, daily dietary supplements, tincture oils that mix into food and topical creams to soothe irritated skin. Experiment with different methods and brands to find the right product that will alleviate your pup’s medical and emotional conditions.