Your dog is the light of your life and you want to treat them as such, which is why introducing any new medication to their bodies can feel a little intimidating.  

And nowadays, it’s not uncommon for pets to take a wide range of meds, including Xanax (yes, really, Xanax), so maybe it’s time to step away from sedatives and the like and take a look at safe, natural healing options like CBD. 

CBD is a chemical compound that comes from cannabis with a wide range of potential therapeutic effects, including:

• Reducing anxiety

• Lifting mood

• Relieving pain

• Improving appetite and insulin function 

• Reducing nausea

• Providing relief for gastrointestinal issues 

• Preventing seizures

• Improving heart function

• Protecting against some forms of cancer

Sounds great, doesn’t it? So where do you start with your dog? 

Well, definitely with a veterinarian to get the dosing right. CBD probably won’t hurt your dog in any amount (it’s non-toxic), but different doses are used for different ailments and it can interact with some medications, so you have to consult a vet before you introduce this to your dog’s body. 
Unfortunately, most vets won’t suggest CBD unprompted, so you’re going to have to be the one who starts this conversation. Since there has been a massive uptick in people asking about giving CBD to their dogs all over the country, there’s a good chance that at least one vet in or near your city knows enough about it to ensure that your dog gets the right amount to support their body.  

So now you might be wondering how the hell does this work? I know CBD is good for humans, but how could it help dogs too? Aren’t their sweet little quadrupedal bodies different from ours?

Our bodies interact with the cannabis plant through the endocannabinoid system. Simply put, there is a system that already exists in all of us that knows how to interact with compounds in cannabis products. At the end of the day, the endocannabinoid system is also what keeps the body balanced; it’s been linked to everything from inflammation to metabolism to stress response. Now here’s the kicker: dogs also have an endocannabinoid system, so some of these cannabis products can help them too. 

Cannabis contains over 100 cannabinoids (chemical compounds that act on cannabinoid receptors in your body) that interact with this system and have a wide variety of effects. When it comes to dogs, the cannabinoid we’re talking about is CBD. The most famous is THC, which is the compound that produces the fun, psychoactive effect of consuming marijuana. 

One thing that we absolutely have to note is (and we’ll say this in bolded all caps to really get the point across), DO NOT GET YOUR DOG HIGH WITH THC PRODUCTS. 

If you’re a THC consumer, take a second to remember the first time you got waaaay too high. It was probably terrifying and made you feel like you were 100%, for sure, without a doubt going to die. Now imagine what it would have felt like to have that experience with absolutely no idea what was happening. Look at these dogs. They’re not happy and, due to a highly unfortunate language barrier, there is no way to talk a dog down from a bad trip. 

CBD, however, can absolutely be used to support your dog vis-a-vis said effects and advantages above. It’s easy to administer in their food and getting CBD oil isn’t tricky. So once you’ve established that dose with a trusty vet who understands the healing power of CBD, it will become a tool to show man’s best friend just how much we care about them.