Does your dog cry when you leave the room or scratch at the door when you’re on the other side (even if only for a brief few minutes)? Does your aging canine limp around the house after a long hike, a fun day of fetch, or just an average walk to the park and back? Does your pup hate Halloween fireworks, jump at the sound of the doorbell, or cower during a thunderstorm?
These are just a few possible reasons why your dog might need the TLC of some CBD.
After all, it’s the latest trend among your human companions. It’s about time we shared the love with our four-legged friends too.
What CBD Can Do For Your Canine
The benefits of CBD in humans seem almost endless, including widespread claims of improved moods, regulated sleep cycles, energy boosts, memory enhancements, and more. For animals, it’s a bit more simple (after all, most dogs need less energy, not more, and they’re almost certainly sleeping enough as it is).
Our four-legged friends are most likely to enjoy two potential benefits of CBD:
- Joint support, by mitigating stiffness, swelling, and immobility
- Calmness, rendering them more at ease (even when you’re not in sight)
As such, most canine CBD products are formulated with one of these two objectives in mind. They’ll typically incorporate other ingredients that support this overall goal—calming chews with chamomile, valerian root, and ginger, for example, and joint support products with glucosamine, MSM, and chondroitin for relief targeted at discomfort and stiffness.
To gain a better sense of each of these two advantages, let’s unpack when and why you might use CBD—and what might change in your doggo.
Your Dog Might Need: Canine CBD for Joint Support
As the saying goes, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. What they forget to mention is that you also can’t always get your old dog to perform old tricks, especially as they show increasing signs of joint stiffness, immobility, and general discomfort.
If your canine struggles with the same physical activities and outdoor adventures you used to enjoy together, this might be the perfect indication to try CBD.
Here’s what you might notice when you feed your pup CBD chews:
- They seem to recover quicker, even after rigorous physical exercise. This means they won’t have to take a few days off every time they run a little too much at the off-leash dog park or overestimate their fitness level on a hike. (You know they’re not a puppy anymore, but they don’t always realize it themselves.)
- They may regain some of their mobility and flexibility. If you’ve grown accustomed to helping them on and off the bed (or up and down the stairs) because of their stiff joints and tired legs, you might not have to carry that weight anymore.
- They can enjoy some relief from the everyday aches and discomfort of canine aging. All dogs experience a certain degree of discomfort in their older age, even if they don’t have any diagnosable conditions—but they shouldn’t have to, especially if there’s a way to mitigate it.
Worried about the safety and legitimacy of CBD? CBD might be even more well-researched in animals than in humans. Check out some of the findings that support using CBD as a source of support for your pets:
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science found that giving dogs just 2mg of CBD per kg of body weight twice per day made them more comfortable and active 1.
- A randomized, double-blind study in The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain showed that CBD had a profound positive effect on canine discomfort and mobility 2.
Your Dog Might Need: Canine CBD for Calmness
We’re all familiar with the caricature of the hyperactive puppy that tears through couch pillows, yaps at every passing person, car, or fellow animal, and trips you up as you try to walk ten steps from one room to another.
But for some of us, it’s not an amusing parody at all—it’s real life (and it’s getting tiring).
This is one of the many reasons why canine calming chews might be of interest to you and your pup. You also might notice the following behavior upgrades with regular CBD use:
They may become less easily overexcitable. This doesn’t mean they lose their lovable charm or personality, but that perhaps they don’t jump up on every new person they meet or practically tackle visitors (including the unsuspecting UPS delivery worker).
Your pup might respond less intensely to everyday stimuli. If they react to every loud bang and noise, CBD could help curb these intense panic or fear responses.
They may better handle separation from you. Whether you’re leaving for work in the morning or you’re just on the other side of the bathroom door getting dressed, calming chews can ease some of the distress that dogs tend to succumb to.
Your Dog Deserves a Treat!
We give our dogs treats when they sit, roll over, and shake a paw. So why not give them a little extra something when they actually need it? Whether your dog needs added comfort and support to ease their stiff joints or a profound feeling of calmness to mitigate stressed-out barks and high-pitched whines, they’ll love canine CBD chews—and you’ll love the changes it brings!
- Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Clinical Efficacy of Cannabidiol Treatment in Osteoarthritic Dogs.
- The Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of daily cannabidiol for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis pain.
