It’s said that people across the world are increasingly using CBD or cannabidiol for different purposes because of its purported health benefits. As this happens, CBD aficionados don’t want to leave their animals behind. They believe that if it helps them health-wise, it should also be beneficial to animals. Right? Read this guide to find out more.
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How CBD Works In Animals?
A few years ago, scientists discovered cannabinoid receptors throughout the human body. You’ll find them in the gastrointestinal tract, blood vessels, heart, kidneys, skeletal muscles, pancreas, liver, skin, immune cells, bones, and fat tissues. The body’s endocannabinoid system helps create a homeostatic balance in humans and controls memory, mood, stress, appetite, sleep, metabolism, immunity, and reproductive functions.
The good news is that all animals have the endocannabinoid system, including dogs, cats, cows, goats, sheep, goats, and even horses. Thus, it’s believed that you can also use CBD products on your farm animals and pets and enjoy their benefits.
Health Benefits Of CBD In Animals
It is said that using certified CBD products on various animals has different advantages. CBD may help in the following animal health conditions:
- Anxiety: Animals, like humans, can undergo periods of stress at times. For instance, when a dog’s master passes on, the four-legged creature develops much grief and may mourn the owners for several months before bonding with a new caretaker. Giving the dog CBD at such times may help reduce their stress levels.
- Pain: Especially vulnerable to pain are most aged animals. Conditions like arthritis, deteriorating nerves, and other inflammations may cause chronic pain in animals. You may want to use CBD to help alleviate such pain.
- Skin conditions: Perhaps your pet licks and scratches its skin excessively. This may lead to rashes, red spots, and even hair loss. Try easing your pet’s discomfort by applying nano emulsified CBD ointments on their skin.
- Wounds: When your pet or farm animal gets injured, perhaps after a merciless bite by an aggressive animal, you can use CBD oils on cuts and bruises to help accelerate the healing process.
- Poor appetite: Infections, hormonal issues, parasites, dental diseases, and unfamiliar surroundings are common factors that can result in appetite loss in animals. If your furry friend suddenly stops eating as they should, you can leverage the therapeutic effects of CBD to help restore their regular food consumption habits.
Choosing The Appropriate CBD Products For Animals
You don’t want to give your animals CBD products meant for human consumption. You ought to understand that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content in CBD can elevate the sense of euphoria, in addition to other effects like increased heart rate, red eyes, coordination difficulties, slower reaction, and memory loss.
Thus, you want to ensure the THC content in the CBD product you choose is less than 0.3%. This way, you won’t subject your animals to the aforementioned compelling psychoactive effects. Other than that, here are a few more factors to look out for when selecting the correct CBD product for your pets:
- Bioavailability: The animal’s body must effectively absorb the CBD oil you give it. However, some conventional CBD oils may have too large particles for the absorption to proceed unhindered. That means that the animal benefits very little from an otherwise helpful product. Therefore, consider choosing nano-emulsified CBD products, which employ emulsification agents to help deliver the CBD particles directly into the bloodstream.
- Certificate of Analysis: This is an officially recognized document from the lab showing the actual amounts of CBD and THC in the product you purchase. You must have this assurance from the CBD company of your choice lest you lose your animals with excessive CBD and THC and inflict harm on them.
- Full-Spectrum: For a CBD product to be labelled as full-spectrum, it must contain all naturally occurring CBDs of the cannabis plant. These are far much better than those products containing only a few cannabinoids.
Dosage
Once you get the appropriate CBD oil for your animals, administer the right dose. Excess dosage isn’t helpful in any way. You might worsen the current health condition of your animal.
The first thing is to ensure that the label on the bottle includes dosage instructions. But even with such instructions, it’d help to understand that every animal is different from the others. Therefore, no standardised dosage cuts across all kinds of animals.
For one, bigger animals may require more amounts than smaller ones. Also, some animals are believed to respond faster than others to a given amount of CBD. So, it behoves you to observe the animal’s response after administering the product. If you find it difficult to determine the correct dosage for your animal, you can always consult a veterinarian.
Bottom Line
Using CBD for animals is beneficial in more ways than one. With the information detailed above, you now know some of the supposed medical benefits of CBD in animals. So, purchase an appropriate product for your animal’s health condition for immediate relief and possible treatment.
