Did you know our pets suffer similar, if not the same, various health problems as we humans do? There have been various studies done on how CBD can help humans, and many benefits without the side effects, such as relieving inflammation and the pain that is associated with sickness or injury, minimizing depression and anxiety, alleviating certain symptoms of specific cancers, as well as severe epilepsy and also it is beneficial to heart health, to name a few.
The same goes for animals, such as dogs and cats and even though minimal research has been done and more still on its way, a lot of pet owners swear by it due to the results they have seen with their eyes on their pets.
Both us humans and our pets have the same system, known as the “endocannabinoid system (ECS)”, and is part of the central nervous system that deals with the operation of our well-being. It helps both with appetite, sleep, healing and many other aspects, without which we or our pets could not fully function. Suffice to say a better working ECS makes for a healthy body.
Three Main Mechanisms of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) That Help Animals and Human Health
Our ECS comprises of three main mechanisms, namely:
Cannabinoid Receptors: the cells that absorb the endocannabinoids present in the plant extract.
Endocannabinoids: the molecules that stimulate cannabinoid receptors to activate responses within the CBD.
Enzymes: These help to break down the endocannabinoids and synthesize them.
Suffice to say that the presence of the ECS in our bodies, as well as our pets’ bodies, works well in enhancing health and well-being especially when CBD is introduced.
Let’s look at the top ways this natural plant product can benefit our pets, similar to benefit us as well.
How CBD Benefits Us as Well as Our Dogs
Reducing Stress Levels
Both humans and animals are not immune to stress. As much as we get affected by things in our lives, so do our dogs and cats. Perhaps there are different reasons for it, but the underlying emotions lead to stress. For our pets, it could be something that triggers them such as a new environment, other pets in the house that doesn’t get along, phobias, genetics, loud noises, separation anxiety, previous owner abuse, an illness and other aspects.
All of these can trigger some form of anxiety in them which could lead to a stressful day making them feel uneasy. When given the natural derivative, it can help provide a form of relaxation and calm them, as well as us.
Relieving Inflammation and Associated Painful Symptoms
Older animals and older humans, tend to suffer from various health conditions as they age, such as osteoarthritis or nerve-related damage, as well as weakness of bones which can lead to being easily injured. The main side effect of this can be inflammation, which leads to a painful experience.
When a study was conducted by the Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, in England, it showed that the use of cannabinoids has both analgesics, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits. This meant it can be used to manage conditions such as arthritis and nerve pain. The online published report can be found here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/
Helping to Ease Epilepsy and Seizures
The appropriate prescriptive medication is usually the go-to when it comes to helping people and animals to ease conditions such as epilepsy and seizures, and more so now than ever CBD has come to the forefront in being adopted into a first of its kind medication that has been rolled out and FDA approved, known as “Epidiolex”. However, this is not for animals but rather manufactured to treat human epilepsy, tuberculosis, dravet syndrome and seizures.
The alternative for pets is the use of CBD oil or liquids and may help to treat the same in canines. Without putting them at the risk of side effects such as dizziness, confusion or liver damage, it has been seen to provide anti-convulsant and anti-inflammatory advantages during the time of a pet having a seizure.
Treating Skin Conditions
Pets get skin conditions just as often as humans do, due to various reasons. Sometimes it’s an allergic reaction to certain foods, and other times it can be hereditary or due to an injury and made worse by scratching or itching the wound.
Because CBD comes in so many formats, a balm or cream is one of them and when applied directly to their skin it can help to minimize any infections and help the wound and skin conditions heal faster.
It also helps to ease the discomfort of having to itch that scratch. However before applying it to their skin always make sure you do a skin test in a small place on another part of their body to check that they do not get a reaction to it, and of course it doesn’t harm to seek your vet’s advice too.
It Can Help to Stimulate Their Appetite
Sometimes because of an illness or surgery and the medication given to our dogs, it could play havoc on their digestive system, which could put them off food completely. Perhaps they are also too weak to eat anything. When you give them the liquid or tincture over a couple of days it can help to bring back their hunger so they have no choice but to eat.
The right foods help to heal the body and when pets don’t eat properly they could suffer from other food-deprived conditions. Since the ECS is responsible for appetite, it will help them regain a desire to eat the food in front of them when you give them cbd oil for dogs. We too can benefit from it if we are suffering from appetite-related health issues.
It is always recommended to consult your vet before you go ahead and buy and product and give it to your pet, and always keep in mind that even though you may think you can give them your bottle, you may be mistaken, so stick to specific products made for animals and don’t mix it with yours or any other medication before you are given the go-ahead by an expert.
