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The consumption of CBD has grown in popularity as more people are using it for recreational and medicinal purposes. The popularity has increased to the point of pet owners giving CBD to their furry friends for different reasons. However, the benefits of CBD on pets aren’t conclusive as the research is still ongoing.
When giving your pets CBD, you should be aware of both the positive and negative effects. While you may be helping your dog with CBD, it may cause some side effects if not administered in proper dosages. Also, it’s always advisable to consult a veterinarian before giving your pet CBD, especially since most people don’t know the correct CBD dosage for dogs and other pets.
Pros Of CBD For Pets
If done correctly, CBD has several benefits to your pets. Here’s a list of some of the reasons you should consider giving pets CBD:
- Relives Anxiety
Pets will develop separation anxiety and become restless when the owner is leaving or during lightning and storms. In some cases, this could be dangerous, hence they need to be calmed down immediately.
Giving them CBD products may do the trick as it interacts with the endocannabinoid system in the nervous system, providing a calming effect: Go now.
- Reduces Effects Of Arthritis
Arthritis can cause inflammation and pain on the joints of your pets. If your pet suffers from arthritis, your pets will feel pain when moving, hence they’ll prefer to lay still and be inactive. When you notice your pet preferring to lay down instead of its normal hyper behavior, then you may consider giving them CBD.
Like in anxiety, CBD interacts with pain receptors and calms the nerves, which helps reduce the pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. Eventually, it may help get your pet back to their usual cheerful mood.
- Helps To Treat Skin Disorders
Allergies, yeast, and bacteria are the primary cause of damaged skin and other skin disorders in pets. While there are other skin treatment options, using CBD may also work and treat your pets’ skin. This is because CBD interacts with the skin layers to calm the nerves around the skin. In turn, the irritation is reduced, and your pet may no longer scratch or break their skin. Thus, their skin grows back smoother and healthier.
- Reduces Seizures
Seizures can be a common occurrence in pets, especially dogs. During these attacks, the pets can injure themselves as they’re not aware of what’s going on at that moment. This could also be distressing to the dog owner as trying to calm the dog down could also be dangerous if not done correctly.
However, giving your pets CBD during seizure attacks may help them calm down as it’ll interact with the endocannabinoid system. Moreover, CBD can work for pets who’ve been unresponsive to other seizure medications. Also, if your pets are allergic to other seizure medicine, you may consider CBD as an alternative.
Cons Of Using CBD For Pets
Even with the benefits of CBD to your pets, there are some side effects of using CBD products. Here are some you should know:
- Drowsiness
If not administered in the proper dosage, drowsiness is a common side effect of CBD on pets. Also, when overdosed with CBD, your pet may lose control of their muscles and feel incredibly tired. There may also be a sudden feeling of exhaustion every time they try to participate in the daily activities.
- Dehydration
When taken repeatedly over time, CBD oil can cause dry mouth in pets. Usually, the saliva in the mouth can help solve the dry mouth problem, but if it’s continuous or the CBD is administered in large dosages, the body might get dehydrated. In some cases, dehydration can also lead to drowsiness and dizziness.
- Slow Heart Rate
Giving CBD to pets to help them calm down could have some side effects if the dosage isn’t administered correctly. As the CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, causing a calming effect, it’ll also result in a slower heart rate. In turn, this can lead to poor eye-paw coordination and a feeling of dizziness and fatigue.
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Ask a Vet Live NowConclusion
CBD has a lot of benefits to pets if given in the correct dosages. As shown above, it may help develop healthy skin, relieve anxiety and stress, as well as reduce seizures. All of these are sufficient reasons why you should try giving your pets.
However, when doing that, you should be aware of some of the side effects. Even though the side effects are often rare and can only happen in incorrect dosages, you should still understand that they can happen. Therefore, you should first consult your veterinarian before giving CBD to your pets.
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Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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