CBD oil for Dogs?
Theres much discussion around CBD as a useful therapy for a wide variety of conditions in dogs. These include managing pain, arthritis, seizures, anxiety and of course canine cancer. The use of CBD oil in treating dogs for such conditions is unfortunately very much under-researched, but in saying that – there is increasing scientific evidence in the area. Here’s the most common uses of CBD oil for dogs in the UK.
CBD oil for dogs Arthritis
It’s well documented that CBD shares metabolic pathways with anti-inflammatory medications, so it makes sense that it could help with some inflammatory conditions in dogs.
Osteoarthritis, which is often abbreviated as arthritis, is probably the most common inflammatory condition found in dogs.
1 in 4 dogs in the UK are diagnosed with arthritis in their lifetime, and some stats report that as many as 60% of dogs exhibit some level of the conditon. Research has also shown that CBD oil can provide effective pain relief in dogs with arthritis when given daily at appropriately measured doses.
CBD oil for dog pain
The anti-inflammatory benefits seen in arthritic dogs, in theory, could also be effective for dogs with other types of inflammatory pain, particularly back and spinal pain from intervertebral disc disease or IVDD as it’s known.
CBD oil for dogs Seizures
Seizures in dogs are probably the most well-studied use of CBD in humans, but limited studies exists for dogs. With dogs, seizures can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions. In Idiopathic epilepsy there is some existing research that suggests that CBD oil could be useful in reducing the seizure frequency in pets. But the benefits have only seen with dogs that are also given the traditional anti-seizure treatments in the same period.
Cancer
The word cancer is an umbrella term which refers to an very diverse number of specific diseases which have their own set of treatments.
CBD has been well studied for use on cancer in humans, both to treat tumors directly and to treat the symptoms of cancer and of course, chemotherapy. But it seems that limited research has been carried out on the use of CBD for dogs with cancer.
However, the benefits of CBD seen in humans in chemotherapy have also been documented in animals such as rats and mice meaning that dogs receiving chemotherapy may also benefit from using CBD.
Anxiety
Because CBD is not a psychoactive element of the Cannabis plant it is unlikely that it has the ability to directly treat anxiety in dogs. The use of CBD in dog s for anxiety does require substantially more research at this stage it seems.
Potential Risks of CBD for Dogs
CBD seems to be incredibly safe to use in dogs and cats. However, some scientific studies have discovered that when given in larger doses CBD can cause an elevation in liver bloodwork which is called alkaline phosphatase.
We don’t know yet whether the elevation of this liver value has much significance. It could be that CBD causes irritation to the liver or it could be an artificial finding where the CBD interferes with the lab measurements themselves.
CBD doesn’t seem to have any drug interactions when given to a dog that is on an anti-inflammatory drug.
Because there is potential risk of drug interaction you should always consult your vet before treating your dog with CBD.
How Much CBD Should You Give Dogs?
Giving the correct dosage of CBD oil in dogs is imperative. Studies show when using CBD for dogs with arthritis and / or seizures use a dose that is between 2-8 mg/kg . So roughly 1-2 milligrams per pound of body weight twice per day.
This dosage has been found to be safe and effective for the conditions that have been studied (seizures and arthritis). More research is definitely needed to correctly evaluate the dosages for CBD in treating dogs other conditions.
You can buy CBD oil for dogs from our online shop here.
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