CBD for Pets

Those currently using CBD to improve their quality of life may have wondered if they can treat their pets. And why not?
 
If CBD can offer so many benefits to humans, why not animals?
 
The truth is that pets can also reap the rewards of CBD use. Animals like dogs, cats, and horses all have the same endocannabinoid system as humans, allowing CBD and other cannabinoids to interact with the body.

What is the Endocannabinoid system?

Just like humans, the animal members of your family — including dogs, cats, and horses have an endocannabinoid system. This major signalling network influences a wide range of functions and balances them.
 
Your animal’s endocannabinoid system, or ECS for short, is working continuously to monitor functions and then trigger adjustments whenever outside factors cause any functions to become unstable, returning them to homeostasis.
 
The endocannabinoid system is tasked with regulating a large number of your pets’ functions, some of which include:
  • Mood
  • Appetite
  • Memory
  • Metabolism
  • Sleep
  • Pleasure
  • Movement and coordination
  • Immune response
A properly functioning endocannabinoid system is crucial for maintaining health and wellness in your pet.
 
(If you would like to try some CBD with your pet, we recommend using a full-spectrum CBD oil product).

How Your Pet’s Endocannabinoid System Works

The endocannabinoid system of animals works the same as in humans. Your animal’s endocannabinoid system is made up of three mechanisms:
  1. Endocannabinoids
  2. Cannabinoid Receptors
  3. Enzymes that create and break down endocannabinoids
Whenever animal functions get out of balance, the endocannabinoid system responds by triggering the release of enzymes designed to synthesize endocannabinoids.
 
These endocannabinoids – the most major of which are Anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol – bind to cannabinoid receptors found on cells in the brain and throughout the body.

Cannabinoid receptors

Two primary cell receptors make up the ECS, Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) and Cannabinoid Receptor 2 (CB2).
 
Once the cannabinoid receptors are activated, they control the passage of proteins between cells, sending chemical messages between nerve cells, and explaining that adjustments need to be made.
 
This process triggers a chemical response specifically designed to bring the function that had become unbalanced back into balance or homeostasis.
 
CB1 receptors are abundant in the central nervous system. CB2 receptors are more often found on immune cells, the gastrointestinal tract, and the peripheral nervous system.
 
Because cannabinoid receptors are found in so many places in the body, they are crucial for optimal health. In fact, they play a significant role in regulating many bodily functions like:
  • Sleep
  • Appetite
  • Digestion
  • Hunger
  • Mood
  • Motor control
  • Immune function
  • Reproduction and fertility

Because of its ability to maintain homeostasis within the body, the ECS is perhaps the most important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining health.

Supplementing the Endocannabinoid System with CBD

Over the years, more pet owners are discovering the natural benefits of supporting the endocannabinoid systems of their dogs, cats, and horses with supplements containing plant-derived cannabinoids like CBD.
 
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring, non-psychoactive, and non-toxic cannabinoid found in cannabis plants like hemp. It is one of the most abundant of the over 100 cannabinoids in cannabis.
 
Plant-derived cannabinoids like CBD share a molecular structure with your pet’s endocannabinoids, which means that they can interact with their cannabinoid receptors.
 
When you give your dog, cat, or horse hemp-derived CBD, the cannabinoid is absorbed into their bloodstream. As a result, it naturally stimulates the endocannabinoid system and encourages its efforts to keep your pet’s many functions in balance.
 
Cannabinoids like CBD can also build up in the body, which causes an increase in the number of cannabinoid receptors.
 
This makes their endocannabinoid system more active and sensitive to stimulation by cannabinoids, further supporting their efforts to maintain homeostasis.
 
Animal owners appreciate that CBD is non-psychoactive and well-tolerated.
 
This means you can provide your dog, cat, and horse with the benefits of supplementing their endocannabinoid systems without the animal experiencing any euphoric or other adverse side effects.

Potential Benefits of CBD supplements

Although there is no official veterinary stance on CBD as a medicine, there is plenty of research to back up claims of its benefits for pets.
 
Many ailments that develop in old age in humans are very similar to those in our furry mammal friends. CBD can be used to help manage conditions including (but aren’t limited to):
  • Glaucoma
  • Inflammation
  • Arthritis
  • Heart Murmurs
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Epilepsy
  • Cancer
  • Anxiety
  • Spasms
  • Bacterial and Parasitic Infections
  • Skin Conditions (Eczema and Psoriasis)

 So What About Dosages?

Before proceeding with CBD, we strongly advise you to consult your vet and get the green light.
 
We would never recommend you go against expert advice. Once you have confirmation, begin with a light dosage, 1mg per 10lbs of bodyweight.
 
Administer this once or twice a day, keeping watch over your pet to make sure there are no adverse effects.
 
If there is no improvement in the condition, slowly bring the dosage up until you reach the desired outcome.
 

Thanks for reading this article. If you would like to read more about CBD, please feel free to take a look around the site:

pet cat

If you would like to try CBD oil and see if it can help you live a healthier life, please take a look at our shop.

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