The Ultimate Guide to CBD Oil For Dogs

Understanding CBD

Cannabidiol, or CBD as it is known, is a cannabinoid (compound) from the cannabis plant that has been shown to exhibit a plethora of medicinal benefits in thousands of published papers in humans, animals, and cells.

It is found primarily in the flower of the plant along with over 113 other cannabinoids and terpenes that work together to produce the effects. Unlike another dominant cannabinoid ‘THC’ it will under no circumstances produce any euphoric high like feeling.

CBD oil shot to fame when videos emerged of epileptic children having seizures but following some drops placed under the tongue the seizures stopped. This inspired scientists to perform a double-blind placebo-controlled study proving that CBD oil can help stop seizures in treatment-resistant epilepsy.

CBD works by interacting with receptors located in the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS) which regulates various biological systems. This same ECS is in all vertebrates including dogs and, for this reason, it is believed that the health benefits of CBD oil in humans may be replicated in dogs.

What Health Issues Should You Give Your Dog CBD For?

Prohibition of cannabis, along with significant costs in human clinical trials, has led to most research being performed on animals such as mice who happen to share similar DNA to humans and dogs. Current scientific research suggests it may help with:

Pain

A dog’s hectic lifestyle can sometimes lead to injury and subsequent pain, something CBD oil may be able to help alleviate. CBD has been shown to affect serotonin and anandamide levels as well as opioid receptors which influence the perception of pain.

Seizures

CBD is now famous for reducing seizures in humans and a clinical study in epileptic dogs published in June of this year showed that “CBD significantly reduced seizures compared to placebo with no adverse effects reported by owners”

Anxiety

Dogs, like humans, can become quite anxious. Loud noises around Halloween time, separation anxiety when we go away on holidays, even the daily visit by the postman can give your dog awful anxiety. CBD oil has been shown in numerous studies to display anti-anxiety and anti-depressant effects in both humans and animals.

Appetite Stimulation

THC is well known for stimulating appetite by binding with receptors in the brain. CBD full spectrum oil will contain a tiny amount of THC that may stimulate appetite yet not cause any euphoric stimulation.

Mobility

Walks are integral to dogs physical and mental health but constant exposure to hard surfaces will eventually lead to degradation. Using CBD oil has been shown to enhance bone mineral density in the tibias and femurs of mice with spinal cord injury. It was also shown to block acute inflammatory flares that drive disease and joint neuropathy. A further study of using CBD treatment in dogs with osteoporosis showed higher levels of comfort and lower levels of joint pain when administered with cannabidiol.

A wealth of published research in humans and in particular in animals has prompted owners to start giving CBD treats to their dogs but can there be any side effects?

So, is CBD oil for dogs a good idea? Well like all things in life there are two sides to every coin and CBD is no different. 

Dogs And CBD Side Effects

It isn’t only independent research scientists that approve of CBD. The World Health Organisation, in its critical review report of 2018, has said that CBD oil is safe, non-toxic, and well-tolerated in humans.

A preliminary safety assessment in dogs was issued by researchers from the University of Florida in October of this year and we highlight their findings here:

Over 12 weeks 8 healthy Beagle dogs with an average age of 3.2 years were given 2 mg/kg of CBD twice daily via either small or large ‘ElleVet mobility chews’.

A veterinarian performed weekly physical examinations and qualified animal attendants performed twice daily observations looking for signs of vomiting, loose stools, distress or pain. Side effects were rare with the following noted:

• Loose Stool
• Vomiting
• Grapefruit Effect

Loose Stool

This was the most common side effect where out of the 8 dogs over the 12 week period it only occurred 44 times (3.3% of the time).

Vomiting

Vomiting was only recorded 6 times (0.45% of the time). Researchers stated that over the 12 weeks that there was an average acceptance rate of 96.7%

Grapefruit effect

Researchers did note that in other studies, where sick dogs on medications who were given CBD oil, that it behaved similarly to grapefruit juice in that it altered liver enzyme levels. This means that that pet owners need to take care. If your dog is on medication that you should consult your vet as his existing medication may need to be lowered.

Finally, the researchers noted that physical examinations of the dogs revealed no abnormalities nor behavioural changes and no significant changes in weight.

CBD Oil For Dogs – How Does It Work?

CBD works the same in dogs as it does in humans. Once ingested CBD enters the digestive system after which it passes through the liver and into the bloodstream. There it travels throughout the body entering cells where it either activates CB1 receptors or stimulates endogenous molecules to work on these receptors.

These receptors are located throughout the dogs body (tissues,organs, muscles, nerves etc) in a system known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The ECS regulates a whole host of biological functions which are responsible for inflammation, immunity, pain, mood, memory, digestion and so on.

This is the reason why CBD oil is attributed with so many potential medicinal properties, because it works in regulating so many different parts of the body. So how exactly can you get CBD into your dog? Well, treats are always a good start.

Administering CBD To Your Canine Companion – Which Way?

Due to CBD oil’s explosion in popularity, there are now more ways than ever of getting this pharmacological wonder into your dog’s endocannabinoid system.

Tincture

Tincture bottles contain a pipette for accurate dosing. Simply place some drops in your dog’s daily dry/wet food or place some drops of CBD oil under her tongue.

Treats

There is a wide range of doggy treats to choose from that have been infused with CBD oil. Each pack will display the total amount of CBD per treat so you can dose accurately.

Is CBD Oil Safe For You Dog?

Yes! Dog owners can rest assured that using CBD oil is considered safe for your dog based on a plethora of scientific research on humans showing it is incredibly well-tolerated, non-toxic and, on rare occurrences, only displays side effects which would be considered mild to moderate at best.

In dogs our research is limited but there have been some trials with researchers from the University of Florida concluded that “hemp-based CBD appears to be relatively safe in healthy populations of dogs” with only mild side effects such as loose stools and vomiting occurring in less than 3% of total observations.

Do Vets Recommend CBD For Dogs?

As the laws concerning hemp are changing so too are the attitudes of vets towards CBD. An anonymous survey of 2,130 vets published this year gives a great insight into how vets see CBD. The report states:

• Vets in states where cannabis was legalised were more likely to discuss CBD oil as a treatment for ailments for their clients’ dogs than in states where it was not legalised.
• The report showed that, overall, CBD oil was most frequently discussed as a potential treatment for pain management, anxiety, and seizures.
• Most participants agreed that both marijuana and CBD products offer benefits for humans and expressed support for [the] use of CBD products for animals.

CBD Dosage Guide – For Your Dog

Researchers investigating the effects of CBD oil on healthy dogs suggested therapeutic dosing of 2.5 mg of CBD per kg of weight twice daily with canine osteoporosis studies suggesting 2 mg per kg twice daily.

A lot of research, effort, and testing has gone into the formulation of these products. The dosages have been calculated per body weight of the common dog sizes, so you won't have to worry about this aspect.

For contrast purposes, dosage for children with epilepsy ranges between 5-10 mg twice daily and adults have been shown to take 1500 mg per day with no adverse effects.

Certainly, we have a long way to go before any conclusive determinations can be made as to the effectiveness of CBD in dogs but existing research suggests CBD in canines may be of tremendous therapeutic benefit.

The vast majority of research has been done on mice which shows CBD oil to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-epileptic, anti-anxiety, and anti-tumour effects which, if replicated in dogs, would surely result in cannabidiol being placed in every dog treat.

So whilst CBD oil is a relatively new phenomenon, there is a growing acceptance that the wide array of health benefits that are produced by CBD oil products can be enjoyed by our canine companions too.