The Truth About CBD For Your Pets

You're here because you've likely heard about all the incredible benefits CBD can help your pet with. You may have one friend that rants and raves about how CBD's been a miracle for their dog's health. While another friend may argue it did diddly-squat for their dog.

With its sudden surge in popularity, CBD has a lot of people wondering what it can and can't do.

Today, we are looking at all that and more. We will go over things like what veterinarians think about CBD, what the FDA's stance on it is, and whether CBD has no side effects like many claim.

This article is going to get to the bottom and reveal the truth behind CBD.

What Is CBD Oil?

Cannabidiol, CBD, is a compound in cannabis plants that promotes numerous regulatory functions when ingested without causing a high. In most cases, a CBD product will also contain hundreds of other compounds similar to CBD that aid in regulatory health.

CBD is derived from hemp, which is a form of cannabis that contains just traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and thus it can't cause a high. When a cannabis plant contains lots of THC it causes the classic psychoactive high — we refer to these plants as marijuana.

Is CBD legal?

When derived from hemp that contains only traces of THC — termed industrial hemp — CBD is federally legal in the United States and much of the world. You will still need to check laws in your local area for any restrictions such as whether it's allowed in food/drinks, or even allowed in the first place.

CBD's association with THC has long caused issues for CBD products. Fortunately, as we come to better understand how cannabis works, laws are quickly changing to fulling legalize CBD knowing it's only THC that causes a high.

How Does CBD Affect Dogs & Cats?

CBD interacts and activates the Endocannabinoid System and other important regulatory receptors found throughout your pet's body. You can find the receptors and endocannabinoids that make up the ECS predominantly in the nervous and immune system.

When activated, these receptors promote balance and stabilization over the region they are found in. Not only does this help maintain health, but these receptors also correct issues within their system such as rampant inflammation.

This is why CBD has the potential to help with anxiety, inflammation, appetite, seizures, pain, cancer, and on.

Does this mean that CBD will help your pet with all the above issues, no. As well, even if CBD helps with say anxiety, it may not be enough alone. At the same time, CBD can obliterate away anxiety for some dogs and has been a saving grace for people and pets who have drug-resistant forms of epilepsy.

You won't truly know if CBD helps your pet until you give it a try. Things like your pet's unique body chemistry and whether they have an endocannabinoid deficiency will play into the extent CBD helps your pet.

So since we won't know whether CBD will help our pet until we've given it to them, let's see if there are any dangers to giving CBD a try.

Does CBD Have Side Effects?

Comprehensive research shows CBD has very little side effects. In most cases, the biggest side effect is your pet may not benefit much from CBD. Besides that, there are four main areas where side effects can occur.

• Dry Mouth: CB2 receptors — which CBD activates — aid in the production of saliva and CBD may decrease production leading to dry mouth. It won't be as noteworthy as the dry mouth marijuana can cause due to CBD lacking THC so just make sure your pet's water bowl is filled up.
• Lowered Blood Pressure: CBD can cause a rapid and temporary drop in blood pressure that can cause a brief period of lightheadedness. Shouldn't cause any issues unless your pet has a condition where quick changes in blood pressure should be avoided.
• Drowsiness: CBD is biphasic. At low to average dosages, CBD will act as a very mild stimulant, while at high dosages, it's more likely to cause some drowsiness.
• Drug Interaction: Like grapefruit, kale, black pepper, and cranberries, CBD can temporarily inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver that metabolize certain prescription drugs. This interaction can raise the potency of the prescription drug and care should be taken if your pet is on a dosage-sensitive drug. It's recommended discuss to CBD's ability to interact with drugs with your veterinarian.

What Does The FDA Say About CBD?

In 2018, the FDA has approved the first CBD product. Due to inherent restrictions, Epidiolex is a CBD isolate and only contains a single compound, cannabidiol. It's simply easier to get approval for one compound vs. multiple at one time.

However, the overwhelming majority of CBD products contain hundreds of beneficial compounds call full or broad spectrum CBD. Many of the compounds in hemp work better together, and studies show CBD isolates are often 4x less effective.

As well, CBD isolates are much harder to dose, and this makes it near impossible to find it available for pets. You can get Innovet pet cbd oil for dogs from USA.

What Does Your Veterinarian Think?

Answering what your veterinarian thinks of CBD is tricky. It appears that many veterinarians are reluctant to recommend CBD due to potential unforeseen fallback that a human physician might not face. They could be legally held responsible for recommending CBD even if you live in an area where purchasing CBD is legal.

Another reason is many veterinarians feel they don't have enough information about CBD to recommend it just yet and are waiting for the clinical studies that are just now coming out. That's why more vets play it better safe than sorry and stay fairly mum on the matter. However, most vets see a lot of potentials and are excited about CBD's future. You can check Innovetpet