When your pet is under the weather, your top priority becomes finding a safe treatment that will make them feel better. Whether your pet suffers from anxiety or has chronic pain from arthritis, your job as a pet parent is to ensure your pet is living a happy and healthy life.  And while there are tons of prescription medications and therapies that can help, there’s a newcomer on the block.

Over the last few years, CBD pet products have continued to grow in popularity. The naturally occurring substance has shown promise in treating a wide range of common health conditions that pets of all types may suffer from.

Want to learn more about CBD products and how they may benefit your pet? Keep reading to learn about what CBD is and four benefits to using it for your furry friend.

What is CBD?

Before we discover the many benefits that CBD has to offer cats, dogs, and other types of pets, let’s first discuss what CBD is. CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a compound found in the cannabis and hemp plants. While many confuse CBD with marijuana, the two are not the same. In fact, they’re very different.

CBD is one of the more than 100 cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis and hemp plants. Unlike THC, CBD won’t get your pet high, because it is non-psychoactive. CBD is also non-toxic to pets, unlike THC which is very dangerous for animals to consume.

When ingested, CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system. This is a system found in all mammals and helps to maintain homeostasis. The endocannabinoid system also helps to manage all sorts of biological processes, including sleep, mood, memory, immune response, and others.

CBD Benefits for Pets

As we learn more about CBD, there’s a growing list of conditions and ailments that the cannabinoid has shown to be effective in treating. While most studies are conducted on rodents, it’s safe to assume that the results seen in these studies will produce similar results in dogs, cats, and other animals.

Here are four benefits your pet may experience when being given a CBD product.

Lowers Stress & Anxiety

One of the most common reasons why people take CBD is for its calming and relaxing effects. Anxiety, just like it is in humans, is very common in pets. Dogs, cats, and other animals can suffer from separation anxiety, travel anxiety, noise phobias, and other conditions that leave them stressed and anxious.

When dogs are overly stressed or anxious, they’re more likely to:

  • Bark persistently
  • Urinate or defecate in the home
  • Chew
  • Be aggressive
  • Have tremors

When cats are stressed, they’re more likely to have a decreased appetite, over-groom, and have inappropriate elimination and scratching. The good news is that CBD products from a top brand like Medterra can minimize your pet’s stress and anxiety.

CBD can reduce anxiety which reduces symptoms and inappropriate behavior from your pet. This makes life much easier for everyone, especially in high-stress situations.

Treats Chronic Pain

CBD is renowned for its ability to minimize all sorts of pain. Studies have shown that CBD is able to stop the absorption of anandamide, which is the chemical that dampens pain signals in the brain. This means reduced pain sensations.

CBD can also help to minimize pain because of its anti-inflammatory effects. This is extremely beneficial for pets that suffer from arthritis or any other condition that causes chronic pain and discomfort.


For dogs, cats, and other pets, living with less pain and discomfort is a huge boost to quality of life. It also makes your job as a pet parent a little easier, as it’s relieving to know that your furry friend isn’t in pain and instead is comfortable and happy.

Treats Nausea & Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting can happen any time, and for many pet owners, the side effects of prescription antiemetic medications are worrisome. Common options such as chlorpromazine and acepromazine can cause side effects such as excessive drooling, lethargy, and hypotension.

For pet owners that want relief without the worries, CBD may be a worthwhile option. Evidence has shown that CBD is effective at controlling nausea and vomiting. It may also stimulate appetite.

It’s thought that CBD can help control nausea and vomiting by stimulating the 5-HT1A receptors. These are the same receptors that help to reduce anxiety.

Treatment for Seizures

In humans, the only FDA approved form of CBD is a medication that treats two rare forms of epilepsy. Because the cannabinoid is a natural anticonvulsant, it may be an effective treatment for pets that suffer from epilepsy.

One clinical trial showed that 89% of dogs who received CBD experienced a reduction in the frequency of seizures.While there is still much more to learn about CBD, this study and others show promising results for pets that have epilepsy or a condition that causes seizures.

Is CBD Safe?

For many pet owners, CBD sounds like a miracle product. Not only is it effective in treating a wide range of conditions, it has very few side effects. But many still wonder if CBD is safe.

If you administer a high quality CBD product to your pet, chances are that it’s entirely safe. The biggest concern is ensuring that the product you’re using contains very low levels of THC. THC is harmful to animals, so you’ll need to verify the product’s THC content before administering it.

The best way to do this is to review the certificate of analysis (COA). This is a document provided by a third party lab that determines what a product contains, to include CBD and THC levels, as well as the existence of other compounds.

With this information, you can have peace of mind that you’re giving your pet a safe, worthwhile product. Sites like CBDGrade can help you also evaluate the best CBD oil for your pets.

Conclusion

As we learn more about CBD and how it impacts pets, we can expect even more benefits and uses to be added to the list. If you’re looking for an all-natural product that will improve your pet’s life, now is the time to consider CBD.

 

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