As a fellow pet owner, I know the emotional struggle of leaving my pet at home. My pet experiences separation anxiety, which I have tried to alleviate by leaving on some background noise and diffusing lavender oil. Nothing seems to work. Having read that using CBD could treat separation anxiety, as well as be beneficial to pets in other ways, I compiled some helpful information on how to treat your pet with CBD—and how not to.
For starters, pure THC, from the Cannabis sativa plant, is toxic to our pets (1). Humans may perceive THC as a fun high, but for our furry friends, ingesting THC causes frightening neurologic toxicity following disorientation, vomiting, and shaking, that can last 18-36 hours (2).
CBD on the other hand, works for both humans and dogs because we have the same endogenous cannabinoid system. CBD has an indirect impact on the endocannabinoid system, meaning it can influence physiological processes. These include: appetite, pain sensation, mood and memory. In short, CBD has all the health benefits of THC, without the psychoactive effects for both humans and puppers (3).
Before you get too excited, I would just like to point out that using CBD oil in a diffuser will not work for either you or your pets (4). Dr. Tina Wismer, Medical Director, ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center,says using diffusers and essential oils for petscan be toxic. Potential dangerous diffusers to stay away from include: wintergreen, d-limonene (citrus), pine, cinnamon, pennyroyal, eucalyptus, and tea tree oil. Lastly, keep your diffuser and pets in separate rooms to avoid having them be exposed to their effects. Conversely, avoid using the device for long periods of time, only using it sparingly in rooms where they frequent (5).
Not only does CBD treat separation anxiety, it is also a great for mitigating some symptoms associated with cancer in pets. Who knew this wonderful drug could treat nausea, inflammation, boost immune system while treating depression, noise phobias, minimizing aggressive behavior, in both humans and dogs.
Now that we know the benefits of CBD, we can safely begin treating our pets knowing that their separation anxiety and other issues will be treated while we are out with a peace of mind.
References:
- https://www.marketwatch.com/story/is-marijuana-safe-for-pets-2017-04-20
- https://herb.co/marijuana/news/cannabis-helpful-pets
- https://simplewag.com/cbd-dog-treats/
- https://www.organicfacts.net/forum/can-you-put-cbd-oil-in-a-diffuser
- https://lifehacker.com/here-are-some-of-the-many-ways-essential-oils-can-harm-1822800565
