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“Tortellini has been my best friend for nearly 12 years,” explained Jessica from New York. “She was always energetic, social, and loving. She would follow me around and greet everyone with enthusiasm.”
But after 10 years of companionship, Jessica noticed that her pup wasn’t acting like she once had. “She wouldn’t greet people at the door, she would pass strangers on the street without even looking at them, and she would lay around all day, rather than follow at my heels. It was heartbreaking.”
After visiting her vet, Jessica was told that Tortellini had osteoarthritis. It was the stiffness and pain that was stopping her from enjoying life the way she once had. Jessica’s veterinarian explained there wasn’t much that she could do, that this was just the natural course of a dog’s life.
As any dedicated fur parent would, Jessica decided to see what she could do to help her beloved bestie. From talks with friends and countless hours combing the web, she decided to give CBD a try.
CBD is one of the healthful compounds found in the cannabis plant, both marijuana and hemp varieties. While there have been very few studies examining the potential of using CBD and other cannabis products in animals, owners have not shied away from trying it for their pets.
“Within a week of giving Tortellini CBD, she started acting more like herself. She would beat me to the door when someone came over and jump on unsuspecting strangers. Her rebellious and fun-loving side was back, and it filled my heart with happiness.”
You will find countless stories like Jessica’s around the web. People are turning to CBD and other cannabis products to help with chronic pain, anxiety, seizures, and other hard-to-treat disorders. Even without extensive studies, anecdotal reports have been enough to encourage many families to try giving their dogs, cats, and other animals hemp and cannabis products.
This begs the question, can pets benefit from medical marijuana, specifically?
If you walk into a medical marijuana dispensary in California, you will be met with multiple cannabis-derived pet products. California patients have far more options than we do in Arkansas, largely thanks to a culture that is friendlier to cannabis-derived products.
But there is an important distinction between these pet marijuana products and those made for humans—they contain less THC and more CBD.
THC is the compound in cannabis that makes users feel “high.” Pets should not be given any product that contains high quantities of THC. Dogs appear to be hypersensitive to its effects, and they can be dangerous and scary for a pet. Pet-formulated cannabis products have a very high CBD: THC ratio. Take Vet CBD, a California-based medical marijuana formulation developed for pets by a veterinarian. These products contain 20:1 CBD to THC.
The takeaway? Do not give your pets any medical marijuana product that is created for humans. So, what option does this leave for Arkansas pet lovers? Hemp-derived CBD oil.
Limited research and plenty of stories suggest that full-spectrum or broad-spectrum hemp oil might help some pets to feel better. You might find your pet showing fewer signs of anxiety or pain, or even reduce the frequency of seizures in epileptic animals.
Talk to your vet if you are considering using CBD oil
for your pets. They may offer precautions, particularly if your pet is on any medications. But keep in mind that vets have little-to-no training when it comes to using CBD or other cannabis-based medicines in pets. Plus, they can get into trouble prescribing CBD for pets due to legal restrictions that have yet to be lifted.
Be cautious and start with a very small quantity CBD. Slowly work your way up, just as you would do to find the right dosage of a cannabis product for yourself.
Keeping a daily journal can be helpful. Include how much CBD you have given, when you have given it, and how your animal responds. Look for benefits and side effects to help you find the right quantity of CBD for your pet.
If you are an Arkansan suffering from one of these 18 medical conditions you may be eligible to treat your ailment with medical marijuana, which includes both THC and CBD products.
Click here to learn more about what Arkansas Marijuana Card's state-certified medical marijuana doctors can do for you, or give us a call at (844-249-8714) and our friendly support team can walk you through the entire process, and set you up with an appointment.