Most people don’t consider cannabis a viable medicine for humans, never mind for dogs. However, their biology tells a different story. CBD may actually be able to calm dogs down during stressful events, such as loud parties involving fireworks.
Events like bonfire night, or the fourth of July, can be a beautiful time for families to get together and make memories. Although, for members of the family who aren’t human and are more canine in nature, these holidays can be a problem. When dogs hear fireworks, they get stressed and confused and this can cause them to hide or cower in fear. In fact, during seasons where fireworks are common, animal hospitals see a 25% rise in visits due to the stress brought on by the noise.
Aside from the obvious actions that can be taken, such as keeping the windows closed and comforting your pet, other measures can be taken to make sure they remain stress-free and comfortable when they are exposed to the loudness of fireworks and the like. Recent research has shown that CBD is showing fantastic promise in this area, because it is a harmless and organic medicine.
It is widely known that cannabinoids (such as THC and CBD) can deliver effects to the human body, such as easing pain and anxiety. This is because they interact with receptor sites in the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system can be found, surprisingly, in all forms of vertebrate species, which means your dog has it too. However, dogs should be given CBD and not THC, because THC would induce psychoactive effects and confuse them even more. Instead, canines react positively to CBD treatments because it delivers all the benefits of cannabis without the high.
Even though medical professionals are not yet prescribing CBD to dogs, what has been found so far is incredibly promising. There are definitely risks that are posed by treating animals with drugs like CBD, but if more studies are done then these risks can be minimised, or perhaps even eliminated.