Introduction to THC for your dogs
Ensuring that your dog has the best overall health is difficult as you should always keep track of both their physical and mental condition. This can be done by ensuring that they don’t suffer from chronic pain that may be brought by diseases or simply by old age. The most common culprits for this are arthritis and neurodegenerative disorders that may cause them to feel pain with every movement. In terms of mental conditions, pet owners should know that dogs can also have symptoms of anxiety and may feel particularly stressed especially during special events that involve a lot of noise and strangers inside the house. Progress in the field of medicine has now opened the possibility of using cannabis for treatment of these symptoms.
Using cannabis as medicine for your dog
Cannabis as medicine is still relatively new and has been the subject of both controversy and acclaim from different sources. Some still can’t look past its history of being totally illegal and unable to be used both recreationally and medicinally. Some are praising it as a wonder plant that can fix many of their chronic issues.
The plant used for both medicine and recreation is the Cannabis Sativa plant. Its components are separated from each other, with one known as plain marijuana while the rest of the parts is considered as hemp. The reason for separating it is to extract two different and important compounds: CBD and THC.
CBD stands for cannabidiol while THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol.
What is CBD?
CBD is the main component that is responsible for giving many of the popular pain and anxiety relief benefits of marijuana. The component directly interacts with the endocannabinoid system of the body of both humans and pets such as cats and dogs. CBD promotes homeostasis and aims to normalize the condition of the body. It can interact with pain receptors and lessen them. It can also help you relax and feel much at ease. Dogs also feel all these benefits from using CBD treats.
What are the benefits of CBD for your dog?
CBD has a lot of benefits for your dogs. For example, it can help them return to their youthful personality. They can start being more energetic and generally happier since some of the chronic pain that they feel will be lessened. They are also more relaxed and happier as they will experience less anxiety. Other benefits of CBD are having better sleep, metabolism, memory, and immune system. In short, CBD can provide a general improvement in the health of the dog as the homeostasis or balance in the body will be promoted.
One of the best parts about CBD is that it is not harmful or lethal when you accidentally administer too much dosage to your dogs. It poses minimal risk and only causes them to have bowel irritation at worst.
What is THC?
THC on the other hand is mainly the compound that causes some of the harmful effects of marijuana. It is responsible for the feeling of being “high”, confused, and dizzy while using marijuana. Hemp has only a very small amount of THC which is why it is separated from the rest of marijuana as to have none of the plant’s harmful effects.
THC can be potentially harmful to your dog because it is hard to properly provide them with the perfect dosage. They may find it to be toxic.
So is CBD safe for dogs?
Most of the clinical trials for medical cannabis are still quite limited for dogs mainly because of legal restrictions. However, there have been some developments that mainly show CBD’s positive effects for them. Because of this, several dog companies have used different forms of dog treatments that use a blend of CBD along with natural relaxing and healing herbs such as rosemary. Through this, their products can be legally sold.
Some examples of products like this include an oil-form that can be administered orally through a dropper. Some also come in dog treats that can be easily given to them. The products come with natural flavors like chicken and beef to make them easier to consume for them. Aside from being a medicine for them, it can also be a way for reinforcing behavior and rewarding them. Overall there are a lot of benefits from using CBD products with your dog.
Conclusion
To wrap it all up it is pretty straight forward. THC is the component of marijuana that is not advised for dogs. This is because balancing the correct dosage for them is difficult and can be potentially toxic for them. On the other hand, CBD, which is derived from hemp, is much healthier and safer to use for dogs. Because of this, this is more advised to be used for your pet dog.