26/02/22
In France, we have 14.2 million cats, nearly 800,000 horses and ponies, and 7.4 million dogs. In other words, we love pets. But if you own a four-legged pet, you may have already noticed that your pet may be less fit at certain times or that it suffers from various pains. To alleviate difficult situations, special pet CBD oil can be a natural solution for your pet's well-being.
Like humans, animals such as cats, dogs or horses, can suffer from multiple ailments. These can be physical or psychological and need to be taken into consideration in order to relieve them in the best possible way. Among the most common ailments suffered by our four-legged friends, we find stress, anxiety, loss of appetite, bone or joint pain, but also convulsions or epileptic seizures.
In terms of numbers, it is considered that about 1% of the dog population is affected by epilepsy (80% of which are purebred dogs). According to a Finnish study dating from 2020, more than 70% of dogs suffer from anxiety disorders and depression. In addition, it is estimated that 28% of cats aged 11-14 years have at least one symptom consistent with cognitive dysfunction, such as sleep disturbance, anxiety, loss of appetite or disorientation.
As a pet owner, you must learn to recognize the signs that your pet is suffering. Horses, for example, are very expressive creatures. When they're not feeling well, they tend to lower their heads, put their ears back, grind their teeth or sweat heavily.
With our canine friends, behaviors such as unusual aggressiveness, loss of appetite or a tail that no longer wags should put you on alert.
Finally, in cats, hypersomnia (the tendency to oversleep), inopportune meowing and flattened ears mean that something is wrong.
Again, just like humans, vertebrate animals, including dogs and cats, have an endocannabinoid system, called SEC. It acts to maintain their overall health and balance.
Your pet's body is made up of many cannabinoid receptors. At the slightest sign of stress of any kind, these receptors act to restore balance to the body. This process is called homeostasis and it is how the body and brain cope with changes.
In animals, the endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of many essential functions such as:
If the endocannabinoid system is defective, the health of your pet is then impacted.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a naturally occurring cannabinoid extracted from the hemp plant. The molecular structure of CBD is similar to the endocannabinoids in your pet's body, which means it is easily absorbed by the body. So when you give your pet CBD, it will stimulate and then enhance the functions of the endocannabinoid receptors, so that homeostasis (balance) is restored.
CBD is a non-psychoactive substance, without any danger for your pet. On the contrary, very positive effects are quickly felt. The soothing properties of CBD, calm the animals both at the muscular and psychic level. Thus, CBD can soothe an anxious dog, relieve back pain or regulate your pet's sleep.
Among the most common benefits of CBD on animals, we find:
CBD can be found in different forms in the market. For example, there are treats, kibbles or spray and balms. But the most widespread form remains the CBD oil specially designed for animals.
As CBD is a dietary supplement, we recommend that you add it directly to your pet's food. However, you may have to go through a period of adaptation, so that your dog or cat gets used to the smell and effects of this new product. To facilitate its ingestion, Harvest laboratories have developed CBD oils for animals with attractive tastes for them. Thus, the oil for dogs is flavored with bacon, the one for cats has the taste of tuna, and for our friends the horses, it is the carrot.
CBD oil is sold in a bottle with a pipette, allowing a very precise drop by drop dosage. The dosage depends on the age, weight or general health of the animal. We advise you to ask your veterinarian for advice. Depending on your pet's reaction to the product, the dose can be adjusted.
As a preventive measure or to relieve chronic pain and aches, CBD regulates your pet's metabolism and actively participates in the healing process. It is an important ally to use as a dietary supplement to treat joint pain in your dog, depression in your cat or osteoarthritis in your horse. Although it is derived from a plant, and therefore natural and safe for your pet's health, we recommend that you seek the advice of your veterinarian before using a CBD-based product.
