How CBD oil can support you and your pets stay vital, healthy without spending thousands of dollars on invasive testing and treatments that address the symptoms rather than the root cause of all disease?
What is CBD oil or medical marijuana and how can it help you or your pets heal from chronic disease or behavioral issues naturally?
In certain states across the country, medical marijuana is an option for people suffering from various ailments and seeking relief. Now, as research continues to emerge, pet parents and veterinarians alike are finding that medical cannabis or CBD oil can provide positive benefits for animals as well.
Whether a pet has cancer, seizures, or anxiety, CBD oil can serve as an alternative medication to help treat symptoms. Here’s everything pet guardians need to know about cannabis oil for dogs, cats and horses. I have been using CBD oil for a few years now and collecting data on the benefits of using it on wild animals like lions, cheetahs, elephants and rhinos who have suffered from immense trauma.
So, to dispel some of the confusion around CBD oil, please know that not oil CBD or hemp products on the market are grown or produced equal.
Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be bringing you more information on this natural plant medicine with Craig Pilgrim of Green Health to ensure
that if you decide to use CBD oil for yourself or your beloved animal companions, you have the education to confidently use it.
What Is CBD Oil?
Click here for an overview of CBD oil.
Cannabis oil is liquid derived from the marijuana plant. There are many ways to extract oil from the plant, including CO2 extraction, says Dr. Tim Shu, founder and CEO of a pet cannabis company in California called VETCBD.
“The [marijuana] flower contains trichomes, which are glands that have essential oils,” Shu explains. Once the glands are separated from the plant, they can be formulated to find the ideal ratio of cannabinoids, he says.
Marijuana plants contain 80 different cannabinoids, Shu says, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component) and CBD (cannabidiol, the medical component).
When you use cannabinoids together, it’s more effective than separately,” Shu says of the “entourage effect” offered by cannabis. Hemp products, on their own, contain less than 0.3 percent THC.
Dr. Gary Richter, owner and medical director of Montclair Veterinary Hospital in Oakland, California, points out that cannabis oil has no psychoactive effect on dogs when dosed properly. “Depending on the nature of the product, if it contains little or no THC, then the dog is not going to get high.”
What Are the Benefits of Cannabis Oil for Dogs?
CBD Cannabis oil can be used to treat seizures, nausea, stress, anxiety, arthritis, back pain, symptoms of cancer, and gastrointestinal issues, among other health conditions in pets.
Relief is provided as the cannabinoids in marijuana interact with the endocannabinoid system, Shu explains. “It’s a series of receptors that run throughout the body,” he says. “The cannabinoids interact with the receptors in the body and modulate things like pain, anxiety, and nausea.”
Unlike some traditional prescription medications, medical cannabis has no life-threatening side effects with proper dosage, Shu points out. “It doesn’t damage the kidney, liver, or GI tract. The pets aren’t high or sedated.”
What Are the Potential Risks of Cannabis CBD Oil for Pets?
Like any medications, overdosing can lead to potential risks for pets. “The most significant is THC toxicity, meaning, essentially, they are high,” Richter says. “Depending on how significantly a pet has been overdosed, the effects of that can be quite long-lasting, even days.” During these episodes, a pet may not be able to stand or eat. If you suspect an overdose, take your pet to the veterinarian immediately.
Life-threatening risks for dogs from medical cannabis are “exceedingly rare,” Richter says, adding that toxicity more often occurs when a pet has eaten a product that contains chocolate, coffee, or raisins. “Even if the THC toxicity is not excessive, they can sometimes have problems due to these other ingredients.” That said, ingestion of large amounts of marijuana has been fatal in a number of dogs, so preventing overdoses with medical cannabis is still extremely important, warns Dr. Jennifer Coates, a veterinary advisor with petMD.
Graham Quigley, owner and acupuncturist at the Holistic Animal Clinic in San Rafael, California, worries that as the popularity of alternative medicine increases, pet parents may buy into “overly ambitious claims about cannabis oil” from unreliable sources. Quigley stresses that cannabis oil is not a “cure-all.”
As with any medication, pet parents should consult their veterinarian first before treating their dog with cannabis oil.
How Is Cannabis CBD Oil Administered to Dogs, Cats or horses?
Though there are some topical treatments, cannabis oil is typically administered orally to domestic animals.
I use CBD oil in conjunction with a functional personal prescription along with energy medicine, animal communications and traditional medications and treatments when required. Emerging research suggests there can be “synergistic benefits” between marijuana and traditional medications, Richter says. “There are few, if any, known significant drug interactions that you really need to be concerned about.”
Again, the correct dosage is imperative. “As is the case with any medication, success has everything to do with dosing,” Richter says. “If you dose pets properly, then they are going to get the positive effect that you’re looking for while not having any psychoactive side effects.”
But herein lies a problem. The research needed to determine the correct dosage for CBD oil in dogs simply hasn’t been done yet, Coates says. And, to make matters worse, FDA testing has shown that many CBD products contain little if any CBD, she adds. The best option available to pet parents at this time is to talk to a veterinarian who has experience with pets being treated with cannabis oil about proper dosage and reputable manufacturers, Coates says.
Depending on the illness presenting, I will often suggest topical and sublingual administering of CBD oil.
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Where Can Pet Owners Get Cannabis Oil for Their Pets?
Obtaining medical cannabis for your pet all depends on where you live and your state’s marijuana laws. I suggest you book a CORE session to assess the best options available for you and your pets before purchasing anything.
In South Africa you can purchase CBD products directly from me. We ship world wide and offer personalized support in the right products for you or your pets to ensure you get the optimal results possible. Just book a session via Skype here.
“In the US as well as in South Africa, to legally purchase marijuana or CBD oil, you must have a medical cannabis card, which a person would get from their doctor,” Richter says. “There is no legal mechanism by which I, as a veterinarian, can provide a medical cannabis card for a pet.”
Pet guardians who want to give their animals cannabis oil should speak to their holistic veterinarian.
Trust your gut and find a vet that supports alternative healing that encompasses body, mind and spirit – the level of healing occurs on the spiritual level andsadly the current state of veterinary practice support big pharma and big food companies and are money driven rather than having the best interests of the animal and the pet guardian at heart. There are some amazing holistic vets out there, so ask questions and do not let anyone shame or guilt you into doubting yourself.
You know your animal better than anyone.
Give them a long, happy life by getting them on a raw and live food diet.
Ask questions, get informed and trust you are enough for your animal companions.
For more information or to order Green health CBD oil products go to
www.sarahjanefarrell.com
We also offer Cancer Protocols specific to the type of cancer and what stage the person or animal is at.