treats – Bark of the Shores

We have all seen the rise in CBD products for humans all over the place. From massive retail chains like Kroger and Walgreens to small individual owned gas stations, there is no denying humans are looking for more natural ways to take care of our bodies.

The vet appointment that we found out my girl had a tumor growing in her shoulder area, and that the cancer was too deep in to be able to remove it. This is when we started looking into comfort care and CBD oils/products.

So when human pet parents experience benefits from using CBD, it’s only natural to wonder if this would be a good fit for their pets as well. When my own dog was diagnosed with cancer, it was an avenue I personally took with my own dog to help her feel better in those hard times. I will make a note here that she was also taking prescribed medications from the veterinarian, so there is no way to tell what truly helped the most. Either way, from my experience I felt she was calmer, less stressed and more comfortable.

In this article I’m going to go over all the information that I found about CBD for dogs, so you can make the right decision if it is the best fit for you and your pet. Although I promise that I did as much due diligence as possible in my research for this article I need to emphasize that I am not a veterinarian. My hope is that you can take this knowledge to your vet, and work together to find what product is going to be best for your needs. Another note is that this information is only pertaining to dogs, no other animal. If there is interest in other animals I would be more than happy to write an article if I can find any information out there.

What is CBD? What is it used for?

CBD stands for Cannabidiol, and is derived from the cannabis plant. This part of the plant contains no psychoactive agents in it. Most CBD gathered for dogs comes from a hemp plant, which simply means they are a group of plants that contain less than 0.3% THC (healthline.com).

As I dove into the research for CBD consumption by dogs, I quickly learned that the research is still very new and not much has been done. Healthline.com and mbglifestyle.com both state that although the little research done is very promising, most has also been funded and done by the companies who make the products themselves. Healthline also stated that as of 8/1/2019, there were no FDA approved CBD products for dogs. However, when purchasing products you can always look for a seal from the NACS (National Animal Supplement Council). This group, along with other organizations have been verifying and approving cannabis-derivatives to assist with a variety of pet health and behavioral issues (Pet Business Magazine). I will link all the different places that I went to for research at the end of the article!

Just like people, CBD is given to dogs for a variety of reasons. After diving into articles in magazines and online, the main reasons I found were for: Joint pain and mobility, pain management for cancer, anxiety and stress, bowel and stomach issues and last but not least epilepsy.

Lastly, please do not give your dog people grade CBD products! The processes used to create products for people and dogs are different, along with how much dosage is in each product. Always read the packaging before giving any CBD products to your dog.

How should I give my dog CBD? And how much?

One of the most wonderful things about CBD for dogs is that it comes in so many varieties. In the article I found by Pet Business, I came across numerous ways to help your pet receive the benefits of CBD: Oil tinctures for dogs, treats, shampoos, soft chews, and supplements. I recommend looking into the effectiveness of each product before using it. In my research it seemed like oils/tinctures and chews seemed to be the most popular forms to give dogs but it depends on what works best for you and your dog.

When it comes to how much to give your dog, the product itself should have instructions for how much to give your dog. If it does not come with any instructions, I would stay away! There are plenty of quality products where the companies took the time to test their products to know their maximum efficiency.

Healthline.com referenced a 2018 study done on dogs with osteoarthritis, which showed that 2mg per kg of weight was the most effective dosage that saw a rise in comfort levels. Recommendations state to start with a low dose and slowly work your way up to a higher dose. Monitor your dog so you can gauge how much to give them and if a higher dose is needed. Do not rush this process, depending on the way the CBD is administered the way it affects the speed of how fast it works.

Food for thought/ Take always

Overall, from my findings I found that CBD does generally have an overall positive effect on dogs.

When first starting to give your dog CBD, give them the smallest dose possible and watch to see how they feel. Also note when you gave them the CBD and what you hope the results will be. There can be adverse reactions to CBD which can include becoming lethargic, panting excessively, vomiting and drooling. You can overdose your pet with CBD oil! Our bodies process it differently than dogs, so it is very important to make sure your dog is reacting fine to it.

Now that I have finished up this article, along with having my own personal experience giving my own dog CBD treats, I feel confident that CBD is here to stay and will only continue to grow in pet stores and within veterinary offices as more research is being done. Keep your eye out, and always stay up to date on trends and research! I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to talk to your veterinarian before starting any new regiment of supplements or treats with CBD oil.

Check out my Pinterest!

Resources

Chesak, Jennifer. “Thinking about Giving Your Dog Cbd? Here’s Everything You Need to Know .” Mindbodygreen, Mindbodygreen, 10 Sept. 2021, https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/best-cbd-for-dogs. 

Lindenau, Kelly. “A Budding Opportunity.” Pet Business, Mar. 2021, pp. 60–62.

Mills-Senn, Pamela. “Focusing on CBD.” Pet Business, May 2021, pp. 39–42.

Peters, Alexa. “Treating Your Dog with Cbd.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 10 June 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-dogs#effects.

Hello all Pet Parents and Guardians!

You may not have known this, but February is Pet Dental Health Month!

Dental care is coming more and more into light these days and I’m very happy to see it. It has always been an area that I feel doesn’t get talked to pet parents enough by their groomers, because maybe even groomers don’t know much about how to maintain dental health for your pet to avoid bad breath, gum disease, tooth decay and very costly vet visits to get them cleaned or even pulled if the disease/decay progresses too far. I will have information for both dogs and cats in each section! I am not sponsored by any products talked about, and please remember that I am not a vet. Please make sure your vet is checking your pet’s teeth when going in for check ups!

Food Choice: There is a huge, detrimental, myth out there that feeding your pet dry kibble is going to hello scrape the plaque of their teeth. I hate to tell you this, but it’s the same thing as thinking that consuming pretzels and chips are going to do the same for us. Most dry kibble is filled with starch and fillers like corn which add to the growth of bacteria. Now, there is some kibble out there that is created to help with dental care but from what I’ve read most veterinarians recommended focusing on feeding a combination of high quality dry and wet pet food. The better quality food you feed, the less fillers and additives that will coat your dog’s teeth and they will be a much healthier pet!

Treats: Although our pets’ food is not going to help their teeth, there are plenty of treats that do focus on this! These treats are hard, and shaped to help scrape off plaque. Some popular brands are Dentastix by Purina, Greenies and Whimzee, with most brands selling a variation for cats and dogs. I trust you to read up on what brand works best for you and you pet! And please read the feeding instructions to make sure you are not giving your pet too many treats!

Toys: There are lots of toys designed to keep our pets teeth looking good! Both dog and cat toys exist and often are a hard but malleable runner with small spikes to clean their teeth. For dogs, rope toys are also great as they can act like floss in a sense. I’ll throw in hard bones and antlers here for dogs, and I have recently read that some cats do enjoy chewing on sticks that would help too! Pet safe bones and sticks of course!

Toothbrush/Toothpaste: Now, I’m not sure why but it feels most pet parents just don’t seem to think daily brushing with a toothbrush and paste is possible. But you can make it a part of your nightly routine! Now, when beginning to get your pet used to having their teeth brushed I would avoid using mint flavors. I can only speak from personal experience but most dogs react the best to peanut butter flavored toothpaste! This seems like it wouldn’t really help the smell so much, but having that bacteria cleaned out will really help! Although I do not groom cats, I would still avoid mint. Try chicken or seafood flavored! If your pet just will not let you use a toothbrush at first, try using a dental finger brush. They slide right over your finger and are a soft rubber with soft bristles. Pet toothpaste is safe for pets to consume so no need to worry about them swallowing their toothpaste!

Dental Gel/Water Additives/Fresh Breath Sprays: Starting with what I feel is the most important item in this section, dental gel. I love gels myself, as it helps loosen plaque build up and kills germs and bacteria. Most gels will tell you to wait 30 minutes before they can eat or drink (which are the same instructions for most human mouth washes!). I really feel this is great to pair with toothbrushing since it can be hard to get every area of a pet’s mouth! Water additives are another area, and what is great is now they have additives that not alone focus on your pet’s dental health but can also help with skin and coat, digestion, and other areas. Always consult your vet if you have any questions about what would help your pet with their specific needs! And please read those instructions to know how much and how often to add these to your pet’s water. Lastly, the spray. These sprays help keep your pet’s breath minty fresh while also killing bacteria. Just a spray or two is all you need! When I use this on dogs (sorry cat owners, I’ll update this when I try this with my cat), I usually try and go for the sides of the mouth instead of straight on. You will avoid a lot of accidental sprays in your dog’s nose that way!

I’m sure there are some specific toys and products that I missed in this list, but I hope this helps you take better care of your pet’s teeth! A personal goal that I am going to start doing this February for my kitty is to pick 2 different methods ex. New dental toy along with dental gel. I hope to keep her teeth healthy right alongside you all! Always feel free to reach out with questions, but again any medical questions or specific to your dogs teeth will have to be answered by a veterinarian.

Tag: treats

CBD Oil and Dogs; What You Should Know

Check out my Pinterest!

Dental Care for your Dog and Cat

Follow me on Pintrest!