CBD for Pets; Osteoarthritis and other ailments
CBD for Pets: an introduction
Osteoarthritis can be a crippling disease for dogs and other animals. Dr. Brad Bennett, at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explains in his article “Osteoarthritis, commonly referred to as degenerative joint disease, is a noninfectious degeneration of joints”. Osteoarthritis ultimately leads to structural and functional decline of the joint with associated lameness and pain. It is highly prevalent in dogs.
Why does CBD for Pets work with dogs?
“Dogs are reported to have a higher number of cannabinoid receptors in the brain compared with humans.” This may be the reason dogs respond quicker and at a lower dosage to CBD than humans. Mesa Lavender Farms recommends a minimum dose of 5 mg of CBD per day for humans and an increase in dosage based on weight and severity of pain, nausea, anxiety, stress, etc. And because of the higher number of receptors we need to be careful when providing dogs with any products containing THC , but more on this later.
CBD for pets: what does the research reveal?
A review of the many web pages on the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) for pets provides varied recommendations on dosage for pets from 0.22 milligrams of CBD per 10 lb of body weight up to 5 mg CBD per 10 pounds of body weight. One to five mg of CBD per 10 pounds of research tends to track with the research reported by Gamble, et al. 2018, conducted with Beagles. Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Clinical Efficacy of Cannabidiol Treatment in Osteoarthritic Dogs their research suggests that 2 mg/kg (9 mg per 10 pounds of body weight) of CBD twice daily was needed in their study to increase comfort and activity in dogs with OA. Start low and increase the dosage as needed.
Gambel’s research was conducted with Beagles being the test subjects. Beagles typically weight 20 to 22 pounds. Larger animals would most likely need larger dosages of CBD. Mesa Lavender Farms Pet CBD tincture is formulated so 1 drop = 1 mg CBD.
Brioschi, et al., 2020, treated various breeds of dogs with CBD. They applied the CBD to the oral mucosa , the lining within the oral cavity, which includes sublingual, buccal, labial, palatal, and gingival tissues. They report 2 mg of CBD per kg was effective in reducing pain and improving quality of life of the dogs in the trial.
When starting your pet on CBD, always start with the lowest dosage and increase the dosage if your pets’ condition warrants an increase. Keep in mind a higher dose may not mean an improvement in the dogs condition due to the bell curve effect. Many products designed for pets are the edible type. Keep in mind the amount of CBD your pet, or you, needs to consume orally to have the same effect as a liquid formulation place in the mouth, is 4 to 6 times higher.
Mesa Lavender Farms CBD for Pet is formulated so one drop equals one mg of CBD. This takes the guesswork out of how many drops you should provide your pets. Some web sites include a calculator for the CBD products they carry. If you know how much your pet weighs and how many mg of CBD you want to provide (1 to 5 mg/10 pounds of body weight) you already know how many drops you are going to provide your pet. With our product, there is no need for a complicated calculator.
Based on research we recommend the dosage be split between a morning and evening application. If possible try to get this under the tongue for more rapid uptake. Giving your pet a small treat after the CBD tends to encourage your pet to be more willing to accept CBD the next time around.
Mesa Lavender Farms Pet CBD is formulated without any essential oils as recommended by ASPCA. The carrier oil we use is a USDA Coconut oil medium chain triglyceride. This fatty acid is know to increase metabolism, absorption, and movement of CBD throughout the body. The fatty acids in this oil is the healthy type.
Our full-spectrum CBD for Pets tincture contains a very small amount of THC (~0.06%). Our Pure CBD for Pets formulation contains no THC. We feel it is important you know what you are giving your pet. The chemical analysis of the hemp oil distillate we use in our pet formulation is attached. When purchasing CBD products from other suppliers be sure to obtain its chemical analysis. You wouldn’t give your children products that contained harmful compounds. Why would you do that with your pets? If the distributor of the CBD product can’t provide you the analysis why not?
Cancer, another crippling disease suffered by dogs, especially those over 75 pounds. According to Dr. Timothy Fan, veterinary oncologist at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, “Large and giant breed dogs such as Newfoundlands, greyhounds, St. Bernards, large Labradors, and Rottweilers are predisposed for this form of cancer, which usually develops in geriatric dogs over eight years old.”
THC and pets
Cannabis (THC) intoxication in pets most commonly affects dogs (96%) and is uncommon in cats (3%). The minimum lethal oral THC dose for dogs is more than 3 g/kg. Matthew Everett Miller, DVM has an excellent article on CBD and THC. I would suggest you review to learn how THC can affect your pet.
Mesa Lavender Farms Full Spectrum CBD for Pets tincture uses an industrial hemp distillate which has a very low level of THC. Thus an overdose with THC is highly unlikely when using our products. Mesa Lavender Farms also has a CBD-only formulation which contains no THC.