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A whopping 25% of canines tend to suffer from osteoarthritis at some point in their lives. This illness is so common in dogs that your pet may have developed it despite all the health precaution methods you may have followed.
You may have noticed some symptoms and mentioned them to a friend or neighbor. They may have said something like “have you tried CBD oil for dogs? It works wonders for arthritis in dogs”.
Or, you may not have even heard from anyone. You may have just been searching the internet for products to use for your pet suffering from arthritis and a common answer you kept getting was CBD oil.
So, naturally, you are here wanting to know whether or not this product you’ve heard of is or isn’t as great as you have been told.
Whatever the case may be, we believe you are in the right place because, in this read, we will be discussing the use of CBD oil for dogs suffering from arthritis. Let us start by discussing what was traditionally used for treating OA in dogs.
Osteoarthritis – Traditional Treatment
Normally, Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (called NSAIDs for short) are the common medications used for canines experiencing pain caused by inflammation.
However, these drugs often have serious and sometimes even deadly side effects.
According to a study done in 2015, NSAIDs have several reported negative side effects more than every other currently prescribed veterinary medicine. This study also notes that there is a possibility of dogs suffering from renal damage or even failure when NSAIDs are used during chronic conditions. You can visit https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jvim.12127 to learn more about this study.
FDA itself advises that NSAIDs be used with caution and other alternatives should be used before resorting to NSAIDs. Also, if it is to be used, the lowest dose should be administered for a short time limit.
Hence, vets know that these drugs when used long-term especially for older canines and those with kidney or liver conditions can be dangerous or even lethal. Therefore, other safe treatment options are often considered before NSAIDs are introduced.
Hence, most dog parents have turned to CBD oil to provide their pets the much-needed relief from the pain while ensuring they do not have to suffer from negative side effects.
Yet, the real question remains “How effective is CBD oil for the treatment of arthritis?” To answer this question, let us discuss the research that has been made on cannabidiol and arthritis.
Research on Arthritis and Cannabidiol
CBD is the abbreviation for the compound cannabidiol. This compound has been the case of study for several human studies. However, in recent times, some studies have been carried out for the use of this compound in dogs.
From the study, it has been discovered that the compound has both pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.
Osteoarthritis (OA) often involves both inflammation and pain. Therefore, most research on cannabidiol is focused on its use in the treatment of OA.
Furthermore, the endocannabinoid system which makes it possible for the body to interact with cannabidiol may play an important role in osteoarthritis progression.
Some new studies have discovered that CBD may even help prevent the pain progression and joint degenerations often caused by OA.
Luckily, these discoveries cut across species. Meaning both canines and humans suffering from OA are offered these great benefits of CBD.
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Research on the Use of Cannabidiol Oil for Arthritic Dogs
When it concerns veterinary research, there has been a bit of delay. This may be because money for new drugs development is quite a lot and most pharmaceutical giants are mostly concerned with the human market.
Furthermore, the legality of cannabis plants has hampered the research that would have otherwise been done as regards the use of CBD for treating arthritic dogs. However, the recent 2018 Farm Bill has removed some of the legal barriers that hampered research in this field. You can read this article to learn more about the Farm Bill.
In a recent study conducted in this regard, dogs with osteoarthritis were given full-spectrum cannabidiol oil daily. Some were given 2mg per kg while others received 8mg.
The dogs were checked before the study started and checked again 2 weeks and 4 weeks into the trial. At the end of the trial, it was discovered that the dogs that received 2mg per pound had significantly improved in mobility and activity meaning their pains had also significantly reduced.
Also, no negative side effects were noticed during the trial which makes it safe to say that CBD oil is a safe measure of controlling pain in arthritic dogs.
Speak With Your Vet
Despite all we have said so far, do not just start giving your pet CBD oil without consulting your vet. While CBD may be quite helpful for your arthritic dog, you must get your vet’s approval.
Do not expect your vet to speak to you about cannabidiol first. This is because the law doesn’t permit vets to initiate conversations about CBD in most states. However, they are allowed to discuss it once their client initiates the conversation.
Therefore, if you have decided to give your arthritic pet CBD oil, do not hesitate to tell your vet.
Conclusion
As we have seen in this article, NSAIDs are the commonly used medication for dogs suffering from OA. However, these medications have several negative side effects that their use is often seen as a last resort and this has made dog parents seek healthy alternatives without the bad effects. CBD is one of these alternatives and based on the research discussed in this article, using it for your pet suffering from OA is not just a good move but a wise one.
