CBD Oil for Dog Anxiety, How it Helps My Old Pooch Skyler

Should you use CBD Oil for Dog Anxiety?

When you ask yourself: ‘Should I use CBD Oil for Dog Anxiety?’  Your answer should always be deeply rooted in improving the quality of life for your pet. If your dog suffers from a severe level of anxiety and it is drastically affecting its ability to eat, sleep, or genuinely wag-their-tail, it may be time to start to treat that anxiety, and CBD oil could be a great start.

But how do you know if your dog has anxiety? Are there any symptoms that you can spot?

Well, it turns out there are overt and more hidden implied symptoms of anxiety in dogs. Implied symptoms of anxiety are harder to detect and don’t necessarily mean that your dog is anxious. But they should be monitored and if they continue, should be assessed.

Some Implied Symptoms of Anxiety in Dogs

• Hiding or solitude: Some dogs look to isolate themselves during anxiety attacks.
• Seeking comfort: Some dogs look to find comfort in the protection of their owners or other dogs.
• Excessive licking or chewing: this can become damaging to the pet and their mental state
• Anxious dogs may compulsively lick or chew at their fur.

Overt Symptoms of Anxiety in Dogs

The more noticeable symptoms are a lot harder to miss. The behaviors may only appear when dogs are triggered by their anxieties.

• Excessive barking and howling: making loud noises and executing persistent tasks seem to distract anxious dogs
• Aggression: biting, snipping, bumping into owners
• Try to escape: anxiety sometimes causes fight or flight reactions in pets
• Other symptoms: Excessive energy, excretion, destruction, panic attacks:

Traditional Treatment for Dog Anxiety

Dog anxiety isn’t an entirely new topic. However, in recent years we grew to understand the canines’ mental structure better and therefore we are able to better address it.

The traditional treatment methods for dog anxiety can work, yet it depends on the dog as an individual. For some dogs, one treatment will work, while for others it can be completely unsuccessful.

The way that anxiety is tackled most often is by behavioural training. Depending on the symptoms that the dog shows, the training sessions go in a different direction. For example, aggression can be a clear indicator of anxiety, and in most of the cases that is the smoking gun. However, the dog isn’t aggressive because they want to attack you. They are not vicious predators who want to stick their teeth in your flesh just for the sake of doing it. In most of the cases, the dog is scared or feels uncomfortable due to a certain reason. Now, the dog believes that there is some threat, so instead of waiting to be attacked, it attacks first.

If you have gained your dog’s trust, which you probably have, they might not attack you, but they will be mistrusting of other people and dogs if they suffer from anxiety. In such cases, behavioral training has been often advised, yet it hasn’t helped all dogs.

You might try and train your dog, yet you need to be careful. Punishing the dog or using physical violence might backfire on you and not only the dog might experience even a higher degree of anxiety, but they can also become very shy, scared and shut down and refuse to socialize. In the worst case scenario, the dog might lose the trust they have in you and start being aggressive towards you as well.

The best way to do one such training is to establish yourself as the clear authority over the dog. There is no need for shouting or hitting – you just need to take the dominant role in the relationship between you and your dog and work on the behavior you are trying to change.

When it comes to such a personality and mental condition, you can’t really expect a one-size-fits-all solution for all dogs. Simply, some dogs will react better to the training than others.

In some more serious cases, your vet might prescribe short-term anxiety medications. However, they might come at a price i.e. your dog might experience side-effect. The most common side-effects of anxiety medications for dogs are vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, drowsiness, sleepiness, memory loss and difficulty learning, and in some cases even have a completely opposite effect than what you are trying to achieve, such as increased anxiety and aggression.

What is Cannabidiol (CBD)?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound found in cannabis with significant medical benefits for humans and animals. Almost all mammals have endocannabinoid receptors, demonstrating our long-lasting relationship with the plant. CBD is not psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t have the mental effects of consuming THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol. Because it is non-psychoactive, it makes it very appealing for medical patients and pet owners to experience relief without lethargy.

This illustration from Canna-Pet does a great job of visualizing the location of cannabinoid receptors in canines and how CBD oil for dogs anxiety can work.

Visual illustration of canine interaction with cannabis and CB1 and CB2 receptors (Via Canna-Pet)

What is CBD Oil?

CBD oil is usually taken from the resin glands on cannabis plants, but it can also be harvested from hemp, which is an industrial version of cannabis with little-to-no THC. When using CBD oil for dogs anxiety, there are many different brands that implement different solutions and mixtures.

For example, some brands use salmon and other fish oils to ensure an easier delivery to the dog. Products like FurBaby were one of the first pet-focused CBD options in Canada and targets anxiety, depression and pain relief.

How is CBD oil made?

There are 2 main ways CBD oil is made.

1. Alcohol Extraction
   • This method requires you to soak the plant material in a solvent, such as grain alcohol. Once the material soaks, the remaining liquid is full of CBD (and other cannabinoids), you evaporate the solvent and the remaining oil is ready for consumption.
2. CO2 Extraction
   • CO₂ extraction requires a series of chambers that control temperature and pressure. Most simply put, the CO₂ is forced through the plant material and the oil separates from the plant.

Why I Use CBD Oil for Dog Anxiety

This is Skyler. He is a 35-pound, 16-year old Bijon, American Eskimo, Standard Poodle mutt. Yes, you read that right. Despite looking like a youthful little pup, he’s basically palliative at this point.

Skyler looking for comfort in one of his favorite spots in the house.

Skyler has had health struggles for most of his time on earth. From Colitis to torn ACLs, to ear infections, this resilient little mutt has been through it all. Now nearing the end of his life, I’ve been searching for a natural sedative to help him with pain and the everyday anxiety that comes with being over 100 years old.

As a dog owner, there’s nothing worse than looking at your furry-friend and releasing they have fear in their eyes. When my dog was a pup, he would absolutely shudder and break down with the arrival of a thunderstorm. On one particularly stormy night, my family arrived home to find him scratching away on top of our antique wood dining room table.A trail of slobber, hair, and scratches marked his trail.

At his old age, we hate seeing him pant and scratch like he is uncomfortable.

Then, at a cannabis market in Toronto, I discovered hempseed CBD oil for dog anxiety. I knew that dogs have their own endocannabinoid receptors, but wasn’t quite sure how the treatment would react with my dog’s physiology.

We saw results on the first day.

Skyler (15 yrs) and Chappie (1 yr), the Ghost and the Goblin, hang out together despite the age gap.

Skyler was so anxious and itchy at points that he would lick and scratch away at his fur. This left holes and red patches on his skin. After giving him a small dose of CBD oil, we were able to remove the cone over his head as he seemed to be less itchy and calmer.

He had more energy, was calmer, and seemed to have a little more patience for the annoying pups in his life…coughh…chappie (pictured above). Skyler even stopped licking himself and was able to relax and sleep with a lot more comfort.

We had our dog back.

And It’s Not Just Skylar!

Numerous dog owners have decided to give CBD oil a go in order to give their furry friends the opportunity to live a better, stress-free and happy life.

More and more owners are becoming aware of the benefits that CBD oil can bring to their dogs, and we have witnessed a number of communities emerging online where people share their success stories while others ask for advice.

One such community is CBD Dog Health Success Stories. In this group, you can read about how many owners help their dogs overcome not only anxiety, but other problems such as cancer, tumors, and conditions because of which their dogs were experiencing pain.

Meet Helen and her lovely friend Deegan:

Look how happy Deegan looks!

Even though he has been given only 6 months to live, combining CBD oil with a healthy diet is what made Deegan be lively and active!

This is Ruby, the bulldog who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Ruby’s owner shares his entire journey from when Ruby was diagnosed, to how he used CBD oil to help her condition.

You can read the entire story as he shared it.

This is a great community if you would like to read about success stories from dog owners that used CBD oil to help their best friends. You can also get involved in discussions and ask for advice from others. It is a public group so you can feel free to join and contribute to the community.

Meet Mia, a rescue dog who is suffering from severe anxiety attacks that even cause her to shake! The video is taken after Mia woke up from a nap. The owner guesses she had a nightmare which caused her to feel very anxious.

The owner states that combining CBD oil by giving a lot of love to your dog is what can make the entire difference in the world. She claims that gradually, Mia’s attacks started happening less and less.

Mis is given CBD oil and a few minutes later the effects are evident. Check it out for yourself!

How to Give CBD oil to Your Dog

Dr. Furbaby CBD oil tincture

You can deliver CBD oil for dog anxiety in a variety of ways. The first method is the one I always recommend: tincture delivery through eyedropper straight into the mouth of your dog (pictured above).

Dogs have sensitive receptors below their tongues, so placing CBD oil right into their mouth is the fastest way to get results. Owners can also put the oil into their food, or enclose it in a pill form to be put into food.

How much CBD oil should I give My Dog For Anxiety?

Determining how much CBD you should start with depends on the weight, age, and physiology of your dog.

The standard formula is Weight of Dog (kg’s) X 0.25 (starting dose) = mg’s of CBD Per Day.

My family found that is was best to split the dosage into smaller portions throughout the day. Any expert we spoke to said that it’s not working, we should just give him more. In fact, there are no negative side effects for animals other than drowsiness.

Or You Can Opt-In for CBD Dog Treats

The problem with CBD oil on its own is that your dog might not be too keen on the taste. Its natural bitter taste might not be the favorite thing in the world.

To make life easier, maybe going for CBD dog treats is the right thing for you. Make sure you opt-in for certified dog treats and also follow the instructions in order to give your dog the best out of the product.

There are a lot of different CBD pet treats on the market, yet if you have trouble choosing the right one for you, speak to your vet. As mentioned previously, the CBD oil intake mainly depends on the size of the dog, so you need to make sure the CBD treats contain the right concentration for your buddy.  

The main benefit of using CBD treats is that they are enjoyable for your pup. They come in different flavors such as chicken, bacon, gravy etc, meaning that your dog will just dig in and you won’t have to worry about putting up a fight so you can give them the CBD oil orally.

Should you use CBD Oil for dog Anxiety?

Talking from experience, CBD oil drastically improved my pooch’s comfort and relaxation level. But that doesn’t mean CBD oil will work for your dog. I always recommend pet owners that are considering using CBD oil for their dog to consult their vet first.

If your dog is on medication, find out how and if the CBD oil will interact with that. Even though you may get the okay from your vet, you as the owner are responsible for dosage and monitoring of your dog. A canine cannot tell us how it feels or if it’s uncomfortable.

We have to know the signs and understand their body language. That’s why I always recommend a wealth of knowledge before dosing your pet. The more you understand what your pet is trying to tell you, the better you’ll be able to dose and treat your furry friend.

If you want to hear more about Skyler’s treatment or learn about how he’s doing, drop a comment or email [email protected]