Does CBD Calm Separation Anxiety In Dogs?
CBD has proven itself useful. It is becoming one of the most popular supplements on the market today, and has been used to treat a variety of physical and mental illnesses.
CBD has been useful for helping people overcome anxiety, depression, pain, and other types of sickness.
Recent research has led us to discover that is not just people who can benefit from CBD. Our furry friends, such as dogs and cats, can also benefit from using CBD.
One of the most popular uses of CBD and dogs is to help them overcome separation anxiety.
Separation anxiety is a very common problem, not just with dogs but with all forms of pets. Somewhere between 20 and 40% of all pets suffer from some form of separation anxiety. CBD can definitely help to reduce separation anxiety in Dogs according to a rapidly growing body of scientific evidence.
In this article, we’re going to discuss separation anxiety in dogs. We will help you understand the condition better, and explain how you can use a CBD to help your dog overcome separation anxiety.
What is separation anxiety in dogs?
Separation anxiety is a very common condition that affects a large number of dogs. As the name implies, separation anxiety is generally caused when a dog is separated from its owner.
If you have ever tied your dog up outside a store only to hear them screaming and barking the instant that you were out of sight, chances are, your dog has separation anxiety.
It’s not just solitude that can lead to separation anxiety, though. While this is the most common trigger, some dogs can become anxious from being separated from their home, or from a longer-term separation such as the departure of a family member due to a divorce or death.
Separation Anxiety symptoms
Unfortunately, a lot of the symptoms of separation anxiety are easily interpreted as a misbehaving. When a dog is anxious, it will become uncomfortable, and quite possibly erratic.
Dogs don’t have the same sophisticated language skills that humans do, and they can’t simply tell us that they are anxious and uncomfortable.
Instead, they will communicate the only way that they know how. In most cases, this involves a lot of loud barking, crying, and whining.
Many dogs express separation anxiety in more disruptive ways, such as tearing up the furniture or urinating in the house.
Excessive chewing, digging, and destruction of property is common for dogs with separation anxiety.
Many dogs are also prone to pacing when their owners are not around.
Some dogs have even been known to injure themselves in an effort to reunite themselves with their owner, by trying to escape through windows or closed doors.
This constant physical stress can even manifest as physical disorders in the body. As with humans, constant stress can lead your dog to develop digestive issues, heart issues, and depression.
How does separation affect the family?
It’s not hard to see how separation anxiety could affect the whole family.
If your dog only becomes anxious when you leave, then this means that your other family members will have to deal with this whenever you are gone.
This could create conflicts, and would likely result in your family hoping that you could take your dog with you every time you go out.
If your dog becomes anxious every time that it is left alone, then this could put your furniture and your house at risk if they become destructive.
This could lead to extra clean up time, and possible financial problems from having to replace furniture.
How long does separation anxiety last? Do puppies get over it?
It can be difficult to tell for certain whether or not your dog will get over separation anxiety.
Many puppies are prone to experiencing separation anxiety early on in their lives, but learn to cope with it as they become comfortable with the idea of their owners leaving for extended periods of time.
Some dogs, on the other hand, will not get over separation anxiety. In this case, you may want to consider using CBD or another form of treatment to help your dog get over the problem.
Does CBD help dogs with separation anxiety?
There hasn’t been any formal research done to specifically prove that CBD can be useful for treating separation anxiety.
However, many people have reported tremendous improvements in their dog’s anxiety levels as a result of using CBD.
CBD is a very relaxing compound. It is highly effective for treating anxiety in people, and there’s no reason that it shouldn’t be just as effective for treating anxiety in dogs. CBD exerts its anxiety fighting effects by its influence on the endocannabinoid system.
Endocannabinoid system in dogs
The endocannabinoid system is the largest neurotransmitter system in the body.
Humans have one, dogs have one, and all the other mammals on the face of the Earth have one. This means the CBD can exert a similar effect on all mammals.
One thing that many people are concerned about it is whether or not CBD will get their dog high. It won’t. This idea is founded in the fact that CBD is related to THC, the intoxicating cannabinoid found in marijuana.
One of the main differences between these two compounds is that THC directly influences the endocannabinoid system, whereas CBD indirectly influences it.
THC has effects much more powerful because it directly binds to the receptors in the system. CBD, on the other hand, influences other compounds in the body to exert their effects on the endocannabinoid system.
Full Spectrum or Broad Spectrum
There are different forms of CBD available for your dog.
Pure CBD, as you can imagine, is just CBD. Pure CBD is usually an isolated form of CBD that is mixed into a carrier oil or a dog treat. Pure CBD is very effective, however, some people prefer to feed their dogs a more holistic form of the medicine.
The two other, more holistic varieties of CBD are broad-spectrum and full spectrum.
- Full spectrum. Full spectrum extracts contain all of the terpenes, cannabinoids, and other active compounds found in the hemp plant. These compounds all work together the way that nature intended them to, providing the most benefit. This generally includes a small amount of THC – less than 0.3%, which is far less than the amount you would need to get your dog intoxicated.
- Broad spectrum. Broad spectrum extracts contain all of the active compounds found in the hemp plant except for THC.
It is generally believed that both full spectrum and broad spectrum extracts will provide more benefit for your dog than an isolated extract.
Will CBD calm my hyper dog?
Some dogs are simply hyperactive. Dogs with a lot of energy may display symptoms that are similar to separation anxiety.
Destruction, excessive barking, running around, and pacing are fairly common activities for dogs who do not have an outlet for their energy.
If this is the case, more likely than not, your dog just needs more exercise. Many people believe that their dogs are disruptive and misbehaved, when really, they are just trying to burn off extra energy.
However, if your dog remains hyperactive even after you have exercised them, CBD may be useful for helping them. CBD is a powerful relaxant, and can soothe hyperactive puppies.
Giving a Dog CBD
There are a number of different forms of CBD available for your dog. The type of CBD that you get will determine how you are able to feed the medicine to your dog.
The three main types of CBD available for puppies are oils, dog treats, and topical lotions. Topical lotions are generally not useful for helping to treat anxiety, as they are better used for helping to treat joint pain or other physical conditions.
There are some differences between using oil and dog treats.
- Dog treats. Dog treats infused with CBD are marketed for different purposes. Some dog treats are simply nutritional treats with a bit of CBD included. These will be effective for helping to treat separation anxiety.However, some dog treats are specifically marketed for dogs with anxiety. These will contain a number of other natural substances that can be useful for helping to treat anxiety, such as chamomile.
- CBD oil. Many companies manufacture CBD oil specifically for dogs and other animals. People have to be careful when purchasing these types of oils, because some companies like to offload their lower quality oil and sell it as pet oil. If you love and care about your dog, you would want to get them the same high-quality oil that you would get for yourself.
There are several different ways that you can get your dog to consume CBD.
Obviously, if you have a CBD dog treat, all you have to do is get the dog to eat the treat. However, if you are using a CBD oil, you will have to be a bit more crafty to get your dog to consume the stuff.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to put a few drops of oil on your dog’s food. Make sure to give them a smaller amount of food when you do this, to ensure that they eat all of the dose.
It’s also possible to mix CBD oil in with your dog’s water, however, it’s less likely that they’ll be able to consume the whole dose in a single sitting this way. They may also lose some of the CBD if they spill any of the water while they’re lapping it up.
Since you’ll be using the CBD oil to treat separation anxiety specifically, you will have to time it properly. You will want them to consume the dose of CBD between 30 and 45 minutes before the time that you have to leave them alone.
This can be difficult to do if you are putting oil in your dog’s food. They won’t eat it if they’re not hungry. For this reason, some might find it more convenient to get CBD dog treats, which can be easier to feed your puppy if you’re on a timeframe.
Dosing CBD oil for your Dog
Since there is no government regulation on the amount of CBD that you can give to animals, you will have to follow standards that were issued by veterinarians who have supported the use of CBD.
The standard dose of CBD for a dog is between 1 and 5 mg per 10 lb of body weight. It’s best to start at the low end of the dosing range.
This means that if your dog weighs 40 pounds, you will want to start it out with 4 mg of CBD. Try this out for a few days, and if your dog doesn’t show any noticeable Improvement, you can increase the dose.
What other medication can I give my dog for separation anxiety?
If your dog suffers from serious separation anxiety that cannot be treated by CBD alone, there are a number of other medications that can be useful.
A lot of the medications that are prescribed to dogs for anxiety are the same as those that are prescribed to humans. Any of these medications can cause serious side effects in people, and could potentially cause even more serious side effects in your dog.
Some of the most commonly prescribed medications for dogs with anxiety are benzodiazepines. These include medications like Xanax and Ativan, both of which are known to cause serious addiction problems, dizziness, confusion, and potential withdrawal symptoms.
In some cases, dogs can be prescribed SSRI medications like Zoloft or Prozac. These can also be very dangerous, and should only be used in the most extreme cases.
Conclusion
Separation anxiety is a very real problem that can cause a number of problems for both your dog and your family.
If your dog suffers from serious separation anxiety, one of the best things that could help the both of you is CBD.
CBD can be very effective for treating anxiety and isn’t known to cause any serious side effects. It is available in a variety of forms. If you think that CBD can help you and your dog, don’t hesitate to try it.
