You might have noticed several similarities between you and your dog. You both sleep, eat and communicate. Most notably, our bodies use similar mechanisms. Like people, cats and dogs have the endocannabinoid system. For this reason, they can benefit from cannabinoids such as CBD. 

CBD or cannabidiol is gaining traction among dog lovers with increasing clinical research. Using CBD is one of the ways of making your dog or cat happier. It offers many health benefits including, pain, insomnia, and anxiety, just to name a few. 

The best part of it? CBD is harmless. CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the most dominant compounds in the cannabis plant. But CBD is more beneficial for some as it doesn’t have THC, the component that makes users high. What’s more, CBD can be extracted from hemp plants. Therefore, CBD is suitable for both children, adults, and dogs and trusted cbd for dogs are available at https://www.holistapet.com/product/best-cbd-oil-for-dogs-cats/.

A major benefit to CBD is that it doesn’t contain THC, which is the compound that makes users high, so this makes CBD an ideal product for children.

CBD comes in various ways from oils to CBD edibles. Besides, you can get the best pet-optimized CBD Canada from the comfort of your home.

Let's focus on how CBD helps combat pain. The research carried out allows us to understand how CBD interacts with the body to produce pain-relieving effects that are helpful to humans and dogs. 

1. How CBD Affects the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) for Pain Relief

The ECS composes of endocannabinoids that are believed to stimulate the cannabinoid receptors found throughout the immune system, brain, skeletal muscles, and body organs. Its main goal is to help the body attain optimum balance. 

The ECS consists of CB1 and CB2 receptors. These receptors work with the two cannabinoids naturally produced by mammals. According to a study, CBD stops the absorption of anandamide. Anandamide is a CB1 agonist that’s found in the kidneys of cats, dogs, and humans. 

Anandamide has been associated with pain reduction. When the body senses pain, the anandamide will bind to CB1 receptors and nullify pain by blocking the pain signals. Therefore, more anandamide in the bloodstream means less pain. 

Another research reveals that CBD acts on the serotonin 1A receptor or 5-HT1A receptors. Activation of these receptors impacts how the brain responds to pain. The effects are helpful in easing anxiety, depression, and pain. 

2. How CBD Fights Inflammation for Pain Control

Inflammation is common in dogs. That’s because of various factors from genetics, food allergies, parasites, metabolic diseases, bacterial overgrowth, and environmental stress are possible causes of inflammation. It normally manifests itself through symptoms like reduced appetite, fever, depression, vomiting, and abnormal stools in your dog. 

Inflammation is good for healing, but it leads to chronic inflammation when it prolongs. Chronic inflammation is dangerous since it affects various tissues and organs because of the presence of the many free radicals that cause oxidative stress. 

According to a 2015 review, reviewers discovered that CBD is effective in easing inflammation in the body in various ways. CBD treats different types of pain and has anti-inflammatory properties that make it an effective treatment option. 

A 2017 study investigated the effects of CBD using rats with acute inflammation of the joints. They discovered that administering CBD helped prevent joint pain and nerve damage.

3. How CBD Treats Joint and Arthritis Pain in Pets

Many factors can cause arthritis in pets. Some of the common ones are excess weight, fungi, viruses, bacteria, injury, and old age. With CBD’s popularity in patients suffering from inflammation and pain, CBD might also help pets deal with chronic joint pain and arthritis. 

Like we’ve seen, CBD has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and serves as an effective painkiller. Since inflammation is the main feature of arthritis, CBD may help. Inflammation and pain result from the grinding and rubbing of bones in the affected joints. 

Animal studies support the idea that CBD has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties that help manage arthritis. Arthritic patients using CBD claim that it has significantly offered pain relief and other benefits like easing anxiety and improving sleep. 

A 2000 study tested the effects of CBD on rats with arthritis. In the study, the researchers introduced adjuvant into the rats to trigger an immune reaction that causes inflammatory destruction of the bones and cartilage on the joints similar to the effects of arthritis. 

Once they started noticing the symptoms of arthritis and joint pain, they administered CBD to the rats through injections and oral application. They observed that a consistent administration of CBD helped stop the development of arthritis. The research concluded that CBD may help to inhibit the spread of arthritis and protects the joints from damage caused by chronic inflammation. 

In another research conducted by the University of Kentucky,  researchers investigated whether transdermal CBD patches helped in easing pain in rats with arthritis. After four days of using the patches, they concluded CBD is efficient in easing swelling, inflammation, and pain in the treated areas. In fact, it is one of the best muscle relaxers out there. 

Conclusion

Hemp truly has a lot of possibilities. Today it is even being used for ethical clothings.

While there are no studies using dogs or cats, their bodies use the same mechanisms as rats and humans. So, CBD’s effectiveness on animal models is a good indication that it may work for dogs. 

Research on CBD 's role in several animal models suggests that CBD can help relieve different types of pain. It works with the ECS to combat inflammation and alleviate joint pain which allows your dog to live a happier life   

CBD is also a safe, natural way to relieve pain without causing any side effects to your dog. It is also rich in various important nutrients and will greatly boost your dog's or cat 's overall well-being. 

Scientists continue to study how CBD has multiple benefits. Hopefully, future studies will show more ways to use CBD to help our dogs.If you’re considering CBD for your dog, it’s important to talk to your vet.  They will guide you on the best way to use it.