Anxiety, stressful situations & sleep disorders. How Can CBD Help Your Pet

Animals can be very different. There are dogs and cats that raise hell and then there are timid animals that are afraid of everyone and everything. This puts a great deal of stress on the animal as it is constantly on the edge. CBD oil can be an important tool to take away the fear a little and reduce stress for our furry friends. In addition to numerous testimonials, there are also scientific studies that show how important CBD can be for anxiety, stress and sleep disorders. 

This is how CBD works for anxiety, stress and sleep disorders in animals

Our pets have an endogenous endocannabinoid system to which receptors are attached. These interact with the cannabinoids produced by the body, or rather endocannabinoids. Unfortunately, this production is sometimes disturbed, which is why it makes sense to administer CBD drops. FIrstly, to stimulate the production of endocannabinoids again and secondly, to bridge the time between when the endocannabinoid system is still out of balance until it reaches normal levels again. 

The endocannabinoids, which are manufactured by the body itself, have a major impact on numerous processes in the body. By interacting with the CB1 and CB2 receptors, the CBD oil also has an influence on sleep, stress and anxiety. 

Do you have scared dogs? It gets better with CBD oil

The author also has a scared dog from an animal shelter and can speak from experience. When the dog came into the family, he was extremely anxious. Sleeping became a problem because the dog was actually afraid of falling asleep, which is why he always closed his eyes while sitting, only to open them again in panic after a few seconds. The dog was even afraid of butterflies or grass blowing in the wind. With CBD oil and a lot of patience, the dog became much more relaxed relatively quickly and can now enjoy life to the fullest. 

But fear also means that the animal is put under permanent stress. And we all know that constant stress is definitely not good for the body. Because if the body is constantly under stress, it can lead to many diseases such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Dogs can't have heart attacks, but they can die in seconds if the poor animal is exposed to constant stress. 

To reduce this stress, CBD oil is a great tool. Cannabidiol has a calming property and can ensure that the animals are no longer under constant stress [1]. In addition, the active ingredient in the hemp plant can also reduce anxiety. [2,3] Another benefit of CBD extract is that it improves sleep. 

The dosage to relieve anxiety and stress and improve sleep

Dosing for pets to relieve stress and anxiety and improve sleep varies per dog. You start with the daily administration of one to two drops of CBD oil for cats or dogs.

This dosage should now be continued for about four days so that you can see exactly how the animal reacts to it. The effect usually occurs after about 30 to 45 minutes. With some animals it can also take two days until the animal becomes noticeably more relaxed. 

If there is no improvement, the dosage can be increased by one drop a day after four days. Even then, this should be continued for four days to observe the dog or cat. 

Anxiety and stress subside

You will notice that the animal is much more relaxed and that the fears of things and people will decrease. But that, too, is a process that can take time, even with CBD.

Patience is the be-all and end-all here. If the animal is afraid of moving blades of grass, you should go with the dog, show it the grass, pick it up and signal that it is not a monster. After a few walks, the grass will no longer pose a threat to the dog. 

The same applies to people. Caution should always be exercised, especially with visitors. When visitors come, the dog should wait inside so that the owners can come into the apartment together with the visitor. This shows the animal that they are not a threat. Additionally, visitors should not immediately crowd the animal and want to pet it. It should be made clear to the visitor that the animal needs a little warm-up and that it will come of its own accord when it is ready. 

If you give your pet one or two drops of CBD oil about an hour before the visit, you will have a relatively relaxed animal and the visit will no longer seem so bad. This is also reported by many pet owners in forums. 

Improve sleep

The dosage for anxiety and stress also ensures a good night's sleep. So there is no need to administer another dose of CBD oil in the evening. However, you should know that CBD oil also promotes dreams. So it may well be that dogs or cats dream a lot more and bark or meow in their sleep. There is no need to be afraid, this is perfectly normal and will decrease over time. 

Dogs, like cats, usually need 15 hours of sleep. Although this is not an exact science. The animals have a deep sleep phase of around 7 to 8 hours a day. They often doze off the rest. These rest periods are important and dogs and cats should not be disturbed then either. Of course, this is not always possible, but the rule should be that the resting phases are observed and the animals can then process what they have experienced. 

If you have an anxious animal from animal welfare or from a breeder, you will have found a real all-rounder in CBD oil. The animal can become much calmer, relax better and also have a restful sleep thanks to the ingredient in the hemp plant, which does not intoxicate the animal. CBD oil is actually a must in the medicine cabinet. It helps with small wounds, reduces pain, among other things, and can act against inflammation. And that without any chemicals, since CBD oils are completely natural and free of chemical additives. It could hardly be better. 

Sources:

[1] Spinella TC, Stewart SH, Naugler J, Yakovenko I, Barrett SP. Evaluating cannabidiol (CBD) expectancy effects on acute stress and anxiety in healthy adults: a randomized crossover study . Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2021 Jul;238(7):1965-1977. doi: 10.1007/s00213-021-05823-w. Epub 2021 Apr 4. PMID: 33813611; PMCID: PMC8233292.

[2] Shannon S, Lewis N, Lee H, Hughes S. Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series . Perm J 2019;23:18-041. doi: 10.7812/TPP/18-041. PMID: 30624194; PMCID: PMC6326553.

[3] Morris EM, Kitts-Morgan SE, Spangler DM, McLeod KR, Costa JHC, Harmon DL. The Impact of Feeding Cannabidiol (CBD) Containing Treats on Canine Response to a Noise-Induced Fear Response Test . Front Vet Sci. 2020 Sep 22;7:569565. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.569565. PMID: 33195551; PMCID: PMC7537661.