The Benefits of CBD for Senior Dogs: Addressing Age-Related Health Issues 

Dogs, just like humans, require proper care of their health needs at any stage of their lifetime. This way, aging dogs experience a range of health problems, such as joint pain, deteriorating mobility, and digestion issues. They need proper nutrition and wellness supplements to stay healthy and full of vitality for longer. Pet owners naturally look for the most effective and non-intoxicating remedies for their pets’ health problems. 

CBD can become one such remedy with numerous health benefits for senior dogs. Though there is scarce clinical research on CBD with dogs, human research is growing, and CBD benefits for anxiety, joint inflammation, pain, epilepsy, and cancer are well-documented. The only issue is to choose the right dosage to meet your pet’s health needs; the rest is herbal science and the art of proper care for your beloved furry friend. Here is a guide on choosing and applying CBD products to help senior dogs with their health and wellness. You can explore the topic further or find suitable CBD picks at https://varistynews.com/

Choosing the Right CBD Type 

The first thing to consider is the variety of CBD types available in the market. There are three types that consumers may explore: 

• Full-spectrum CBD. This type of CBD extract is the least processed and refined one; it comes from the hemp plant and preserves the majority of useful terpenes and cannabinoids to give your dog a boost of health and energy. Still, it may contain up to 0.3% THC, which is unacceptable for many users.  
• Broad-spectrum CBD. This CBD form contains zero THC but still comes with various terpenes and cannabinoids. Thus, its health value is also pronounced for humans and pets. 
• CBD isolate. This CBD variant contains nothing except CBD, giving you more control of dosing and monitoring of side effects. 

As you can see, the full-spectrum CBD type has the richest diversity of contents and can give your dog greater relief if it has a serious, debilitating condition. However, some dogs are allergic to cannabinoids or terpenes, so you may feel that your dog feels dizzy or sick after taking the CBD dose. Otherwise, it may feel intoxicated even with the tiny THC percentage, which doesn’t exceed 0.3% even in full-spectrum products. In this case, you should try broad-spectrum CBD or CBD isolate to give your pet the best CBD value without side effects. 

Picking the Right Product 

The next point is choosing the product type. Dogs are much harder to talk into consuming CBD for its bitter, earthy taste, so you need to think the endeavor over and find a smart way of delivering CBD. Here are some tips and product varieties suitable for dogs: 

• CBD-infused dog treats are the easiest consumption method; they come with favorite dog flavors, such as bacon or turkey, so dogs eat them willingly. 
• Capsules and oils are harder to administer; yet, they contain more bioavailable CBD oil and can give more health value to your dog. So, it’s worth trying to talk your dog into licking the dropper or placing a couple of CBD oil drops on the dog’s favorite food. 
• CBD tinctures and creams can also help you manage the senior dog’s health if your furry companion experiences skin problems, such as irritation, itching, or allergies. 

Overall, you can try several product options to see which works best for your pet. It’s not recommended to use CBD products meant for humans; you should purchase specifically suited products for dogs and cats, as they have different dosing and additional ingredients. 

Dosing CBD Correctly 

It’s hard to give a universal dosing recommendation, as all dogs have different immunity, digestive system health, and breed peculiarities. The rule of thumb among vets is to recommend 1-5mg CBD for 10 pounds of the dog’s weight. Using this simple formula, you can easily calculate the dose for regular use, but it’s still better to start with half that dose and test the pet’s tolerance to CBD. If everything’s fine, you may increase the dose to the normal daily quantity one week after the beginning of CBD intake. 

Watching Out for Side Effects 

No matter what CBD type, product, or dose you choose, it’s always important to watch your aging dog for side effects and allergies. Dogs are not humans; they can’t tell you in words whether they feel fine or not after getting the CBD dose. Thus, you must track the dog’s condition and note the first signs of non-tolerance if they emerge. 

While CBD is generally regarded as well-tolerated by people and dogs, the side effects your furry companion may experience are as follows: 

• Dry mouth; 
• Drowsiness; 
• Hypotension; 
• Sleepiness and apathy. 

Watch out for these symptoms and take your dog to a vet if you notice some of them. It’s vital to take all the lab tests and monitor your pet’s health before it accommodates CBD intake. 

Which Health Conditions in Senior Dogs Can CBD Address? 

Now, let’s talk more about the health conditions with which CBD works well. There’s no sense in pouring CBD into your dog if its health problems are beyond the scope of CBD effect. So, which issues can CBD alleviate? 

Pain Relief 

Dogs start experiencing joint and bone pain with age, a natural consequence of aging. The painful sensations may result from an old injury or destructive processes in the bones and joints, which cause inflammation and discomfort during movement. 

As a rule, such problems are treated with NSAIDs, which are pretty toxic and addictive for dogs. Thus, CBD is a viable alternative for pain in senior dogs, as it can alleviate pain, soothe the stress caused by painful movements, and improve the dog’s overall mental comfort. Along with pain relief, CBD causes anti-inflammatory effects, which may reduce painful sensations in the long run. 

Mobility Issues 

As a result of joint and bone disease development, senior dogs usually reveal lower interest in active games and long walks. Obviously, the dog’s senior age is a good reason to reduce its physical load, but decreasing mobility is a vicious cycle for any dog. Once your pet lies in one place most of the day, it may hint that they are in too much pain to move or have arthritis problems, which cause joint pain, lameness, and stiffness. As a result of such conditions’ further development, dogs may grow irritable and aggressive; the good news is that CBD is also effective for arthritis treatment. A recent study with dogs revealed that a daily dose of 2mg CBD reduced the symptoms of arthritis and caused a major improvement in the patients’ mobility. 

Dysplasia 

Hip dysplasia is another problem that senior dogs experience in many cases. The problem may be unattended at the dog’s young age, but it worsens in old age and causes many mobility problems, such as difficulty jumping, decreased motion range, and lameness. Dogs with hip dysplasia are generally reluctant to move and lose muscle mass quicker than active dogs. 

So, if you notice dysplasia in your pet, administering CBD regularly may also help you alleviate the discomfort and ease the symptoms of this condition. CBD addresses pain and inflammation pretty well, so it can help your dog live with dysplasia without debilitating pain and discomfort. 

Conclusion 

As you can see, CBD is generally beneficial for senior dogs and can help them with various health problems. You can improve the quality of your aging dog’s life with various CBD supplements, as they will produce a soothing effect on pain and anxiety, freeing your dog from the discomfort and worries of poor health. Choose a reliable brand, pick the right dose, and help your dog remain happy and energized for many years to come; CBD can help you achieve greater well-being with non-addictive, safe, herbal means. 

The author of this article is Lana Braslavska, an avid pet lover and cannabis researcher at AskGrowers. Lana is always on the lookout for the best products and solutions for pets and humans in the cannabis market. Thus, she shares her findings and educates consumers to help everyone get a fair share of CBD health benefits.