We've recently adopted a 7 year old English Cocker Spaniel who has had a tough few years by all accounts. His foster Mum recommended CBD Oil (Animal Formula with low THC) as a way to help him cope with anxiety and to calm him down a little as he adjusts to his new life. For example only saw cows and horses for the first time at the weekend!
Does anyone have any suggestions or brands they'd recommend please?
Thanks in advance!
Rather than oil, we buy CBD snacks from Fressnapf. There's one in a cardboard tin, with 5mg of CBD.
These, combined with zylkene on days we travel, makes our ADHD dog almost calm
Edit: Found it: https://shop.fressnapf.ch/de/hund/hu...e-1341102.html
They also have another brand which our dog prefers the taste of (hemplix), but these seem to work better. Be cautious of oils - as some are ethanol based.
With our previous rescue dog we used to give her Gelsenium sempervirens (homeopathy) in tablet form during storms etc or long travel which worked well but for other friends it didn't work at all.
yeah - My dog LOVES traveling, the problem is, being ADHD + with a thyroid problem means he gets over-excited and quite literally bounces around the car at every car that we pass, at every person, etc.
He too is a rescue, and we are working on him not barking at everything (which he's doing very well with now). The zylkene is what the vet gave us when we got him, and it seems to work - but needs to be given a few days before. I believe it's milk based.
https://shop.maxizoo.ch/fr/chien/edu...l-1294756.html
Good luck!
If you go this route, I'd recommend discussing this with your veterinarian first. Especially if you are on any other medication or have any other known conditions, to ensure that there are no counterindications or negative interactions.
Yes, the CBD oil industry is booming, but there is little 'hard' research into the various products' efficacy for the variety of uses it is being touted for.
My personal stance is neither pro nor con - but I do think it important that one should be aware that there is need for much more research.
For now, I would urge owners to look up what reputable-sourced research there is out there, avoid info from potential COI industry sources, discuss CBD use with your vet in light of your individual dog, and then make an informed decision. And use the product recommended by your vet.
FYI, here is a study done on the effects of CBD on noise induced anxiety:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7537661/
And one on effect on voluntary daily activity:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8118201/
And another on stress and shelter dogs:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-82439-2
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Yes, I have tried CBD oil, a product carried by my vet. It was among the 'Hail Mary passes' we turned to when trying to help the Belltie towards the end. We did not use it for anxiety so cannot comment on that, rather we tried it for pain.
It did nothing - other than empty my wallet a tad faster than usual. (But hey, it all goes to the dogs anyway...)
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We are seeing the specialist in Verhaltensmedizin who is helping Robin Goodfellow tomorrow. I will ask her if there is any new research into CBD oil for anxiety or any new recommendations, and will update.
Interestingly Fressnapf said if the dog doesn’t like them we can return the opened packet for a refund.
SativaVET is a CBD product often used.
Here is the Vetpharm entry:
https://www.vetpharm.uzh.ch/tpp/00000000/A0067-XX.htm
She mentioned that it is generally recommended to discuss use of any CBD product with your vet, and ask if monitoring liver values is prudent in an individual case.
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And an FYI - you mentioned upthread that you thought it is too early for a structured training regime.
My experience, through my many mutts with varying 'issues', is that it has been useful to start 'gentle' rehab right away. Key is using appropriate techniques that that reduce, rather than add to, your pup's stress.
It 's (sadly) quite true that some trainers have a worldview that is absolutely not appropriate for an anxious dog, but there are good folks - those with a behaviorists background rather than 'pure' trainers - out there who could provide you with help.
Just tossing that out there for consideration.
With Robin, with whom we believe there is both a neurological and a behavioral component to his problems - I have found a multi-faceted approach has been most effective. We are using both meds and a behavioral rehab program. Long way to go still, but we are making progress through the combination, where I don't think either alone would have been as effective.
But if I have learned anything over the years, it is that every dog is different, and every approach should be tailored to fit the individual.
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Fingers crossed you and your pup find something that works for you. I know all too well what you are going through, and wish you both the very best on this journey.
But flipping the question, it would perhaps be prudent to mention in this thread that the recreational human stuff has the potential for toxicity in animals. If your dog eats your edibles and starts to act high, it's not funny - get thee to the veterinary ER, sharpish.
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Veering off - or maybe going beyond - the topic at hand, but nonetheless a good read for anyone interested in a deeper dive into the use of cannabis derived products in veterinary medicine, here is a 2020 paper from the American Veterinary Medical Association, 'Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine':
https://www.avma.org/sites/default/f...t-20201207.pdf
(Ja, ja, a US perspective. But since I have not found a similar Swiss paper, I thought others might find this interesting.)
These contain next to no THC, only CBD. Same as the CBD cigarettes sold at Migros/Coop/Lidl/etc I'm afraid.