No-one likes to see someone they love experiencing pain, so if your best four-legged friend is suffering from joint pain and mobility issues, then you may be thinking about giving them CBD, considering its reputation as a safe and natural pain reliever.
However, before you buy any CBD dog treats for joint pain, you need to find a reputable brand so that you can make sure the products are clean, safe, and reliable. In this article, we’re going to explain how CBD dog treats can help relieve joint pain in your pooch, as well as give you some advice on how to spot good pet products.
CBD and pain
Over the last few years CBD has exploded in popularity around the world and around 40% of people who use CBD are doing so to help manage pain symptoms. And it’s no wonder, since a mounting number of studies have shown that CBD can relieve both inflammatory and nerve-related pain.
In 2018, scientists conducted an extensive review of all scientific research available since 1975, on using CBD to treat pain. The studies included pain caused by cancer, arthritis, and fibromyalgia, as well as neuropathic pain and many other types.
This scientific review concluded that CBD is effective in all types of pain management, but most of these studies were carried out on mice and humans, so can it also work for dogs?
Does CBD work for dogs?
It may surprise you to learn that all mammals have endocannabinoid systems, just like us, and that’s why CBD is able to affect dogs and other mammals in the same way that it affects us.
And you don’t just have to take my word for it as the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted a clinical trial (also published in 2018) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of using CBD to treat dogs with osteoarthritis. The results showed that administration of CBD was able to significantly improve pain relief and quality of life.
Another study, entitled Consumers’ Perceptions of Hemp Products for Animals, showed that 71% of dog owners (and 70% of cat owners) thought that CBD pet products did provide pain relief for their pet. Only 3% of people surveyed thought that it didn’t help at all or only helped a little.
3 ways CBD can help joint pain
When you give your dog CBD for joint pain, the CBD can help them in three different ways, by blocking pain signals, reducing inflammation, and by protecting your dog’s cartilage and joints from further damage.
1. Block pain signals
CBD acts as natural pain relief for dogs as it has been shown to be effective at blocking pain signals by interacting with pain receptors. You can read more about how CBD is able to alleviate both inflammatory and neuropathic pain in another article I wrote on CBD for pain here.
2. Reduce inflammation
When it come to joint issues, in most cases a vet will recommend high doses of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help manage inflammation. However, NSAIDs can cause problems in the intestines, kidney, and liver when taken on a long-term basis, especially in aging dogs.
CBD acts as a natural anti-inflammatory for dogs and by reducing the need for NSAIDs, CBD can also help to reduce the associated risks that go with them.
3. Protect cartilage and joints
As a powerful anti-inflammatory, CBD can also help to protect the cartilage and joints, slowing the progression of osteoarthritis and reducing the damage caused by the inflammation.
CBD dog treats for joint pain: Key benefits
The three main benefits of using CBD dog treats to treat your dog’s joint pain over other types of doggy CBD are the taste, convenience, and ease of dosing.
1. Tasty dosing
There’s no denying that your dog will love taking CBD when it’s administered in a tasty treat. We’ve tested peanut butter CBD dog treats like these in the past and found them to be incredibly well received (as well as very effective)!
2. Convenient dosing
CBD dog treats are also highly convenient. You can take them with you anywhere you go and dose your pooch as and when they look like they need it.
3. Quick & easy dosing
And CBD pet treats are also quick and easy to dose. Just open up the bag and feed the treat to your pup! No measuring or mixing needed.
How long do CBD dog treats take to work?
CBD dog treats will usually start to kick in around 30-45 minutes after your dog has enjoyed them. It could take a little longer if your dog has just eaten.
How to choose the best CBD dog treats
You want to give your dog the best, but how do you make sure you’re doing that when it comes to CBD dog treats? Here are some of the things you should think about when choosing which brand to go with.
Extract types
When you’re choosing the best CBD product for your pup, you’ll be confronted with a choice of extract types.
CBD isolate – these types of products contain only a concentration of the CBD cannabinoid which has been isolated from all of the other plant compounds
Broad-spectrum CBD – these types of products contain more natural plant compounds, including a whole host of different cannabinoids, but they have had the THC removed from them, which is great if you live in a state that requires all hemp products to be completely THC-free.
Full-spectrum CBD – these types of products contain all of the natural hemp plant compounds, including trace amounts of THC which has been shown to enhance the effectiveness of CBD, so we recommend you look for CBD dog treats that contain full-spectrum hemp extract. And don’t worry, the THC amounts we’re talking about here are teeny tiny (less than 0.3%), so they won’t make your dog feel high.
Quality
Many pet parents would agree that you shouldn’t feed your pet something that you couldn’t eat yourself (I’m not saying that you would, just that you could). Luckily, as the CBD market continues to develop and mature, it’s getting easier to find quality products that use human-grade ingredients that are suitable for even the most sensitive stomachs.
Some companies, like Penelope’s Bloom, use human-grade ingredients in all their CBD pet products and they also use organic, all-natural ingredients where possible.
Third-party lab reports
Before making a purchase, always make sure that you check for third-party lab reports. Reputable companies will have tests run on all of their products and publish the results online, proving that there is actually CBD in their products. The last thing you want is to end up with a product that claims to have CBD in it but doesn’t.
Extra ingredients
You should also look out for CBD dog treats that are specifically formulated to support joint health and mobility. These kinds of dog treats will contain extra active ingredients such as glucosamine or chondroitin, which can help repair cartilage and prevent it from breaking down further, and other anti-inflammatory ingredients to further support the effects of the CBD.
For example, these Joint Pain & Mobility CBD dog treats from Penelope’s Bloom are superb. They contain CBD and both glucosamine and chondroitin, turmeric (anti-inflammatory), as well as blueberries and spinach (antioxidants). These high-quality ingredients also make them great CBD dog treats for arthritis.
Money-back guarantee
If a company is consistently producing high-quality products, then they won’t have any problem in offering you some guarantee on your purchase. A 30-day money-back guarantee will offer you peace of mind, making your online purchase risk-free.
Summary
CBD dog treats can help dogs that are suffering from joint pain by reducing inflammation, blocking pain signals, and preventing further damage in the joint. Lots of companies offer CBD dog treats for joint pain, but some are doing it much better than others.
If you don’t have the time to do your own research, then I highly recommend a brand called Penelope’s Bloom (read my full Penelope’s Bloom review here). Choosing a reputable brand like Penelope’s Bloom will ensure your dog is getting the best quality CBD dog treats and these crunchy treats also have extra active ingredients to support overall joint health. Their products are surprisingly affordable too.
If you’re looking for a natural remedy for dogs with arthritis, hip dysplasia, and/or chronic pain, then Penelope’s Bloom joint & mobility treats are the ideal choice. They also have calming treats for dogs which are scientifically formulated to help alleviate stress and anxiety in dogs. These treats can be a real help through scary storms and fireworks.
Other ways you can ensure your pet is getting their daily dose of CBD is via their full-spectrum CBD oil for dogs (they also have CBD oil for cats), CBD peanut butter for dogs, and they also have a CBD balm for sore noses, paws, and elbows.
If you have lots of regular dog treats at home already then why not add a dollop of their dogs peanut butter to them to give them an instant upgrade!