Hemp-based dog products are slowly growing in popularity with pet owners, but just like hemp-based products for people there is a lot of controversy around their sale and use. Because these types of products are so new to the market, there hasn’t been a lot of research done to back up their benefits, or lack thereof. Still, many pet owners are raving about the positive effects that hemp-based treats have had on their dogs.
Treat-ibles, a dog treat company based in Oakland, California, specializes in hemp-based products for canines that are infused with cannabidiol (CBD). The company uses cannabis oil derived from AC/DC plants to infuse one milligram of CBD into each dog treat. CBD is a non-psychoactive, medicinal cannbinoid.
The cannabinoids contained in the treats have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting components. The company does not make any claims, as the research has not yet been done, but their treats could be beneficial to pets dealing with loss of appetite, nausea, mood disorders, cancer, cardiac health problems, pain, and could even benefit brain health.
A pet store in Williamsburg, New York is the first retailer in the state to carry Treat-ibles crunchy, pumpkin-flavored dog treats. Joan Christian, owner of PS9 Pet Supplies, said it took about a month to get the proper license to sell the dog treats. She says that any nutritional pet treat needs to go through the proper channels, but it’s even more difficult with the CBD treats. She sees it as a political issue.
Christian says that she struggled to get the treats on her store shelves because people don’t understand what cannabinoids are. She had to prove that there was no Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the treats at all. Tetrahydrocannabinol is the psychoactive compound found in marijuana. Christian likes the idea of hemp-based treats because they offer another avenue to help canines without the use of harmful pharmaceuticals.
Christian’s dog Minnie was on Prozac for years to treat anxiety. Minnie was skittish and lunged at anything she perceived to be a threat. Christian was concerned about the long term effects of Prozac and wanted to wean Minnie off the drug because it can cause liver damage. Once she found out about all the benefits that Treat-ibles have to offer, she knew she wanted the treats available in her store.
The director of Treat-ibles, Marjorie Fischer, says that the company started as an offshoot of its sister company Auntie Dolores Kitchen, which sells hand-made gourmet cannabis edibles in San Francisco. A couple of years ago their customers began requesting products for their pets, and Fischer says that the company quickly realized that they could make products without the THC to give animals all the benefits of cannabinoids without getting them high.
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Now the debate will begin on whether you can get the same effect from CBD as you can from the entire plant. Research has already begun and many pet parents, veterinarians, and other experts in the field of canine health have already started using the products. As a pet owner that recently lost a dog to lymphoma, I wouldn’t be opposed to trying hemp-based products, but I’m curious to see what the research will show.
If your pet is suffering from a life threatening condition, what is the harm in trying a new treatment? It is possible that it won’t have any health benefits on your pet whatsoever, but it’s also possible that it may help. Many pet owners who have tried hemp-based products have also said they really don’t care if the products treat the problem, so long as they help with the nausea and pain that is lowering their pet’s quality of life. If you could do something to make your pet’s last days here more comfortable, would you give it a try?
