Like humans, our canine companions are susceptible to cancer, with 1 in 3 dogs developing some form of cancer in their life. The most common types of cancer in dogs include canine lymphoma, melanoma, and mammary cancer. The good news is, over half of all canine cancers are treatable if caught early.
The rise of cancer in dogs has seen an increase in pet parents looking for treatment methods that are more gentle, with fewer side effects and less of a hit to the hip pocket. As CBD use as a treatment for cancer and other illnesses booms in popularity for humans, it makes sense that canine use would not be far behind.
While medical trials are in their early days, evidence is promising, with studies suggesting that CBD can dramatically reduce pain and improve a dog’s quality of life.
What are the benefits?
For dogs with cancer, some studies have suggested that CBD can even lead to a process called cancer apoptosis, which is essentially the death of the cancer cells. It’s worth noting that CBD as a complete treatment method for cancer has not been proven and the research is in its very early days.
Regardless, more traditional cancer treatment methods for dogs can be prohibitively expensive and can involve many of the same negative side effects as in humans, such as vomiting, and loss of appetite.
Are there any risks?
Despite growing popularity, CBD still suffers from something of an identity crisis, with some people still failing to make the distinction between CBD and marijuana. While it’s true that CBD and marijuana do come from the same plant, the chemical makeup of the Cannabis Sativa plant means that the plants harvested for CBD and marijuana have different properties. To produce top quality medical CBD oil, a higher CBD concentration of CBD and minimal levels of THC are required.
CBD use for dogs, like humans, poses no risk. The biggest risks that do exist stem from the lack of regulation surrounding CBD products. Due to the lack of regulation, there are some products on the market that have not undergone adequate testing and not only contain negligible quantities of CBD, also contain higher levels of THC than you may expect.
Gizzls products contain trace amounts of THC which enables the 'Entourage Effect', which is essential for medical grade CBD oil.
As vets legally cannot prescribe CBD as a treatment option for pain or illnesses in dogs, many owners are effectively going in blind when choosing to dose their animals. At Gizzls we would recommend a higher dosage of CBD oil for the treatment of cancer, as it's more aggressive. Please email us for more information and dosage guidance.