The diversity of cannabis-infused products may seem limited but as Canada gears up for legalization it’s becoming easier to find. In the future, government products will soon compete with the general market in order to thrive, forcing them to create an assortment of products available legally to the consumer. With such a unique compound such as CBD (cannabinal) it’s found to be quite effective in treating anxiety, arthritis, pain management, and other medical conditions, not only for humans but for other mammals too. This applies to pets and/or animals with nervous disorders and stress-related issues, that suffer from separation anxiety, general anxiety, that may have been attacked by another animal, giving them CBD on a daily basis can really help them to heal through that process.

Many formulas target arthritis pain, suffering in the joints and encourage cell regeneration, all while using natural ingredients like astragalus, burdock root, and turmeric—for reducing inflammation. An added bonus to giving your pet CBD is that it can also reduce the number of pharmaceutical medications that an animal may be on to treat tougher conditions.

Cannabis Can Be Very Effective For Pets?

“Cannabis can be very effective [for pets],” said Amber Richards, Co-Founder of Creating Brighter Days in an interview with Herbal Dispatch. “Generally speaking, most owners will seek out CBD for the same types of treatments that humans are looking for. Hip dysplasia is very common in older dogs. Things like arthritis, also inflammation, not just in the joints but in the body. CBD can be very helpful for treating these types of things.”

Although products that contain THC for pets exist, many companies strictly use CBD for pet foods and medicine. The reason for that is, all mammals have an endocannabinoid system, cats and dogs specifically have more CB1 receptors in the brain. That means that they are highly sensitive to CBD and THC so the risk of THC toxicity is quite high if you’re not giving the appropriate dose. Having said that, there is a place for THC in pet treatments. Veterinarians will speak to their patients about THC when its an end-of-life scenario. But for daily use, THC is not necessary for animals. Most of the products available on the marketplace for pets are geared towards dogs. For cat-lovers out there, these items do exist, products are just hard to come by because cats are picky eaters, unlike dogs who will eat almost anything.

For now, until the government gets in gear if your pet is in need of some much-needed relief or you would simply like them to lead a happier, healthier life, there are products available to help. In the meantime, there are many people including The Canadian Association of Veterinary Cannabinoid Medicine who are in talks with Health Canada about how that’s going to work. They are working very hard right now to create a route for CBD to be accessible to pet owners across Canada.