Hemp for Arthritis and Join Pain
Arthritis in dogs can be a challenge to manage. Even in mild cases, normal physical activity, like their afternoon walk can be extremely painful and cause a domino effect of other problems.
If you’re like me, you know how awful it is to see your pets become more and more reluctant to move for fear of experiencing severe discomfort.
While arthritis can manifest itself in any part of a dog’s skeletal structure, it most frequently develops in the joint tissues of the shoulders and hips.
Arthritis is generally found in older dogs, but can also be triggered by infection, or tissue deterioration due to inflammatory response from immune disorders. This chronic inflammation in the tissue around our pets’ joints can lead to irreversible loss of cartilage and protective tissue.
Worst of all, it can wreak havoc on our dogs’ quality of life. So what can we do to stop this?
Table of Contents
Conventional Solutions
NSAIDs
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are the preferred method for conventional veterinarians who treat dogs with arthritis and joint pain. The problem is, they have been shown to cause further joint deterioration and some serious side effects.
The way that NSAID’s are able to alleviate the symptoms of arthritis is by inhibiting the production of enzymes that cause the inflammatory response. Prostaglandin
The issue here, like with so many single-target western pharmaceutical medications, is that by totally inhibiting the production of one of the body’s important functional enzymes, you also inhibit all the necessary functions that enzyme controls.
The result is possible toxicity and damage to our pets’ vital organs. Evidence shows long term use of NSAID’s can negatively affect the healthy functioning of dogs’ liver, kidneys and stomach
Some of the most common NSAID’s prescribed by veterinarians are:
- Rimady
- Dermaxx
- Carprofen
If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, one great alternative to these harmful pharmaceuticals is Full Spectrum Hemp Oil for dogs.
How Full Spectrum Hemp for Dogs can help with Canine Arthritis
Full spectrum hemp extract offers a wide variety of health-boosting benefits, with specific applications to help ease arthritis and the associated pain and mobility issues it can cause.
Here’s how hemp can help with dog arthritis:
Pain Management
Full Spectrum Hemp extract is great for reducing pain. Cannabis has been used as an effective analgesic dating back thousands of years. One of the ways it does this is actually by changing the way their central nervous system communicates the sensation of pain to our brains.
Not only does hemp help manage pain on a naturopathic level, but it also stops the physical conditions that cause pain. How you may ask?
Hemp helps reduce joint pain by reducing inflammation.
…which brings me to my next point!
Inflammation
The compounds found in a full spectrum hemp extract are known to reduce inflammation through the body. In many cases, the pain that our arthritic dogs feel is a direct result of the inflammation in their joints. When we soothe that inflammation, we are treating the cause of the problem and also preventing the hurt.
Immune – Modulation
Hemp modulates our body’s immune responses. This is one of the main functions of the endocannabinoid system. Using the pathways of receptors in the endocannabinoid system, hemp increases communication between cells and allows them to function in a more efficient and proportional way.
In cases where arthritis is a result of an auto-immune response, like rheumatoid arthritis, hemp can help by instructing those defenses to stand down.
Hemp for Dogs with arthritis RESEARCH
Don’t just take my word for it!
In recent years we have had the incredible opportunity to learn from world-class studies by reputable scientific institutes who confirm what anecdotal evidence has pointed to for years.
Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine recently conducted pharmacokinetics study on cannabinoids for dogs. This 8-month double-blind study was the first of its kind for Cornell and studied dogs suffering from osteoarthritis. Dogs in the study saw a significant decrease in pain and an increase in activity, with no side effects. In fact, the study concluded the following:
“Pharmacokinetics revealed an elimination half-life of 4.2 h at both doses and no observable side effects. Clinically, canine brief pain inventory and Hudson activity scores showed a significant decrease in pain and increase in activity (p < 0.01) with hemp oil.
In this study, they found that 2 mg/kg of hemp twice daily helped increase comfort and activity in dogs with Osteoarthritis.
Another promising study recently released was conducted by the Baylor College of Medicine. Again they found significant improvements in dogs who received consistent doses of full spectrum hemp extract.
Matthew Halpert with the faculty of pathology and immunology was quoted, saying:
A study published in 2006 in Current Neuropharmacology states that hemp has therapeutic benefits for both people and pets suffering from chronic pain and acute chronic pain episodes.
“Compounds found in cannabis that reduce inflammation are abundant and diverse. The most abundant phytocannabinoids in cannabis both have strong anti-inflammatory properties, while [other cannabinoids] have also demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties. Cannabinoids act as anti-inflammatory agents by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting of cell proliferation, suppressing cytokine production, and inducing T regulatory cells. Apoptotic mechanisms induced by cannabinoids in immune cells include activation of CD95 to induce Bcl-2 and caspase cascades in immune cells. Cannabinoids have also been demonstrated to promote the production of anti-inflammatory interleukins such as IL-10 while inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α in a CB1-dependent fashion (Klein et al. 2000).”
Additionally, the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine is currently conducting clinical trials to better understand the effects of cannabis on osteoarthritic dogs. The study will take 12 months and results are expected to be published in 2020.
Dosing Hemp Oil for Arthritis
Full Spectrum Hemp oil can effectively treat the symptoms of arthritis, but the symptom relief occurs over time; some dogs may experience relief after only a few days, while others may take a week or two.
This is why consistency is so important for conditions like arthritis.
Despite common perceptions, dosing has very little to do with your dog’s size or weight. Finding the right dose depends on your dog’s specific condition, metabolism, the sensitivity of their endocannabinoid system and a whole host of other factors.
How to Administer:
For the fastest and most thorough absorption, lift the lip and apply dose directly onto the gums, as the most direct way into the bloodstream.
If added to food, the medicine may not be as effective and can take significantly longer (30-45 min.) to reach the bloodstream as it works its way through the gastrointestinal system.
How Much Hemp Do I Give?
Based on research and from our experience, we recommend the following dosage:
Start with 9-12 mg (1 mL) daily. If you don’t notice a difference in one to two weeks, increase by another 9-12 mg until you see results. You’ll know you found the correct dose when you see your dog run faster, jump higher, and become puppy-like again.
Don’t let your pup’s quality of life deteriorate due to chronic joint pain. Full Spectrum Hemp oil for dogs may help give her the relief she needs to restore her mood and wellbeing.
The Importance of Treating Preventatively
There comes a time in everybody’s life, whether a person or pet, where time catches up with them. For many of us, this makes it harder to do things that we used to take on with ease. With my dogs, I usually see this change taking place as they get closer to 10 years old.
My recommendation is to get ahead of the curve. Don’t wait for arthritis and joint pain to get out of control so your dog or cat can’t walk. If you start seeing signs that they are slowing down, look for natural ways to boost their resilience and reduce the deterioration of their joints.
The great thing about using full-spectrum hemp extract to treat joint pain in our pets is that it has so many other benefits to their health. You will not only be helping their arthritis but boosting their cardiovascular health, improving immune function and helping brain function among many other positive effects.
About Carter Easler
Carter’s passion for cannabis activism started when he was in high school. After learning about the senseless prohibition and incredible diversity of cannabis’s utility, he was inspired to get involved. When Carter met Angela, he was excited to learn that he could combine his passions: animals and cannabis. Carter now travels North America to educate pet parents, retailers, and veterinarians about hemp. He is excited to bring his passion for pets to Hemp Dog Health.