CBD & Wellness For Animals.

Veterinary clinics throughout the U.S. are facing significant shortages in opioid medications, such as morphine, after the DEA’s 25% decrease in the production of Schedule II opioid medications in 2017 and another 20% reduction in 2018. Which means that the war on drugs isn’t just affecting people primarily from low-income or disenfranchised communities but one of our closest companions, and also cats.

One solution to the current shortage of life saving drugs for our pets is all-natural, safe, and effective at relieving pain, anxiety, and eating issues without the dangerous side effects synthetic drugs may cause. CBD use in animals may be nature’s way of protecting our loved ones and although the use of hemp as a medicinal tool dates back to the beginning of trade between Africa and the rest of Europe by way of China, we still don’t fully understand the scope of this plants healing abilities.

So before you go trap your feline friend in a corner and breathe harmful smoke into their tiny lungs you may want to consider using products that are designed specifically for your pet and are derived of hemp and not THC, which contains psychoactive elements that will do more harm than good. Secondly, do your research. There’s a lot of products on the market that might have nice packaging or clever marketing but when it comes to choosing what’s right for your pet a veterinarian knows better than the 21 year old stoner you might encounter at a dispensary. Some edibles may contain harmful substances like xylitol, cashews, raisins, and trace amounts of THC, which is fine for humans but spells disaster for Fido.

Ian Quinn, CEO of Phyto Animal Health has been in the pet health industry for over a decade. After experiencing a traumatic brain injury Ian, and his companion animal Dante, began working with Veterans First in Orange County teaching Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Anger Management to Veterans facing problems stemming from their time while deployed. During that time Ian noticed firsthand the benefits CBD had in treating nerve damage and PTSD. Unfortunately Dante suffered from some of the same problems including hip displacement, appetite suppression, and separation anxiety. Any trip away from Dante meant a return to a house that’s been ransacked or another crate being chewed through until he no longer had enough teeth to bite through solid steel. Without other options Ian turned to CBD for relief for his canine companion. “From that necessity I founded my parent company, Medical Marijuana Inc. in my backyard in San Diego California. I played with some recipes and developed our best selling edible product for dogs, the Hemp Bone Bacon Apple donut was effective at treating Dante almost immediately. Within three or four days Dante was able to make it up the stairs, eat on his own, and whenever I returned home Dante was napping peacefully. It was a complete transformation.

The 4mg dose of CBD in each chew promotes overall wellness in your pet as well as improvements in cardiovascular functions, neurological health, and emotional behavior. “Without this Dante wouldn’t be Dante” Ian laments when asked about hospitals that ban the use of CBD and prohibit doctors from informing patients of its possible medical benefits. “It’s unethical to leave an animal suffering, and you can’t just put an animal down because it’s in pain. When you force a veterinarian to put down an animal that could otherwise be helped by CBD you’re putting that doctor in a situation that they didn’t sign up for.” He warns that “If people don’t have the ability to ask their Veterinarian about CBD you know where they’ll go? Dr. Google, and he might not have the right answers.

So before you put down Old Yeller, or decide that maybe some healing crystals might help Sprinkles with her anxiety, find a Vet that’s willing to speak to you about CBD as an alternative to dosing your loved one with opiates that our country’s rockstars desperately need.