Could CBD oil benefit your Aussie? These days, you hear about CBD oil nearly everywhere. You may even use it yourself to relieve anxiety and stress, but have you ever thought about CBD oil for Australian Shepherds? Lots of people are doing it, but why? Is CBD oil safe for Aussies? What are the benefits of using it?
Giving your Australian Shepherd CBD oil may be able to keep them calm, lessen allergies and itching, reduce seizure rates, treat painful joint conditions, and minimize their nervous reaction to traveling, going to the vet, or you not being home.
How much oil should you give them? Will it help? What about any potential side effects?
You probably have a lot of questions about CBD oil for Aussies. We’ve researched the effects of CBD oil from dozens of sources online and in-person interviews with veterinarians and pet owners who use CBD on their pets. What we’ve learned of the possibilities are incredible (the results and effects below are based on research we’ve done, no first-person experience). Keep reading, as we reveal what we’ve learned and answer all the above questions and more in this article.
What Is CBD Oil for Australian Shepherds?
You’re one of those dog owners who read every pet food ingredient label voraciously, eager to know what’s going into your dog’s body. If you’re going to offer CBD oil to your Aussie, then you must know what’s in it and how it may affect your pooch.
Let’s start then by discussing what CBD oil even is.
Cannabidiol, commonly abbreviated to CBD, is a type of phytocannabinoid. What’s a phytocannabinoid, you ask? It means the cannabinoid itself is derived from cannabis.
First founded in 1940, CBD is made from the cannabis plant’s extract, up to 40 percent of it. Some people opt to spray CBD directly in their mouths, others will apply it as an aerosol, and more still will vape or smoke the CBD. Using CBD oil is also another means of ingesting the cannabinoid.
CBD oil’s active, primary ingredient is CBD, hence the name. Depending on the type of CBD oil you invest in for your Australian Shepherd, the other ingredients may be different. Your options are hemp oil and cannabis oil.
Cannabis oil has some tetrahydrocannabinol or THC in it as well as CBD. THC is a type of cannabinoid (there are more than 113 types) lipid that makes you feel high when you smoke or consume the cannabinoid. The CBD content of cannabis oil is about 18 to 20 percent on average.
Hemp oil comes from seeds of the cannabinoid plant, lessening the CBD content to about three to five percent. It doesn’t have any terpenes nor any THC. Terpenes are organic compounds that come from insects and plants, especially conifers.
In other words, you can take hemp CBD oil without feeling disoriented, confused, or high, and the same would apply to your Australian Shepherd.
What Are the Benefits of CBD Oil for Australian Shepherds?
The effects of CBD in us humans have been widely studied. In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration or FDA in the United States approved of Epidiolex, a cannabidiol that could alleviate symptoms of epilepsy. CBD oil in people may also be able to treat some neurological disorders, although more research will need to be done in that area.
The Australian Shepherd as a breed is prone to certain health issues. These include glaucoma, colobomas, and cataracts as well as other eye issues. Since Aussies are mid-sized dogs, they tend to get dysplasia in the elbows.
They also may be at a higher risk of lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma–two types of cancer–as well as other cancers. Autoimmune thyroiditis can impact your Aussie, as can allergies. What’s even worse is that this breed has a gene called MDR1 that makes them resistant to many types of drugs. Giving them the wrong medication could make your dog very sick or even kill them.
Since CBD oil can be so effective for a variety of human maladies, would the same apply to Australian Shepherds as well? Indeed, more and more of the common Aussie afflictions have been proven to be reduced or even eliminated through CBD oil. Here’s what the oil could do for your dog.
Cancer Treatment
A cancer diagnosis for your Aussie can break your entire family’s collective heart because it often seems like a death sentence for the dog. That’s especially true if the cancer has spread, affected a major organ, or even if your dog was cancer-free but is no longer.
According to , dogs two years and older die the most from cancer. Canines 10 or older are also at risk. Up to 50 percent of those senior dogs can get cancer at their age. Considering that Aussies are even more susceptible to lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma and the former is an especially common type of cancer, your dog’s cancer likelihood may go up even higher.
Dog owners who have administered CBD oil on their dogs with cancer have reported great results. In dogs and humans, the ingredients in the CBD oil may be able to induce what’s known as cancer apoptosis. If you’re not familiar, apoptosis is cell death. Thus, there exists the possibility that CBD oil could kill cancer cells in your Aussie.
This does not necessarily mean CBD oil should be your dog’s only cancer treatment option. Rather, the oil could augment medical treatment and help you shave some costs off the overall price of dog chemo and other cancer remediation. These treatments tend to cost between $3,000 and $10,000 on average, so it’s certainly not cheap.
Reduction of Thyroid Conditions
In your Australian Shepherd’s neck is their thyroid, a gland that makes thyroxine or T4, triiodothyronine or T3, and other related hormones. The underproduction of thyroid hormones can affect your dog’s metabolism, as can hormone overproduction or hyperthyroidism. Thyroid hormones also regulate your Aussie’s brain development, digestion, and heart function, so to say the thyroid is an important organ is almost an understatement.
For instance, with hyperthyroidism, your Australian Shepherd could have a rapid heart rate, sleep problems, overeating, yet fast weight loss, which is no way to live.
Autoimmune thyroiditis, a condition that makes the immune system go after thyroid tissue via antibodies, is diagnosed often in Aussies. This condition is troublesome because the thyroid tissue is otherwise healthy, but it’s being killed off because of a thyroid-level internal miscommunication.
If your dog is diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis and it goes untreated, the thyroid can eventually stop producing any hormones, leading to hypothyroidism in your Aussie. Hypothyroidism brings with it its own dangerous symptoms, including sudden aggression in your dog, constipation or diarrhea, skin infections, dull coat, lack of appetite, and lethargy.
What Can CBD Oil Do For Australian Shepherds with Thyroid Conditions?
Can CBD oil do anything for autoimmune thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and other thyroid conditions your Aussie may be diagnosed with? Indeed, it can. Promising results have already come out regarding CBD oil treating thyroid conditions in humans, so it makes sense that some of these results would extend to your four-legged friend as well.
It’s believed that ingesting CBD oil can influence T3 and T4 hormone production. Your Aussie’s inflammation from thyroid issues may also decrease. Inflammation is a common symptom of autoimmune thyroiditis.
Less Inflammation
The thyroid isn’t the only part of your Australian Shepherd that can become less inflamed by taking CBD oil. As a natural anti-inflammatory treatment, CBD oil can lessen inflammation across the body by triggering the endocannabinoid system.
Within people and animals is the endocannabinoid system or ESC, which is a type of biological system that comprises endocannabinoids, or endogenous retrograde transmitters made of lipids. These endocannabinoids attach to cannabinoid receptors, which are proteins in your peripheral nervous system and central nervous system.
More research is being done on the endocannabinoid system all the time, because experts don’t quite know all there is to know about this interesting bodily system. As of now, they have an idea that the endocannabinoid system may be linked to cognitive and physiological processes such as memory, mood, pain sensation, appetite, immune system activity, pre-natal and post-natal development, pregnancy, and fertility.
The CB1 and CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system could reduce brain inflammation, digestive tract inflammation, and even possibly joint inflammation. If your dog often itches, due to allergies and other causes, the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oil could alleviate this itchiness so your Aussie is overall a happy dog.
Reduced Anxiety
Dogs get anxious for all sorts of reasons, some that we people clearly understand, and then those that we don’t. For example, if you pack up the family to go on a road trip vacation, your Australian Shepherd isn’t going to be thrilled at the prospect of spending the next 24 to 48 (nonconsecutive) hours in the car.
Travel anxiety can manifest in some dogs on even shorter trips, like when going to the vet. Your Aussie might not like riding in the car at all, which some dog owners definitely do experience.
Maybe it’s not traveling that bugs your Australian Shepherd so much, but noise. From loud cars backfiring down the street to the mailman or pizza delivery person banging on your door when they have a delivery to make, your dog hates these sounds. Thunder, loud music, and cranking the TV volume also leave them shaking and whining.
Lessened Separation Anxiety
Also, as an Aussie, your pup more than likely has separation anxiety. We’ve talked on this blog before about how Australian Shepherds fiercely love their favorite people and don’t like being away from them. Even though you have to leave the house to work, go to the grocery store or gym, or do leisure activities, your dog just doesn’t seem to understand that.
In all those cases as well as in situations of general anxiety for your Australian Shepherd, CBD oil can make a big impact. This oil is regularly prescribed for human anxiety sufferers, calming them immensely. Now your Aussie can relax right along with you.
You might choose to give your Shepherd some CBD oil ahead of a storm or on a particularly loud night such as the Fourth of July, or you can administer it as needed, such as before you leave for a big, multi-day work trip.
Fewer Seizures
It doesn’t matter if it’s man or animal, seizures are horrifying to have to behold. You feel very helpless, not to mention you’re extremely concerned for the seizure sufferer. In Australian Shepherds and other dog breeds, idiopathic epilepsy is what leads to seizures.
This is a disorder that’s passed down. Your dog can also get idiopathic epilepsy through ingesting toxins, experiencing brain trauma, having a brain tumor, suffering kidney failure, or being diagnosed with liver disease.
Not all seizures in dogs are the same, either. Cluster seizures are recurrent over at least 24 hours. Psychomotor seizures are much shorter, maybe two minutes max. Still, your Aussie will begin chasing their tail and acting oddly, like they see something that’s not physically present.
A focal seizure manifests as a twitch at times and tends to affect specific parts of the body. With a mal seizure, also known as a generalized seizure, your Aussie will often growl or whine ahead of time. Then, they’ll begin foaming or salivating at the mouth, stiffen and even fall down, and begin shaking. During the seizure, they may defecate and/or urinate without meaning to or being able to control it.
One of the most proven effects of CBD oil in people is the reduction of seizures. Dog owners who have had to be sidelined, watching in terror as their dog shakes uncontrollably, have decided to try CBD oil for their own pup’s seizures. Some of these dog owners have had great results, reducing how often the seizures happen in their four-legged friends. When the dog is gripped with a seizure, it’s typically not as severe as it once was.
That doesn’t make CBD oil a cure-all for seizures in dogs, but it most definitely helps.
Less Joint Paint
Over the years, you’ve watched your Australian Shepherd go from a young, carefree, vibrant dog to one who’s slowed down considerably. It’s likely your dog has joint pain. This can be caused by gaining weight, but age is another cause of joint pain. So too are medical conditions like elbow dysplasia or arthritis.
Going back to the anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD oil for the digestive tract, brain, and other parts of the body, these properties apply to painful joints as well. The CBD oil can reduce joint swelling from arthritis or dysplasia, potentially allowing your dog to act several years younger than they actually are.
How Much CBD Oil Should You Give Your Aussie?
If you’re now convinced to try CBD oil for your Australian Shepherd, the question becomes how much? You’ll have to do a bit of math to calculate the exact quantities appropriate for your Aussie based on their size and weight.
First, you want to weigh your dog if you’re sure of their current weight. Then, take that number in pounds and convert it into kilograms. If your Aussie weighs 50 pounds, for example, that’s 22 kilograms. You can use an online pounds-to-kilograms converter on Google to quickly get the number you need.
Then, take your Aussie’s weight in kilograms and multiply that number by the dosage amount recommended on your CBD oil label. This will differ depending on which type of CBD oil you buy. Keep reading, as we’ll recommend a few trusted CBD oil brands for dogs later in this article.
Let’s say that, for example’s sake, your brand of CBD oil suggested 0.3 milligrams as a dosage amount. You take 22 kilograms and multiply that by 0.3 milligrams to get the 7 recommended milligrams.
Next, you have to determine the CBD concentration in that 7 milligrams. The concentration will be represented in milliliters. With that, you know just how much CBD oil to give your Australian Shepherd.
How Do You Administer CBD Oil to Your Aussie?
You’ve got your CBD oil ready and the needed quantity measured out, but how do you give it to your dog? Should you try to pry your Aussie’s jaws open and hope they swallow the CBD oil? Can you squirt the oil on their food or in their water?
Neither of those options come recommended, actually. Instead, you want to access your Australian Shepherd’s gum line by pulling down their lip. Their oral receptors in the gumline are especially sensitive, even more so than people, so administering the CBD oil here is preferable.
The second-best option is to open your Aussie’s mouth somewhat and administer the CBD oil in the inside of their cheeks. The oil is more likely to absorb here, but the gumline is still the top spot.
If your Australian Shepherd absolutely won’t let you anywhere near their mouth, then you can squirt the CBD oil in a spoon or a plate and have them ingest it directly.
Are There Any Drawbacks CBD oil for Australian Shepherds?
When taking CBD oil, us people are prone to appetite changes, diarrhea, or fatigue as side effects. If you misuse the oil and ingest too much THC, you could become sedated and even intoxicated, but this isn’t common.
That has you curious, if you feed your Australian Shepherd CBD oil, are they going to experience side effects as well? Possibly, but not necessarily.
If your Aussie is feeling a little out of it from the CBD oil, they could be drowsy, especially if you give them a lot of oil. Their blood pressure can decrease, but often not to serious levels. Still, this sudden decrease in blood pressure might make your dog woozy too.
They may also begin drinking more water than usual because their mouth is dry. This occurs because CBD reduces saliva production. Let your dog drink then, and be ready to take them out more frequently.
What about more serious drawbacks, like health defects from using CBD oil on your dog? These may or may not exist. The FDA does not approve of CBD oil usage on canines, which means you have no guidelines on how much CBD oil could possibly prove toxic to your dog.
The other drawback is that, depending on the CBD oil you buy, it might not work. Like unscrupulous companies like to push products on people with lots of fancy labels but no effectiveness, you could also be conned into a CBD product for your dog that’s sadly a sham.
Always do your research before you invest in a CBD oil for your Australian Shepherd, just as you would when buying them a new brand of food.
What Are Some Recommended Brands of CBD Oil for Australian Shepherds?
We want to help with some of that research, which is why we did some serious digging to find five of the top, most renowned brands of CBD oil for dogs that are currently on the market. Make sure you still perform your due diligence before buying one of these products so you can find the CBD oil that best suits your budget and your dog’s needs.
Pure Hemp CBD™
Pure Hemp is an award-winning CBD company that is made in the USA. The CBD from Pure Hemp is third-party tested and checked to make sure their sources avoid harsh chemicals or pesticides that could harm your Aussie. Another great thing about Pure Hemp is that they also tests for any traces or presence of a solvent, toxins, and heavy metals. Pure Hemp uses CO2 extraction systems as their primary tool for removing all active compounds from our hemp plants. This is a heat-less and solvent-less method that ensures the maximum potency and purity of the final product.
Pure Hemp has a wide-variety of applications such as Food Sprays, Treats, Shampoo and Drops. You can learn more and purchase them HERE
cbdMD™
cbdMD™ does a great job with supplying a HUGE variety of pet cbd products. They have a larger selection than other companies, which is great for those “picky” Aussie’s.
cbdMD™ has strict guidelines for their ingredients as well as they 3rd party test all of their small batch cbd oils. To learn more about cbdMD™products, check them out HERE. As a bonus to Aussie University, cbdMD™was kind enough to supply our readers with a 15% coupon if you choose to go with their products – use CBDMD15 and save 15%.
CBDPet
The next brand of CBD oil you might consider for your Aussie is CBDPet. According to their website, CBDPet oil and other products all undergo testing via a third-party lab so the CBD is as beneficial as possible. Their CBD oil is hemp-based and grows organically in Colorado. CBDPet even has a money-back guarantee that’s good for 90 days.
Do You Need to See Your Vet Before Giving Your Aussie CBD Oil?
Since you can buy CBD oil for dogs online and administer the oil to your Aussie at home or anywhere, you may wonder if there’s any need to get your veterinarian involved. To that, we say yes, absolutely!
Any time you start your dog on a new treatment, it’s ideal if you run the change by your vet first. Your veterinarian might be able to suggest CBD oil brands for your Aussie. At the very least, they can tell you what kind of side effects your dog might have as well as the kinds of results to expect.
If your Aussie has a sudden turn of health because of the CBD oil, your vet will already be aware that your dog was taking the oil. This will allow your vet to offer a more suitable treatment faster.
Please, please don’t leave your vet out when giving your Australian Shepherd CBD oil. It’s for the dog’s own good.
Conclusion
From our research, we have learned that CBD oil may be able to lessen joint pain, inflammation, seizures, and anxiety in dogs. It’s even possible that it could help as a form of cancer treatment. If you’ve been curious about CBD oil for Australian Shepherds, we hope this post tells you all you need to know!