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While not specifically studied for appetite yet, CBD does help dogs with appetite problems. Below we report on Frank, the dog who nearly died from lack of eating. Spoiler alert: He’s okay and thriving after using CBD drops. Here’s the video:
CBD and Your Dog’s Appetite
CBD might be a good option for your dog’s appetite, especially if you’ve tried traditional medications and they’re not working, or not working enough. Below, we discuss the existing research showing how and why CBD can help certain dogs struggling to eat enough and failing to thrive, as well as a case study where one of our customers was able to use CBD to help their dog regain a healthy appetite.
CBD Helps Control Pain
Pain and the stress caused by pain can decrease your dog’s appetite. Whether the pain is due to arthritis, hip dysplasia, IVDD, cancer, or another source, hurting can lead to a level of stress and exhaustion that reduces appetite.
By decreasing pain and helping relieve the stress it causes, CBD can restore your dog’s natural appetite, letting them enjoy their food again.
CBD Supports Stress and Anxiety Relief
If your dog isn’t eating due to stress and anxiety due to separation or other causes, CBD can help restore an internal sense of normalcy and help them handle stress. It is believed to work by restoring or augmenting the dog’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for helping regulate many functions in the body.
Having stress and anxiety relieved allows a dog to relax and enjoy mealtime.
CBD Decreases Inflammation
CBD has been studied to directly decrease inflammation by blocking the inflammation pathway in your pet’s body. Inflammation leads to pain, discomfort, stress, and can trigger anxiety. Reducing inflammation from arthritis, injury, or other ailments can help your dog recover mentally. This can restore motivation to eat.
CBD Improves Digestion
Your gut (and your dog’s gut!) have receptors that respond to cannabinoids, including CBD. CBD is known to help slow and regulate gut motility, and is used to treat colitis in horses. It can also decrease inflammation in the gut. If your dog is suffering from a bad gut or diarrhea, CBD might ease their discomfort and slow down diarrhea, giving them a chance to absorb more of the nutrients in their food.
A Case Study: Frank’s Story
Frank was a Chihuahua brought to us by his owner when he was only 10 weeks old. The last week of his life had been spent getting nutrients through a tube. He had not eaten any solid food since birth and was refusing liquids.
The veterinarian was unable to find a medical cause for Frank’s inability to eat, and the prognosis was not good — it appeared Frank wasn’t going to make it. His blood sugar was dropping from lack of nutrients, and he would not respond to any food.
His fur mom called us as a last resort, looking for anything that might help. We were totally honest with her: We were willing to ensure accurate dosing and the right product, but no studies had been done on the direct effects of CBD on a dog’s appetite, and we couldn’t make promises or know what to expect.
What we did know was that he would need a weight-based oil. Oils are absorbed through the tissue of the mouth and do not need to be digested, meaning Frank wouldn’t have to eat (or even swallow!) the CBD oil to be able to get any benefits it would show.
Thankfully, we’re one of the few companies that offer weight-based oils down to Frank’s very low body weight. We knew at the very least that we could get him a dose that studies show is safe and likely to be effective for any benefits he would get.
Just one hour after ensuring his mom had the right product, she told us Frank was sipping at chicken broth on his own. His desire to eat had been restored, and his appetite was improving.
Did CBD help? Very apparently yes! But how?
We believe it’s a combination of some or all of the the above 4 things mentioned:
- Relief from pain.
- Restored ability to adapt to stress.
- Relief from anxiety.
- Relief from inflammation of the gut and regulation of gut motility.
Frank’s traumatic life as a stray in Tijuana was doubtless a stressful, anxiety-inducing experience. We were thrilled to help ease his mind enough to give him back a desire and zest for food! Every dog should want to eat!
Relievet offers a product that was unique in its initial design and is still unmatched in quality, price, and science-backed formulation. A THC-free, no-high, no-panic attack formula that delivers a weigh-based dose of CBD specific to YOUR dog.
While we won’t promise every dog’s lack of appetite will benefit from CBD, we can say that when used properly, our product will provide any benefits CBD can show without risk of harm to your dog.
Stories like Frank’s are why we do what we do: To help pets and owners enjoy more of life together through the use of science-backed CBD products:
What Is The Best CBD Product to Try for Appetite Loss in Dogs?
We recommend exactly what we recommended for Frank: Our CBD Oil for Dogs.
If your dog has low appetite, it may be hard to get them to eat food or take a treat (even treats as good as our Zen Chews or weight-based dosing CBD Treats).
Oils are absorbed through the tissue of the mouth. Given under the tongue, your dog doesn’t even have to swallow the whole dose to absorb CBD and start realizing any benefits it will offer.
To find the best product for YOUR dog, start this quiz!
