BOULDER, Colo. – “Duck” a four-year-old yellow Labrador used to go bananas when male visitors came over. It got so bad Lindsey had to put Duck in the basement of their Colorado home until friends and family left. Fortunately, Lindsey found a plant-based solution: she gave Duck Okoa Pet “Hush-Puppy” Calming Soft Chews for dogs. Now whenever her father-in-law visits, he’s greeted by a calm, happy dog.
Like humans, dogs contain receptors in their brain and body that respond to CBD made from the hemp plant which naturally reduces anxiety. Dogs sense the emotions of their pet parents, hemp can allevitate stress in dogs in our COVID-19 world.
“Cannabidiol or CBD enhances the calming neurotransmitter serotonin responsible for the ‘chill’ effect to help dogs cope with loud noises, travel, and new events, like when company comes over,” said Dr. Robert Silver, DVM, MS, and Veterinary Science Officer for Okoa Pet, an animal health company based in Boulder, CO. “Broad spectrum hemp extract provides the health benefits from the synergy of the active constituents in the whole plant to safely and effectively calm an anxious dog,” said Dr. Silver, who formulated the CBD chews which 86% of pet parents in an observational survey found beneficial.
Not all hemp is the same.
CBD Isolate is 99.7% pure CBD and less expensive than hemp extracts that contain the whole plant. But you need more to have a beneficial effect so you may not be saving money.
Full Spectrum CBD extracts come from the whole plant giving you additional cannabinoids. However, full spectrum includes a small amount of THC, which can be toxic to dogs.
Broad spectrum CBD contains the health benefits of the full hemp plant, but without the THC. Broad spectrum is considered an excellent choice for dogs by providing a more effective product than isolate alone, while avoiding the risk of possible adverse reactions to THC.
When choosing a CBD dog chew, consider if the product has other ingredients to support calmness. Okoa Pet chews contain tryptophan, an amino acid found in turkey; choline, which supports brain function and regulates a healthy nervous system; and German chamomile, an herb commonly used to calm people and their pets.