Sorting through all the hype!
Health and alternative medicine companies have flooded the market with CBD hemp seed oil and hemp oil products. Do you know the difference? Is either CBD oil acceptable to use for your Chihuahua? What are they used for and are either of them effective? Why is there such a difference in prices? Are all the “hemp oil” products on the market the same? How do you know what product is right for your Chihuahua? All these questions and more answered here.
Is Using CBD oil for Chihuahuas legal?
There was a bill passed in the United States in 2018 that opened the doors for the legalization of cannabis compound known as cannabidiol (CBD). Although it’s a good idea to check the laws in your area.
Since then there has been a “green rush” of cannabis-inspired products and they began flooding the market in products of all kinds, even beauty products.
So, even though CBD oil for Chihuahuas is now a new ingredient to many, hempseed oil has been around for decades. You can find it in any health food store for use in both cooking and skincare. So, what’s the difference? I’m glad you asked, keep reading …
When you put the two side-by-side and read the labels you will find a lot of misleading information.
What is the difference between CBD and hempseed oil exactly?
Cannabis (CBD) and hemp are often referred to as marijuana. There are two varieties of the same plant species, Cannabis stiva. Because of the two varieties of the same plant species they are often lumped together as one big family which thus causes a lot of confusion!
The breakdown, unraveling the confusion:
Cannabis
Cannabis, one variety of the cannabis stiva plant can be consumed in many ways, such as smoking or consuming through edibles or oils. THC (the psychoactive ingredient) is carried to the brain through the bloodstream, producing the ‘high’ effect.
In the ’60s and 70’s it was widely used as a recreational drug, however, cannabis has long been used as a form of medicine, known to help with nausea, pain relief, glaucoma, epilepsy and more. And though it’s still considered an illegal substance at the federal level, many states have legalized cannabis in some capacity.
Hemp
Hemp and CBD are both compounds of cannabis called “cannabinoids” that are found in the cannabis stiva plant. Stalks of this variety of the hemp plant can produce clothing, rope, paper, fuel, home insulation, and much more
CBD
Cannabidiol, better known as CBD, is also a compound of ‘cannabinoids’ that are found in the cannabis Sativa plant. Many people use CBD as a treatment for pain and anxiety. When CBD is ingested or applied to the skin, it’s believed to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates pain and inflammation.
Like cannabis, CBD comes in many forms, some of which are edible, others that can be smoked or used on the body’s exterior, like a rub or cream. CBD oil, for example, is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant, then diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut or hemp seed oil.
Hempseed Oil
Like CBD hemp oil, hemp seed oil comes from the same plant. However, when you dig deeper into the subject, it turns out these two products are actually worlds apart.
The most important difference lies in their CBD content, which is nearly nonexistent in hemp seed oil.
Cannabinoids, terpenes, and all the other active compounds in hemp are contained in the resin of its flowers — not in the seeds.
On the other hand, hemp seed oil comes with a whole array of beneficial nutrients, such as fiber, protein, vitamin E, and omega fatty acids.
Full Spectrum Hemp Seed Oil
Full-spectrum hempseed oil contains all of the terpenes and cannabinoids found in the plant. Full-spectrum oil is by far the most medicinal and therapeutic oil. Full-spectrum oil will contain trace amounts of THC, not enough to get your animal high. THC is an important part of the Entourage Effect which is ALL of the compounds working together synergistically.
Broad-spectrum oil is an oil that has been distilled and refined in order to remove the THC. The oil is then put back together again forming a “broad” spectrum of cannabinoids and should include terpenes. Isolate is when either the CBD or CBG is isolated into a powder while all of the other beneficial compounds are removed. ~ HempMyPet
Behind the marketing
The real confusion comes when a company sells “hemp seed oil” — unless it specifically says it is truly a broad-spectrum hemp seed oil — as CBD or hemp. For this reason, many companies often — intentionally or not — add hemp seed oil to their product adorn it with marijuana leaves and highlight the word cannabis so customers think they are purchasing a CBD product when in fact it contains no actual CBD at all.
Why would a company do this? I don’t know, perhaps to make their customers feel they are getting a bargain? Real CBD oil is more expensive, so, they often charge a lesser amount for a product that contains no actual CBD (hemp) and TaDah! The customer thinks they just got a bargain! Or, as is the case with most people, they don’t know that there is a difference, so they will buy the product that is less expensive.
So how do you know you are actually buying a product with the cannibus (CBD) ingredient?
Simply read the ingredients on the label. Hempseed oil (a less expensive ingredient) will be listed as cannabis Sativa seed oil. A product with the actual cannabis (CBD) (more expensive) ingredient will be listed as cannabidiol, full-spectrum hemp, hemp oil, PCR (phytocannabinoid-rich), or PCR hemp extracts.
Why use CBD oil for your Chihuahua?
According to PetMD CBD oil can be beneficial for your dog for many conditions. Here is a list of uses for CBD oil for your Chihuahua:
Arthritis
It is known that CBD shares metabolic pathways with anti-inflammatory drugs. It stands to reason then, that it would help with certain inflammatory conditions.
Osteoarthritis is often abbreviated as simply arthritis and is one of the most common inflammatory conditions in dogs. It has been estimated that one in four dogs will be diagnosed with arthritis in their lifetime and as many as 60% exhibits some degree of the disease.
If you or someone you know has any form of arthritis then you know that it is very painful. Research has shown that CBD can provide substantial pain relief when given twice daily in the appropriate dose.
Pain
Arthritis is not the only inflammatory condition that may be causing your dog’s pain. Anytime your dog’s body detects something that is or may be harmful it triggers the immune system in an attempt to heal itself. Inflammation is the body’s response. Inflammation could be the body’s response to many things, such as an infection, injury, even toxins (allergies). CBD oil helps with the pain of inflammation of any kind.
Seizures
CBD oil for seizures is probably the most studied in people, however, limited research exists for pets. Seizures in dogs may be caused by an enormous number of underlying conditions.
In the case of epilepsy, there is some research that suggests that CBD could help in limiting the frequency of seizures in dogs. The most benefit is generally seen with dogs that are given CBD along with traditional anti-seizure medications.
Cancer
As is the case with seizures, the term “cancer” covers an extreme set of specific diseases. Each of these has its own set of beneficial treatments.
People with cancer have been studied using CBD for treating both the tumor itself, as well as to treat any secondary symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy. However, there have been very few studies done using CBD for dogs with cancer.
The studies were done in people that undergo chemotherapy, however, have also been documented in rats and ferrets that suggest that dogs going through chemotherapy may also benefit from using CBD oil.
Anxiety
Anxiety is probably the most common reason dog parents buy CBD oil for them. It does seem that if CBD oil can reduce pain and inflammation that it could reduce anxiety caused by pain or inflammation.
However, CBD oil use for anxiety in dogs also requires much more research and study to know for sure or to know if it would help with anxiety caused by outside sources such as fireworks or thunderstorms.
CBD oil and veterinarians
Although in the United States it is illegal for a veterinarian to prescribe or sell CBD oil for any of the conditions mentioned above, more and more are recommending CBD oil for some or all of the above conditions.
According to PetMD, some veterinarians do not specifically recommend it but do believe it is beneficial for one or more of the above conditions, however, if a client should ask about using it, they will enthusiastically recommend it. On September 27, 2018, California became the first and only state in the US where it is specifically legal for veterinarians to talk about CBD for their patients. How To Talk To Your Veterinarian About CBD Oil.
What brand do I recommend?
I give my three Chis’ HempMyPet CBD oil. The reasons are numerous.
- All of their products are organic hemp
- They are human-grade
- Gluten-free, GMO-free, Pesticide-free, Cruelty-free
- Full-spectrum
- Third-party tested
Their products are derived from their own strain-specific, organically-grown Colorado hemp. They are full-spectrum, meaning that all active compounds — cannabinoids, ( the more expensive ingredient mentioned above) terpenoids, etc. interact synergistically in what is referred to as the entourage effect — thus increasing the efficiency of the oil and the health benefits.
Their products range from CBD oil, ( get the 250mg for Chihuahuas) treats, (2mg for Chihuahuas), and coconut oil. Coconut oil is very good for your dog’s skin and the added CBD makes it even more beneficial for the skin. They have an equine olive oil for horses too.
Don’t be fooled by the less expensive products on the market. Your Chihuahua deserves the very best and you would be wasting money in the long run.
Do you want to try HempMyPet? Now through ChiChis And Me, you can get 20% off your first order! Be sure to use the code CHICHIS20 when you check out. (please see our affiliate disclosure).
Warning!
I know that none of you would — but just to be safe, I must warn you to never, never, never, ever, give your dog or any dog marijuana (cannabis) of any kind in any form! Should you happen to imbibe (no judgments here) keep it strictly where your dog could not get any of it! Cannabis is extremely toxic to dogs and any other pet in your household.
More Research:
Read the latest on CBD oil from PetMd >>
Random Study from American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) June 1, 2019 (resister to read the study)
