Is cannabis safe for my senior dog's limping, arthritis, or anxiety?

Poor girl. The fact that she is still limping means that she either has a muscle sprain that hasn't healed quite yet, or she may have a more serious internal injury to the leg. It is difficult to say for sure without seeing her in person and doing a physical exam for something like this. I would suggest taking her in to your vet to have the leg examined and perhaps try a short course of anti-inflammatories to along with strict rest and exercise restriction for the next 2 weeks. If there is no improvement, or if she is not putting any weight on the leg at all, then x-rays of the leg should be considered. CBD oil is a fairly new drug on the market and is not fully legalized in the veterinary world, so if you decide to try it that will be at your own risk and doing. Your vet will likely not recommend it for something like this due to the lack of scientific evidence that it will be useful for a musculoskeletal injury. But rest and cold compresses followed by warm compresses of the leg can be tried safely. I hope that your pet Mj has a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

As of yet, we have very little research on CBD oil in veterinary patients, so we cannot make any recommendations one way or the other about this product - we do not know what an appropriate dose might be, and if there are any potential health concerns or drug interactions in dogs. In addition, because it's a schedule 1 drug, it's illegal for us to prescribe or recommend. You do need to have Zoe seen by a vet to see if there is anything that can be given to her to make her more comfortable. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/

Just like with human medicine, there is much to be studied when it comes to CBD treatment in dogs, so the answer is actually unknown. The product you have shown is not considered a CBD supplement as it just contains hemp seeds, which do not have the CBD's like marijuana flowers do. I see that this product also has omega 3/6 fatty acids which may be helpful. However, I wouldn't expect this product to be very helpful. It appears safe though, so you can give it and see if you notice any difference. If you finish the bottle and haven't noticed any benefit, then I wouldn't buy anymore. While supplements may be a helpful adjunct, the best products for arthritis are the ones your veterinarian can prescribe. If they Eschele is having a lot of difficulties with arthritis, then it's best to have your vet evaluate her and prescribe the necessary treatment if this hasn't been done already. I hope that helps and she feels better soon.

Hi there. I'm sorry to hear about Peetie's issues. CBD oil is still very much in the experimental stages in veterinary patients, so we do not have any reliable information yet about effective dosage ranges, safety, or possible drug interactions. We hope that more studies on this will be forthcoming in the next few years - but for now, if you choose to use it, be aware that you are doing so at your own risk as we do not know whether it is safe to use with other meds. If you want to try something else for his anxiety issues that we know is safe, I would suggest Zylkene or Composure - these are natural calming supplements that can be purchased over the counter or ordered online without a prescription. You could also talk to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication such as alprazolam or trazodone, if Peetie's anxiety is severe.

CBD oil is very popular right now for dogs and people and there is some evidence that it could act as an anti-inflammatory and help with conditions like arthritis. There is not currently much research into it, so it’s difficult to know how effective it is and what the side effects may be. It is in a legal gray zone for pets and is technically still considered illegal at the federal level so veterinarians are not legally allowed to recommend or prescribe it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Arthritis can happen in older dogs as you know. However, this is not the only condition that can cause lameness like that. I do not recommend using paracetamol without a veterinary evaluation. There are other arthritis supplements that you can start which would not hurt if this happens to not be due to arthritis and if it is, they can help a good amount. There are several joint supplements out there such as Cosequin and Dasuquin, among others. I would encourage you to start with that and if no improvement is observed, Rodger should be evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day! I hope this helps!

This presentation could be due to a neurological lesion affecting nerves innervating the legs (please tell us which leg you think is affected to have more specific answers). I would recommend a neurological examination and eventually further investigations (EMG and MRI/CT might be needed). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.