Let's be honest: pets are just as much family as our human relatives. They have the same role in our lives and bring the same joy to our hearts. With any luck, we'll all grow old alongside our four-legged friends and continue to love them every bit as much. Indeed, they remain one of the most common reasons why people choose to adopt a pet in the first place. Unfortunately, age isn't always kind to animals, either. As they age, various joint complications begin to surface, and mobility issues become more apparent. Many pets will require special care and attention throughout their remaining years on earth – especially those with joint or mobility issues. Fortunately, plenty of natural remedies, such as hemp, can help your cat or dog enjoy a happier, healthier life at any age!

Does Your Pet Have Joint Issues?

Since you can't stop your animal from developing arthritis, you can relieve them from some of the more painful symptoms. When an animal has arthritis, its joints become inflamed, and they suffer pain, and this can cause other issues that lead to more terminal problems. If you think arthritis is an old dog's problem or that this is something only large breeds suffer from, think again. Arthritis can happen to a dog at any age. However, some dogs would fall into a high-risk group – overweight dogs with developmental issues, deformities, luxating patella (kneecaps), and dogs engaged in intense and repetitive exercises.

Dogs with developmental issues show signs of joint pain at a young age. These issues, like hip or elbow dysplasia, are often passed on genetically, and they are more common in larger breeds like:

• Newfoundland
• Bernese Mountain Dogs
• Saint Bernard
• Rottweiler
• German Shepherd
• Golden Retriever
• Alaskan Malamute
• Labrador Retriever
• Samoyed
• Mastiffs
• Great Dane

In contrast, degenerative joint issues develop over time after repeated use. The cartilage in your dog's joints wears down, leading to pain and potential injuries.

Unfortunately, arthritis is not a disease you can prevent, but delaying the onset or slowing down its progression is absolutely possible. It should be your focus as early as the puppy stage.

For more information on arthritis, please read Arthritis: Stages and Protocols for Dogs and Osteoarthritis in Dogs: Signs and Treatment.

Hemp products can help relieve your pet of pain by focusing on healing their joints. Using cannabis products for your animal can help reduce the inflammation that they suffer, allowing them to recover properly and live a fuller, more comfortable life. But how does it work?! 

How Do Hemp & Cannabis Products Work for Animals With Joint Issues? 

Cannabinoids are the plant chemicals in cannabis that produce their beneficial effects by interacting with the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is a network of thousands of receptors all over the body, including but not limited to the brain and central nervous system. It helps regulate various functions such as sleep, moods and pain, and scientists are only beginning to learn the full depth of this system.

All animals with a backbone have highly developed endocannabinoid systems, and treating symptoms with a plant-based solution such as cannabis is becoming increasingly popular with pet owners. When certain cannabinoids plug into specific receptors in the ECS, a range of beneficial effects can be seen. One such benefit (but not the only one) is its ability to reduce inflammation in joints!

However, cannabinoids are an option to help treat many other chronic conditions, such as stress responses, aggression and digestive issues. Cannabinoids that work on the Endocannabinoid system can offer relief for basically every living thing with vertebrae. 

How to Use Hemp Products For Animals With Arthritis?

Firstly, we know that giving products with THC to pets can potentially harm them. THC can cause mental disorders in people and produces a psychoactive effect that would not be suitable for pets as a treatment. Luckily, hemp products are made from hemp plants that are specifically bred to have only tiny trace amounts of THC. Nowhere near enough to cause adverse reactions in animals or even show up on a drug test!

Treating pets with hemp products is simple, easy and stress-free. It requires only a few drops of hemp seed oil to be placed directly into their mouth or mixed in with their food. Dosage is based on the animal's weight in kilograms, so the larger the pet, the bigger the daily dose, but generally speaking, a large dog would need only around 1/2 to one full dropper per day for an effective dose. One of the other amazing things about using hemp is that it can be applied externally as well, which will help with any skin conditions that they may have – and as a bonus, if it's licked off, it's no problem!

Consider BUDDYPET Milly dietary supplement, a delicious blend of hemp seed oil and turmeric. Milly is a potent natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant supplement that can help support joint health and improve mobility. The antioxidant action of Milly is amplified by combining polyphenols in turmeric (curcumin) with the antioxidant value of Vitamin E in hemp seed oil.

For advanced stages of arthritis, we recommend that you talk to your vet about hemp CBD oil. Extracted from the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, hemp CBD oil helps modulate anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, with chronic pain being the most widely cited condition. Holistic veterinarians often recommend CBD oil to help alleviate joint pain in senior dogs and dogs with hip dysplasia. Although it's not a cure for all joint issues, CBD oil can help dogs stay active longer and feel better by easing inflammation caused by worn-down cartilage. Please read our Ultimate Guide to CBD Oil for Pets for more information about hemp CBD oil.

Are There Any Dangers Or Side Effects Of Hemp Treatment?

Because hemp is entirely plant-based, it's tough to overdose. It is recommended, though, that you start slowly and increase the dose as symptoms persist. Positive results can usually be seen within the first two weeks; the early signs are a more relaxed demeanour, a bright and healthy coat, more durable nails and clear white eyes. This is especially noticeable in elderly pets. The science and early clinical evidence from cannabis research demonstrate that the non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes extracted from the hemp plant have potent healing properties.

As always, it is strongly recommended that if your pet is on any other prescribed medications from a vet, you consult with them first before adding any other supplements to your furry friend's diet! If you have any more questions, please reach out to us; we love to chat all things hemp!

What Else Can I Do To Help My Pet?

Keep them lean

Puppies will gain weight faster than their bones and joints can handle if you feed them too much. Fast weight gain can lead to orthopaedic problems, eventually leading to arthritis. To keep your puppy's development on track, provide them premium, quality food designed specifically for puppies, control their portions and go easy on those snacks and treats. Obesity is a sure way to get arthritis: excess weight puts too much strain on your dog's joints, causing wear and tear. Please keep your dog lean to delay the onset of arthritis or slow down its progression.

Keep your dog active

Exercise is a great way to stay lean and maintain a healthy weight to reduce pressure on their joints. So, keeping your dog active is paramount. Choose low-impact exercise for your dog, like walking and swimming for 30 minutes daily. Swimming is a beautiful exercise for a dog, and it's easy on the joints. Teaching your dog to enjoy swimming at a young age will make exercise easier when they age. Too much exercise or high impact can cause injuries and add more wear and tear over time.

The best workout for a puppy is to play with another puppy: they will run, chase, tumble and tire simultaneously and take breaks when needed. Running on hard surfaces or launching into the air to fetch a ball can cause injuries and adversely affect proper bone growth in the hip joints.

Give your dog time to rest

While being active is essential, rest is also a necessary part of the healing process. Give your dog the time and space to rest as they need it, and make sure there are plenty of comfortable places around your home for your dog to rest and recuperate. For some dogs, orthopedic mattresses and specially made dog beds can help evenly distribute your dog's weight, relieve pressure from their joints and help them sleep more comfortably.

If your dog prefers to sleep on the couch or bed with you, adding stairs or a ramp near the furniture can help them climb without needing to jump or put additional pressure on their joints.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can help improve motion range, increase mobility, and build muscle mass for dogs with hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis, and other joint issues. Your local vet or a veterinary specialist will be able to recommend the right physical therapy option for your dog and help you build a customised treatment plan. Some physical therapy options include hydrotherapy, chiropractic massages, and active stretches.

Hip & Joint Supplements

No clinically proven data supports the use of joint supplements to prevent arthritis in dogs. However, many studies confirm they can be beneficial in helping joint health, therefore slowing down arthritis.

Supplements can be given to a puppy as early as one year of age. Larger breeds like Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Border Collie, Rottweiler, Huskie, etc., can start as early as eight weeks of age as they are more predisposed to develop joint issues.

Joint supplements will aid in lubricating and strengthening the joints and repairing cartilage.

Glucosamine and chondroitin can help reduce or slow down the loss of cartilage. Anti-inflammatory fatty acids and antioxidants can help scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress that causes chronic inflammation in the joints.

Make Regular Wellness Appointments with Your Vet

Regular check-ins with your vet are the best way to monitor your dog's health and overall progress with any treatment options you explore. They can help you better understand your dog's condition and let you know if their weight is where it should be.

As your dog ages, wellness appointments are critical to screen for any possible health conditions that may develop. It would be best if you caught the symptoms of their arthritis before it progresses to an advanced stage.

By working with your vet, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise, and exploring treatment options available, you can keep your dog's joints healthy and their life comfortable and happy for a long time. 

Conclusion

Hemp seed oil reduces inflammation through the action of fatty acids (eicosanoids), while curcumin reduces specific inflammatory chemicals (cytokines). Together, they fight inflammation on two different pathways.

Zinc, abundant in hemp seed oil, bolsters the anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin. Zinc-curcumin blend inhibits proinflammatory cytokines. Curcumin, in turn, increases the bioavailability and absorption of Zinc in hemp seed oil – an essential trace mineral that plays a significant role in the creation of DNA, growth of cells, building proteins, healing of damaged tissue, and supporting a healthy immune system.

For more information about the health benefits of hemp seed oil, please read Hemp Seed Oil Benefits. 

Our BUDDYPET product pages feature thousands of reviews with animals such as dogs, cats and horses! You can view our recommended range for treating Joint & Mobility Issues here.