CBD for Dogs: What It Is & How It Works

We all have our moments and dogs do too!  We know our canine family members and we can generally read the signs – maybe not perfectly — that something may not be right. Stress can happen to any dog.  Anxiousness can be an ongoing condition or it can pop up quickly when a dog is triggered by a range of events such as separation, isolation, thunderstorms, a dog park visit, a large gathering at your home or car travel, among others.

The team at Kradle is passionate about de-stressing dogs because we know that the stress — ongoing or triggered — simply gets in the way of our enjoyment and bond with our dogs. Plus, it stresses us out too because as pet parents, we want all our family members peaceful, happy, safe and calm. We know there is some confusion out there about CBD-based products — for pets and humans — and we wanted to take some time to share four focused reasons why CBD is a sound calming solution for dogs.

The Science  

Let’s talk about the science in simple terms.  Humans and dogs share something called the endocannabinoid system (ECS).  This internal system functions essentially the same in both humans and dogs — it plays a vital role in regulating processes such as sleep, appetite and mood and it’s important to maintaining a stable internal environment in our bodies, which we call homeostasis. When a dog’s ECS isn’t in homeostasis — it’s out of balance — and the dog can display signs of stress or anxiousness. 

The ECS has three core elements:

• Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds that are crucial to the ECS and maintaining balance
• Receptors that the endocannabinoid compounds bind to like a lock-and-key
• Enzymes that regulate the endocannabinoid levels by generating the production of crucial endocannabinoid compounds, or breaking the compounds down

A dog’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) can get out of balance causing signs of stress.  CBD mimics endocannabinoids that keep the ECS in homeostasis.

So, the very vital ECS is regulated by endocannabinoid compounds, which are regulated by the enzymes…follow? While the ECS can operate all on its own inside a dog’s body, it can also be influenced by external sources, including CBD.  CBD prevents the enzyme from breaking down the dog’s naturally occurring endocannabinoid compounds — allowing those all-important endocannabinoids to have more impact on the ECS. So, essentially, CBD is a natural boost to the endocannabinoid compounds already in the dog’s body — CBD mimics the endocannabinoids.

CBD is NOT THC

CBD is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid compound found naturally in hemp plants, also known as the cannabis plant. There are more than 480 compounds in cannabis and about 100 have been identified as cannabinoids. CBD — also known as Cannabidiol — is among the subclass of cannabinoids derived from hemp. It’s important for you to know that there are three types of CBD-containing ingredients:

• Isolate, which utilizes only a single Cannabinoid: CBD;
• Full Spectrum Distillate, which contains multiple Cannabinoids, along with up to 0.3% THC, which is the compound that triggers a “high” and studies indicate may be harmful for dogs; and
• Broad Spectrum Distillate, which maintains the multiplying benefits of several Cannabinoids, but with no appreciable THC.

Kradle products are based on only Broad Spectrum Distillate and our products have no appreciable THC.  You can learn more about Cannabinoids and Cannabidiol from echoconnection.org.

It’s Natural!

Given what we just learned and how the whole ECS works, the team at Kradle believes in the power of natural solutions for our pets to relieve stress — not pharmaceuticals.  We all want a happy de-stressed dog, but not one that’s groggy or fuzzy.  Kradle Calming CBD solutions are purpose-built for anxiousness in canines, and we created the products with exacting doses for small, medium and large dogs by weight.

Kradle Calming CBD products are natural and made from Broad Spectrum CBD derived from American-grown hemp.

Our Broad Spectrum CBD is derived from American-grown hemp and our farmers maintain responsible farming practices that meet our high standards. Plus, we combine our high-quality Broad Spectrum CBD with additional powerful natural ingredients with a well-established track record for calming — GABA, Shoden® Ashwagandha and L-Theanine.

Real-World Success Stories

We’ve all heard these CBD stories from our friends and family — the aunt who is back to enjoying her daily walks, the friend who sleeps better, the brother who is getting relief from anxiousness. I know I have — both success stories about humans reaping the benefits of CBD and from pet parents who simply can’t believe the marked results.  These stories, while anecdotal, are powerful.  

Here is one to share. 

Sidebar Story

Martha, who moved her dog from Minnesota to Arizona in Aug. of 2018, realized her dog simply stopped eating! He lost 10 pounds and she thought it was just stress from the recent move and the big transition. She took her dog to the vet and learned that the then 13-year-old lab, Breckenridge, had stage 3 kidney disease — quite common in large senior dogs. The lack of kidney function caused the dog’s body to become toxic which in turn resulted in a lack of appetite and generally making Breckenridge feel lousy. She was given an expensive, $30/day solution from her vet aimed at reducing nausea and stimulating appetite. Knowing this solution wasn’t scalable in the longer term, she turned to CBD.  Two years later, after a recent vet visit, the vet couldn’t believe Breckenridge is still with us.  Administered twice a day, Martha truly believes that CBD is enhancing the quality of life for Breckenridge and helping with the challenges he is facing in his senior years. 

Learn more details about dog stress and the signs and the endocannabinoid system.

About the Author

Lee Mayberry

Lee serves as Chief Quality & Regulatory Officer and has 25-plus years of experience in the food and beverage industry specializing in the dietary supplements sector.  Since 1995, he has served as an avid speaker, presenter and trainer on the topic of supplements, as well as the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act, which was passed by the Federal government in 1994.  He has served in regulatory, compliance and quality leadership roles for such companies as Whole Foods Market and EAS (formerly Experimental and Applied Sciences) – a first-mover in sports supplements. He is a founding leader of Coolhouse Botanics and its first brand, Kradle.  Coolhouse is a pioneering new company with a team dedicated to helping our dogs lead calmer, happier lives aided by the calming benefits of broad-spectrum CBD through innovative delivery systems – Melts, Chews and Toppers – and unique formulations such as BotaniTek™, which infuses additional beneficial natural ingredients.  Lee lives in Arvada, a suburb of Denver, with his wife, Jeanine, twin sons, as well as two high-drive, spirited Border Aussies: Canela (which means cinnamon in Spanish), 7, and Rio (which means river in Spanish), 2 – both regularly enjoy the benefits of Kradle Calming CBD products.