Dogs: Pain Relief and CBD

I get it. Dogs age quickly. We all know this... And yet, as pet owners, knowing that they age so much more quickly than we do doesn't make it any easier as we watch the effects of age start to set in.

I got Faber in December 2008, when she was 10 months old. Her name was Clover at the time and she was skin and bones and terrified of life. I changed her name and she immediately became glued to me. Every move that I made, she was there. She was smart, well behaved, and energetic. She loved playing fetch and keep away and had a boyfriend named Charlie that she kept an eye out for every time that we left the apartment.

Faber was, and still is, a dream. I couldn't have asked for a better dog. For a better partner. She got me through some really tough times and I'd like to think that I've helped her through some as well.

In 2012, I got married and we moved to Saskatchewan, Canada. Soon after that, I started to notice changes. She had a hard time getting around during the winter... She was stiff and would limp, frequently lifting one of her back legs as she hobbled along. A slight bump to her hip and she would yelp.

I started giving her supplements... Fish oil, all that good stuff, and eventually started giving her shots prescribed by the vet. These efforts seemed to help a little for a while but, eventually, she'd be back to struggling to get around. It was painful to watch. There were days when she had to be carried up the stairs of our house so that she could go outside to pee (our bedroom is in the basement). X-rays showed arthritis and hip dysplasia.

Eventually, she started to develop histamine tumors, first on her belly, and then on her feet. She also started to get gum overgrowth... A relatively common problem in bully breeds where their gum can grow over their teeth and cause pain and bleeding. There were mornings where she couldn't finish her food because of the pain and, when she did, it took extra time and coaching to get her to power through the pain.

There was little to be done about her gums and the tumors. Faber was getting up there in years and her last blood panel flagged her for risk of kidney damage if she was put under, so surgery was out of the question unless it was absolutely necessary.

So, what next? The girl that I had spent years cuddling, that ran to comfort me when I was down... This girl that I would do anything for... And I was helpless. All I could do was watch as the old Faber withered away, as her hair turned grey, as she limped and hobbled and struggled to eat. I can't tell you how many times I cried over what I saw. The thought of losing her was bad enough but watching her suffer was more than I could handle.

Last year, I started smoking weed again after a several year long break. I was depressed and suffered from chronic pain that medication did very little for. Immediately, I saw an improvement. After my husband started taking CBD for arthritis in his wrist and arm and saw great results, I started to wonder about using it to help with Faber's pain.. After a ton of reading and looking at the products available, I decided to make CBD dog treats. She gets one a day, with her morning meal. Again, the effect was immediate.

She's playing again. She wrestles with the other dogs in ways that I haven't seen in years. She plays with me again, bringing me her toy to throw, playing keep away. She prances around, seeking out love and affection. She eats her food every morning without pause. There's LIFE in her eyes again.

Right now, she's taking 5mg a day (1mg per pound of body weight) and that may have to be adjusted eventually... But at $22 for a syringe of 250mg CBD, which makes 50 treats, it's definitely worth it for me. If I can afford to buy flower and concentrates for myself, then I can afford that for my beloved dog.

CBD absolutely is an option for the canines in our lives. With all of the horrible side effects that medications can have on dogs, CBD is a safe alternative that works.