Of the many canine diseases, inflammatory bowel disease can make their life painful and in some situations it can be life-threatening. Besides, being a pet parent it can be very difficult for you to see the suffering of your dog. The treatments available can sometimes exacerbate the situation and become upsetting for both you and the pet. The CBD for pets product, CBD oil can help to prevent and manage this. So, you might be wondering how? Read ahead to know more about inflammatory bowel disease in dogs and how CBD oil is useful in treating and managing it.
What Is Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Dogs?
Inflammatory bowel disease occurs due to the inflammation of the intestinal and bowel cells and can be caused due to any gastrointestinal diseases. It is a serious condition that causes malabsorption of nutrients, diarrhea, vomiting, gas build-up, mucus or blood in stools etc. This result in weight loss, fever, loss of appetite and depressed mood of your pet. Besides, the severity of the condition varies over time i.e. from better to worse and to better. So even if the symptoms are not severe, you must take your dog to the veterinarian as soon as possible to avoid any kind of complications.
The Cause For Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Dogs
The exact cause for inflammatory bowel disease is not known, but veterinarians believe it is due to immunity issues, issues from exposure to fungus, mold, bacteria, antibiotics, toxins, parasites and due to allergic substances and stress. Besides, they also consider the possibility of genetics as a contributing factor.
All dog breeds are susceptible for developing inflammatory bowel disease and some like French bulldogs, Lundehunds are more prone to developing it. Likewise, the chances are much higher for older and middle-aged dogs, as well as those with compromised immune systems. Also, higher stress levels due to certain kinds of phobias or prolonged exposure to stressful triggers can increase the chances of developing this condition.
Diagnosis
Taking the dog to a veterinarian, he will ask questions about the symptoms mentioned earlier to find an easily identifiable cause for inflammatory bowel disease. After this, a faecal lab examination is conducted along with other secondary tests to know if there is any bacterial infection, cause from parasites or any kind of poisoning for the inflammation. In some cases, an endoscopic test of the colon is conducted according to the severity of symptoms and it is a little difficult process. However, you should always try to get a second opinion from another veterinarian just to avoid any kind of misdiagnosis.
How Is CBD Oil Useful In Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Dogs?
In cases of inflammatory bowel disease where traditional methods are not working, CBD oil can become useful. As you know, inflammation is an immune system response and CBD for pets help in enhancement of their immunity system. Besides, cannabidiol has a good anti-inflammatory effect, reduces stress, relieves pain, gives good appetite, promotes good bowel movement and gives added nutrients like essential fatty acids. On top of this, it has got no side effects and hence is a good natural remedy compared to pharmaceutical drugs.
CBD oil can also be used to mitigate the side effects of the traditional prescription drugs so that your pet dog feels better and recovers fast. The side effects are poor appetite, diarrhea, lethargy, depressed mood, weakness and weakened immunity. They can lower the quality of life and CBD oil helps to avoid this situation. Not only that, using it as part of the diet especially in older dogs helps to prevent the development of inflammatory bowel disease and hence it is useful as a preventive measure.
Types Of CBD Oil Products For Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Dogs
Different types of CBD oil derived products like pure CBD oil capsules, oil tinctures, soft treats, crunchy teats and extract concentrates are available in the treatment or management of inflammatory bowel disease in dogs. Some of them have fixed dosage per serving and it depends on the weight of the dog as well as on the severity of symptoms. Extract concentrates are available in the form of beads of fixed dosage and the dosage is measured by the number of beads. Oil tinctures are more versatile as you can administer it directly or give in food and you can change the dosage according to the dogs changing needs. They usually come with a dropper having capacity of 1ml.
Whatever type of vet CBD oil product you use, always begin with the smallest possible dosage and through a trial and error method over a period of time, identify the optimal dosage that works best. The other reason is that, starting at low dose helps to know if there is any side effect or allergic reaction for your dog.
Therefore, if you want to alleviate the symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease in your dogs, then CBD for pets is a good natural alternative that can help in the treatment.
