Hemp Oil for Occasional Dog Stress – Top 3 Benefits

Dealing with a dog that is experiencing a high-level environmental stress response can be frustrating.  Sometimes it can be impossible to know what the external trigger is that is causing your dog to respond in this manner.  

Does it mean your dog needs training?  Does she not trust you?  These are questions we, as pet owners, may find ourselves asking in dealing with a dog who experiences high levels of environmentally-induced stress and nervousness.  

Here are some signs your dog could be experiencing emotional distress:

• Excessive drooling.  Dogs who experience a high level of environmental stress may drool and pant constantly.  Some dog owners whose pets suffer from separation distress report that their dogs leave puddles of drool near their beds or crates when they are left at home alone. 
• Pacing.  Dogs that are nervous will oftentimes become restless and are unable to lie down to relax.  Pacing is a common symptom of dogs that are occasionally stressed and uncomfortable.  Your dog may also wander around aimlessly; the real issue is that she seems unable to relax.
• Shaking.  Shaking or quivering can be a definite sign your dog is nervous and temporarily stressed.  Many dogs experience this type of temporary stress response while waiting in their veterinarian’s office to be seen. 
• Excessive grooming.  Dogs that excessively groom themselves (sometimes to the point of self-harm like hair loss or the development of open sores) may be experiencing a high level of environmentally-caused stress.
• Destructive behavior.  Chewing, scratching, clawing up your walls and carpets can all be signs your dog is temporarily stressed, not just being “naughty.”  If you can treat the source of your dog’s environmental stress, you can help reduce and eliminate these types of behaviors.  The mistake many owners make is assuming their dog is “bad” and failing to find the underlying cause of the property destruction.
• Aggression.  A dog experiencing environmental stress will sometimes display aggressive, defensive behavior toward humans and other animals.  

If you think your dog is suffering from emotional distress, the first step in providing her with proper care is to see her veterinarian.  Her veterinarian will help rule out other health problems and ensure there are no underlying conditions making her ill. If it is determined your dog is suffering from emotional or mood issues alone, you can look for some common reasons that she might be experiencing environmental stress.

What Causes Dogs to Have Anxiety?

Dogs can experience emotional distress for numerous reasons, but some of the most popular are:

• Fear of abandonment.  This is the fear of being left alone.  This can be a really difficult situation to circumvent, as many dog owners work outside the home and cannot be with their dogs during the day.  
• Separation issues.  Unlike abandonment, separation distress can mean that your dog does not feel comfortable when separated from her owner, even if she is surrounded by other humans and/or animals.
• Loud noises.  Fireworks, doorbells, thunder-loud noises are not typically very popular with any pet, but for dogs that are prone to sound-based stress, these noises can really disrupt the quality of their day.
• Strange animals and people; children.  Some dogs will experience temporary stress and nervousness when around other people, animals, and children.  Children are notoriously not-so-gentle with animals and can invade a dog’s safe space without realizing it. Additionally, some dogs will experience temporary stress when strangers or new animals are near. 
• Former abuse and/or neglect.  Dogs that have previously been neglected or abused may have developed a deeply ingrained fear the behavior will be repeated.  This can be especially true for rescues. 

When your dog is even temporarily stressed, you are stressed, and that’s not a good situation for anyone.  

Fortunately, there are measures we can take to help our dogs feel more comfortable and relaxed.  Aside from doing everything possible to ensure their environment is suitable for them (i.e. they have a safe, dedicated space to sleep or relax that is their own, a steady and consistent source of food and water, etc.), you can give your dog supplements that can help keep them calm and relaxed.  

Hemp Oil Benefits for Your Dog’s Emotional Wellness

Hemp oil is incredibly effective in calming your dog and providing temporary comfort for nervousness and agitation.  Hemp oil, or CBD oil, is a plant-based extract called a cannabinoid that has been taken from a particular species of the cannabis-sativa plant.  Full-spectrum hemp oil contains cannabidiol (or “CBD”), and many other important plant parts that help give your dog the maximum CBD benefit available.  

Hemp oil is non-intoxicating and safe to give your dog.  VETCBD’s CBD oil tinctures for pets were specifically formulated by a veterinarian to be effective in giving your dog the calm she needs. Here’s how.

Cannabinoids Can Have a Calming Effect On Your Dog 

Hemp oil is soothing and calming for your dog, and can help her to relax and settle down.  Hemp oil can provide relaxation for her, even when her environmental triggers are present (i.e. fireworks continually going off on a holiday, or her owner being gone all day for work).  Because hemp oil seeks to promote normal emotional balance, the physical aspects that can be so frustrating to us as pet owners like hyperactivity may naturally decrease as relaxation is promoted.

Hemp Dog Chews and Hemp Oil Are an All-Natural Solution

We don’t like chemicals and unnatural products for our dogs just as much as we don’t like them for ourselves.  Humans who are stressed may turn to meditation or yoga to help protect their mental state and ensure they are handling stress properly.  Your dog doesn’t have that same luxury, but you can offer hemp oil to your dog to help reduce the effects of those normal environmental stressors which provides a holistic, organic solution to support her emotional wellness. 

VETCBD’s hemp oil tinctures contain only two ingredients: full-spectrum CBD oil and organic extra virgin olive oil.  These oils act together to deliver maximum temporary comfort to your dog quickly and effectively, so she can rest and experience a better day, and better quality of life.

Hemp Dog Tinctures Can Help Reduce the Effects of Normal Environmental Stressors and Promote Calmness

If you know your dog may be approaching a situation that would normally cause her temporary stress, you can help her prepare for the situation and bring about a better outcome by giving her a hemp oil supplement. The timing in which to administer the tincture will vary depending on your dog’s metabolism, but typically giving her a dose an hour before the expected situation can help calm her.  Some situations when you might find it useful to give your dog hemp oil are:

• On holidays or during events when fireworks are typically used.  While 4th of July or New Year’s Eve festivities may be fun for us, for dogs, the loud bangs can trigger intense temporary stress and fear. You can prepare your dog for these loud noises by giving her a comfortable and safe place to rest and offering her a hemp oil supplement to relax and calm her.
• When your dog will meet new people.  If your dog is usually skeptical of unfamiliar guests, you can prepare her for the introduction by giving her high-quality hemp oil to keep her calm before the visit.  
• When you leave for work or will be away from your dog for an extended period of time.  The great thing about hemp oil is that it is all-natural and can be used regularly to give your dog some alleviation from nervousness and temporarily stressful situations. 

How Can I Give My Dog Hemp Oil?

Hemp oil tinctures are formulas of CBD oil dissolved into a carrier oil, such as olive oil.  The easiest way to administer hemp oil to your dog is by using a high-quality tincture and syringe system.  Tinctures are a great way for your dog to absorb hemp oil quickly and get temporary soothing fast. 

It’s also incredibly important to use a safe orifice to administer the dose. It’s best to avoid glass droppers as those can break in your dog’s mouth. Additionally, some glass droppers have used lead-based paints for dosage indication which can also be potentially toxic to your pet. Our tinctures come with plastic syringes with accurate dosing lines to ensure the utmost safety when giving your pet CBD oil. 

If your dog is a bit fussy with oral administration, one easy and effective way to give hemp oil to your dog is to simply add the CBD oil to their food, which can actually help the CBD to be better absorbed by your pet’s digestive system. 

In Closing 

Dogs experiencing environmental stress are usually unhappy, and their owners are usually unhappy too.  Too often, we as owners attempt to modify or scold the environmentally-induced stress-related behaviors we don’t like instead of trying to figure out the underlying cause of our dog’s occasional stress behavior.  

Using high-quality, full-spectrum hemp oil can calm your dog, promote relaxation, and support emotional balance and wellness, even in the face of her everyday environmental stressors.  This, in turn, can result in a reduction of unwanted occasional stress behaviors like hyperactivity.  

Hemp oil is all-natural and generally safe to administer to your dog on a regular basis–just make sure you follow recommended hemp oil dosing for dogs.  Hemp oil can keep your dog calm and happy, which will likely make everyone around calmer and happier, too. 

Sources:  
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/10/832/htm

https://pets.webmd.com/dogs-separation-anxiety#1