VetHealth – hemp oil for pets: when, how, why and how much?
Written by: Rujana Jeger | Copied with permission from Pasji život™
I couldn't escape the impression that hemp oil (yes, CBD, by now, you've all not only heard of it but maybe have tried it, with differing results) is, for a few last years, being prescribed as a panacea - the cure for all diseases and conditions.
VetHealth – hemp oil for pets – when, how, why, and how much to give
Whenever I look at any Facebook group about dogs, someone, somewhere, recommends CBD to someone else - for problems ranging from behavioral issues to lameness to hair loss. Since I'm a bit suspicious by nature, all these drugs/food supplements/stuff that sounds like a panacea - invoke a feeling of resistance in me.
Especially when the whole story does not include veterinary help and diagnosis and when people randomly give their pets CBD oil, regardless of manufacturers or lists of ingredients, strength, and so on.
Most often, the instructions for use could be more helpful, too.
Given that such oils are flooding the market and are made by different manufacturers and in different concentrations, isn't it necessary to have a diagnosis and possibly start treatment with allopathic medicine and give the oil as supportive therapy? And not just any, but ideally, the one recommended by the veterinarian.
However, not all veterinarians know about the effects of CBD oil, nor are they interested, even though research on humans has shown that it helps with a range of conditions and diseases. Medical marijuana in some states in the USA and some other countries can also be obtained on a doctor's prescription.
When my old dog Liza had a lot of mobility difficulties (she lived to be almost 17, a lot for a Lab mix), at the persuasion of a friend, I bought some product, honestly - I don't even remember by which manufacturer; I took the strongest one they had and put it into her food in the evenings - according to the attached instructions.
I can't say that I noticed any difference in movement (she was already plied with different food supplements and later with analgesics anyway).
Then I took a relatively well-known and well-advertised one. Still, if I noticed anything, it was the difficulty waking her up for a late walkie!
I always feed the dogs at 7 pm (and believe me, even with daylight saving time - they always know when their dinnertime is).
I go for the last walkies at 11:30 pm or even a little later - however, it became a challenge to wake Liza up. When we woke her up, we massaged her for 10 minutes to bring her back to reality. This reminded me of certain youthful experiments with substances in Hemp's sister plant, to be sure. In short, Liza's behavior indicated the presence of THC molecules, which are not recommended for animals because they are intoxicating (which I didn't know at the time). Since there is no standard that manufacturers or sellers in Croatia should adhere to, advertising is precisely that - advertising - so I concluded that it is better not to give her the products I am not sure about than to play with the health of my beloved dog...
Only when I received three subsequent recommendations from good friends for the so-called broad-spectrum CBD oil (which also contains CBG, an ingredient I knew very little about), I paid attention to that particular brand.
But it was too late for Liza; she had already gone over the rainbow.
Now I have three fit bitches, so I thought I had no use for CBD oil (although, honestly - I'm not in the best shape anymore; I could have tried it on myself). Still, a lengthy correspondence between members of a specific Facebook group got me interested enough to want to talk to the manufacturer of the recommended oil. He is a veterinarian from Croatia, so he was precisely the kind of person I needed to explain to me all that I wanted to know; the action, dosage, and principle of application, and answer many other questions I had the desire - and then the opportunity - to ask!
I am talking about VetHealth Broad Spectrum oil for animals, a product made in Croatia - 100% of all ingredients are grown and processed on our soil. It is available in s 8%, 16%, and 24% solutions, not only in most veterinary clinics but also in smaller pet shops and the Zoo City shop chain (like the one in our neighborhood where the girls try to drag me in every time we walk by...)
Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce to you Dr. Igor Benčić, MD, Ph.D., orthopedic specialist, who has a family veterinary clinic in Pazin (with X-ray, ultrasound, EKG, all at my fingertips when I stay at my mom's in Istria - and he has no idea how crazy I am, as we just met).
Within 5 minutes of our phone conversation, we switched to unprofessional, personal mode.
You can follow our conversations through a three-part feuilleton - I had too many questions to ask him all at once! That's why I started politely and relatively restrainedly :) ...
Igor, how did you come up with the idea of developing VetHealth Broad Spectrum oil for animals?
It all started with a chance meeting - my current business partner on the VetHealth project, Karlo Kovačić, brought his dog to my clinic; it was a severe emergency case. Unfortunately, he was attacked by other dogs and suffered serious injuries to his body. The diagnosis and findings were not promising; we even thought about euthanasia.
I didn't know much about CBD and CBG at the time. Still, he was very knowledgeable and persuaded me that in addition to standard therapy, we should also try supportive treatment with cannabinoids, i.e., CBD and CBG oil. Since we had nothing to lose, I was entirely open to experimentation. In addition to oral therapy, we also made an ointment for topical application.
I was surprised by the speed of wound healing and general recovery of such a difficult, not to say, almost hopeless patient (besides the bite wounds that became infected, the dog also had an elbow fracture that needed surgery, and the whole list of the accompanying complications).
What I saw convinced me that we should embark on business cooperation! So in the production and formulation of VetHealth oil, the two of us - I would say successfully - connected veterinary experience and knowledge with knowledge of the properties of cannabinoids.
Why did you go for 8, 16, and 24% solutions? I've seen other products with 4, 8, and 12, as well as 5 and 10% – what do these percentages really mean?
Well, we found that specific concentrations work better on the skin of that particular dog.
In contrast, other concentrations and ratios of CBD and CBG are more valuable as analgesics. It doesn't matter how tall or how heavy the pet is (because our product is not only for use on cats and dogs) – with these percentages, I feel that we have covered the entire spectrum of conditions and illnesses in the best way, with an emphasis on three areas – neurology, orthopedics, and dermatology. We were also guided by a formula that should enable the dosing of different animal species, sizes, and conditions in our pets. Of course, abnormally large animals will clearly spend more than one bottle monthly, as we envisioned for all others.
You mean me, don't you? (during the conversation, it came up that the VetHealth has helped some people with migraines and insomnia, and I also have these problems, among others, but I don't want to take either painkillers or marijuana oil, because I can't wake up in the morning from such things)
Don't worry, VetHealth oil for animals is an entirely organic, vegan, and THC–free product (well, the man also remembered that I'm vegan, what can I say?), so it can't "nail" you like the sleeping pills, not even like melatonin spray.
Okay, can you briefly explain to the readers the difference between CBD and CBG oils (and why other oils on the market do not contain CBG (or it's not obvious)?
First, I would not emphasize the differences but instead point to these two ingredients' mutual, synergistic effects. So, cannabidiol (CBD) is a molecule that has an anti–inflammatory effect. It has a remarkable ability to restore tissue. At the same time, cannabigerol (CBG) is a natural analgesic that helps reduce muscle pain and tremors (shaking, trembling). From experience, our product has proven to be highly effective in orthopedics – after surgery as supportive therapy and analgesic, supportive therapy for incontinence as well as osteoarthritis, epileptic seizures, and skin diseases, even atopic dermatitis, i.e., allergies – considering that it affects and strengthens the immune system.
Hmmmm, Pixie is allergic to dust mites…
(A short conversation followed, which ended with the decision to try VetHealth tincture in a 16% solution during the next two months, after which I will definitely inform you about the condition and effect – now Dr. Benčić has received two clients, one of whom is the skeptic that moved to the stage of a voluntary human guinea pig? ...I must admit, this guy is pretty convincing.)
And what about stressful situations, like noise from thunder or fireworks?
Well, look, it works on anxiety states. Of course, I must stress that it does not matter only what kind of oil is given or how much – working with an anxious dog in cooperation with an expert in dog training is imperative.
The problem with the unregulated market is that many oils are not hemp oil isolates. There are solutions in coconut or salmon oil, but such oils are unstable. Their acids reduce the percentage of the active substances, so two bottles of the same brand can contain different ratios of CBD.
In addition, unfortunately, under certain conditions, some stems of Hemp can develop excess THC, that is – significantly more than allowed. Therefore, one must be very careful because THC and terpenes (fragrant components of the plant) are very poorly tolerated by some animals – cats, for example.
Okay, but then how can readers know what they're buying? What should one pay attention to? What is the difference between, for example, broad–spectrum oil and full–spectrum oil? I would automatically buy full spectrum (probably I have, I had no idea) because it sounds – fuller :)
When buying CBD products for animals, you should pay attention to several things: for starters, is the product certified? For example, all raw materials in VetHealth are COSMOS certified, meaning they have been verified to contain at least 95% plant ingredients (ingredients of organic origin). But most of the hemp oils on our market are labeled full–spectrum, which means they contain THC and terpenes, which I stated should not be given to animals! They need the broad–spectrum product because it is made without THC and only contains CBD and CBG in crude hemp oil.
Okay, you explained a lot in this first episode; I'm still interested in how will the readers know which concentration of oil to buy for which condition?
Of course, it would be best if they consult with their veterinarian before purchasing and using the product, given that the dosages are different. Of course, my employees and I are available for consultations, and we are present on social networks, so you can easily find us.
In the next installment, we will discuss the treatment of specific diseases and conditions with VetHealth Broad Spectrum tincture and its mechanism in greater detail. At some point, I will also have some experience using it on myself and Pixie. I hope to speak to some other veterinarians.
If some of you already have experience with VetHeath oil, please let me know! Please send me a message at Facebook or Instagram!
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