Can CBD Help My Boston Terrier Dog’s Anxiety?

This is a sponsored post by Veritas Farms.  I trialed the product starting June 2019 and since then have maintained use of their CBD.  All opinions are my own.

When I was looking at CBD to help my dog’s anxiety, I wondered if it truly worked. So I did some research and over 60 days of testing to find out if it would work my my anxious Boston Terrier dog Maggie.  I have since maintained use of it after the trial period.

So does CBD help with dog’s anxiety? Yes and No. It depends on how your dog reacts to it and the level of anxiety your dog has. CBD is thought to help with anxiety, inflammation, and pain. There are many brand choices available to you so make sure you are buying it from a reputable source and know how to administer the correct dosage.

Many marijuana companies have entered the pet CBD market. More so than pet companies entering the CBD market. There are little clinical studies and vets in most states aren’t even able to discuss it due to federal restrictions on the topic. And even though 47 states have legalized CBD for humans they haven’t done so for dogs.

And as a dog owner you’re now able to buy it without any interaction from your veterinarian.  Knowing what to look for when buying CBD is key.  I’ll go over the process I went through and hopefully it helps you as well.

Full Spectrum vs. Broad Spectrum

When I first started to look at CBD, the main point of distinction I would see brands claim is that they were either full or broad spectrum.  Since I didn’t know the difference I thought I’d research what that meant.

All CBD products are extracted from the cannabis plant.

Pet CBD is typically a hemp extract which contain little to no THC and if it does it will be below 0.3%.

What is Full Spectrum CBD

When you see a CBD product on the shelf or online and it’s labeled “Full Spectrum CBD” it means in contains all phytochemical naturally found in the plant, including CBD, trace cannabinoid, terpenes and essentials oils. It will also come with a negligible THC content – below 0.3%.

What is Broad Spectrum CBD

Broad Spectrum doesn’t have any THC. It still contains all the cannabidiol and all other compounds of the plant.

So which is better?
In humans the thought is that you should abandon the assumption that one type is better than the other because it will depend on WHY you are using CBD and how YOU REACT to it; because everyone is different.

So the same goes for our dogs. We have to ask ourselves why we are considering using CBD and look to see how your dog reacts to it.

CBD For Dogs: Should I Give Treats, Gummies or Tinctures

There are several ways to administer CBD to your dog. You have the choice to give them treats, gummies or tinctures

CBD Treats for Dogs

A lot of companies offer CBD for dogs in the way of treats. A daily CBD cookie if you will. This to me seems to be the one that has gone more mainstream than oils and tinctures because:
– It’s easy to administer – one cookie and done
– It looks just like a any other (biscuit) treat you have in your pantry

A year ago we tried a CBD treat on Maggie. It didn’t work on her. On one hand I don’t think the dosage was enough and at her level of anxiety she needed something stronger.

The other thing to consider about CBD treats is that they typically partner up with a generic dog treat brand. When I look at the ingredients of the treat’s they often times have preservatives and additives which I don’t like to feed to my dogs.

There are also people who say – when the CBD is in the “treat” its not as effective as when you give the CBD directly.

CBD Gummies or Chews for Dogs

Similar to dog treats, there are edible gummy treats or soft chews you can give to your dogs. Although we haven’t tried any gummy CBD treats, again they were not an option for me due to the ingredients used to make the gummies with.

CBD Tinctures and Oils For Dogs

CBD treats, gummies and chews have a one size fits all approach to dosage. In a bag you’ll get the same size edible for your dog.

But our dogs come in all different shapes and sizes with different types of needs for CBD; so I needed to look at oils and tinctures instead.

What CBD Oils and Tinctures provide you is a way to administer the dosage depending on your dog’s weight.

Which CBD Brand to Select For Your Anxious Dog

I attended both Global Pet Expo and SuperZoo last year and I came home with six different pet CBD brands to try on Maggie who suffers from car anxiety as well as social anxiety.

Last year I had not researched CBD other than talking to people that gave me the items to sample and review.

None of them worked.

I was convinced that CBD was snake oil marketed by many with little to no efficacy experienced by dogs leaving disappointed dog owners in the dust.

But I kept hearing good things here and there so my ears perked up and I started to follow the breadcrumbs and asking other dog parents what their experiences were.

That’s when I started to learn more about broad vs full spectrum, the different ways to administer, the dosage, and more importantly selecting a brand that is reputable.

Each year more and more pet CBD companies have come to market. There are even a lot of “white label” options where you can slap your brand label on some unknown CBD product.

So I turned to my dog blogger friends for recommendations. Unlike an influencer who might try a product for a few days and post about it, dog bloggers tend to be more inquisitive. They tend to research the company, the brand and try the product for a longer period of time prior to recommending it to their community.

A brand that came up several times was Veritas Farms.

Veritas Farms produces Full Spectrum CBD Oil in their farms located in Pueblo, Colorado.

Their plants and derivative products are independently tested by Colorado certified laboratories for compliance, cannabinoid content, and purity, so they are sure to provide products free of heavy metals or lead.

They also use no additives, fillers or GMO’s. As a dog mom that focuses on wellness this is an important factor for me.

Veritas Farms is also a publicly traded company which meant they are established here in the USA and not a white label brand using products you can’t track. They have been around since 2011 and been working to perfect their products, process, and efficiencies. This has given the company the time to iron out the kinks before the emergence of the national CBD industry.

While other companies are still figuring out how to cultivate hemp, Veritas Farms already has more than 20 skews and product not only in production, but on the market for humans and pets.

I tried CBD oil for my anxiety the same time as I gave it to my dog Maggie

Armed with more knowledge about CBD I thought I would try something I had not done in previous CBD trials and try CBD along with my dog.

While Maggie tried the pet version, I had the human version.

Full Spectrum CBD Pet Tinctures | CBD For Dogs

Full Spectrum CBD Tinctures | 100% Made in Colorado

I suffer from mild anxiety. For the past few years I’ve been taking an herbal mood enhancer from the local health store. It basically drops my stress level a notch.

Instead of taking my pills I switched to the Veritas Farms CBD Tincture.

Every morning I would take my dose and then turn around and give Maggie her dose from the Veritas Farms Full Spectrum Pet Tincture.  For myself I took the strength that is at 500mg.

How Did CBD Help Me?

When I take CBD I don’t “feel” any effect that is obvious. I don’t get soft or relaxed once I swallow the oil.

What I did observe though is that my mood is more level headed and I slept like a rock. I would wake up rested and ready to start the day. I even started to wake up before sunrise to do yoga.

I also felt a sunnier disposition. Maybe it was because I was sleeping better or maybe it was because I was doing yoga … I don’t really know 100% but I do know I felt happier.

If you have ever suffered from depression or anxiety there is this feeling of “impossible tasks” where even going to the grocery store, the mailcenter or working out seems “impossible”.  So the fact that I was motivated enough to start going to yoga is huge to me.  When I feel anxious I just like doing things with my dogs and staying at home.  Self care isn’t a priority.  However I notice when I’m not so anxious then I take better care of myself.  Such is the case when I am taking CBD.

A little background about me is I suffered a deep depression when my nephew died a few years ago. And that is why looking for products to alleviate my stress and increase my mood was of interest to me.

How did CBD Help My Anxious Dog?

CBD helped Maggie be less anxious. It didn’t totally get rid of her anxiety. Part of what Maggie experiences is a trembling once she gets in the car. It’s so bad her dog tags jangle.

Now with CBD she is tense but not jangling and she can relax faster than she used to do.

She also has social anxiety and tends to be leery of other dogs. Sometimes she will react and lunge out at other dogs in her effort to keep them away from her.

When she has taken her CBD for the day she’s less apt to lunge and react.  Or it buys me two seconds so she will look up at me and check in and I get ahead of her and we move away from the potential trigger.

We do agility every week and I noticed before we took the CBD she would be tense during the whole class and we would have to sit on the other side of the yard to maintain a distance she was comfortable with.

Now with CBD we can sit within six feet of other dogs. She won’t react. She’ll even sit quietly on her mat waiting her turn out on the course.

Want to Learn More About Veritas Farms?

I encourage you to do your own research. If you want to learn more about Veritas Farms visit their FAQ:
Frequently asked questions about Veritas Farms and CBD

You can also learn about how they harvest their plants:
How We Harvest and Process Hemp Plants at Veritas Farms

And learn about their sustainable farming approach:
Behind the Scenes: The Sustainable Farming Practice of Veritas Farms

Should You Try CBD for Your Own Anxious Dog?

Yes but don’t do just that and walk away thinking that will solve all your problems.

CBD should be part of your tool set. Prior to CBD I worked with a dog behaviorist to better understand what was going on with Maggie.

I also started agility with her and we go on daily walks to different parts of our town in order to continue to expose her to new environments that result in positive experiences.

I work with Maggie to keep dialing her anxiety down. And this is a daily focus in our family.

One thing about having an anxious dog is to constantly be aware of what triggers her anxiety and eliminating or desensitizing her to those triggers.

And you rinse and repeat because dogs do not learn a lesson and keep it forever. That lesson has to be learned again and again on a regular basis so that they don’t forget it and the new behavior becomes part of them.

And if you’re skeptical and want more proof that it might work for your dog, then I encourage you to try the human version for yourself for at least a month to see how CBD affects you.

Are There Any Other Things a Dog Owner Should Be Concerned about Before Giving CBD to their Anxious Dog?

Because of a lot of companies entering the CBD Pet Industry it’s really important you work with an established brand. Not all CBD-containing products have truthful labeling. Certain news companies like NBC NY and NBC Miami who have done investigations have reported that have demonstrated that many CBD-containing products contain either more or less CBD than they state on the label. Furthermore, some even have undeclared and potentially clinically significant levels of THC (the psychoactive component of marijuana, which can cause problems for pets) in them.Not to mention the pesticides, fungicides, and other toxins they may contain.

Team Tests CBD Products, But Finds Results Alarming – NBC New York

‘Patients Are Being Duped’: NBC 6 Tests CBD Products – NBC 6 South Florida

Also if your dog is on medication, be sure to consult with your vet for any possible interactions that might occur.

Where can I get Veritas Farms Pet CBD

Ready to buy? Shop the Veritas Farms Full Spectrum Pet Tincture:
Full Spectrum CBD Pet Tinctures | CBD For Dogs

And if you’re interested in the Tincture for yourself you can buy that online as well:

Full Spectrum CBD Tinctures | 100% Made in Colorado

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hello my name is Hannah and I dance with my dogs.  A self proclaimed Boston Terrier addict, (aka breed advocate) I started this blog because there isn’t enough space to write on our Instagram.  Maggie is my socially awkward one; which I find highly relatable because I am completely out of place in large groups myself.  And Orbit is my sensitive flower.  Blow on her skin wrong (ok I might be exaggerating) and she breaks out in a rash.

You won’t read about cats here… but you will get a fairly large dosage of articles dedicated to the Boston Terrier.    Read more about us.