Can CBD Help Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

If you own a dog, chances are you absolutely love your pooch –we certainly love ours! It can be heartbreaking to see one’s pet in distress, and separation anxiety in dogs can seem like an insurmountable problem for pet owners. Today, we’ll talk about what we can do to address the issue, and how CBD can help treat it.

What Is Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

Have you ever left your dog at home only to find your couch gnawed on, door scratched, or perhaps your favourite shoes ripped apart? These are just a few of the signs, but much like a child, your dog may be trying to communicate her or his emotions to you.

These emotions, you guessed it, are related to stress and anxiety when left alone. Usually, dogs exhibit this destructive behaviour within the first 15 minutes of being alone. However, they may also display negative behaviours seemingly at random, and these symptoms can worsen over time if left untreated.

Understanding the warning signs, what you can do with your own behaviour, and using CBD for pets, can help alleviate this common issue.

What Are the Signs of Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

As dogs can’t talk, they try to communicate to us with their behaviour. When they’re feeling anxious by being separated from you, signs may include:

These are just some of the common symptoms, but social withdrawal, loss of appetite, or compulsive licking and chewing can occur too and lead to open sores called ‘hot spots’. As always, if you’re seeing any of these symptoms persist above, be sure to visit your veterinarian to discuss them.

What Can I Do to Ease Separation Anxiety in Dogs?

If you’ve been to the vet and they’ve confirmed the problem is separation anxiety, thankfully, this issue is treatable. We’ll cover a few simple steps before getting to how effective CBD can be for it.

Switch Up Your Departure Routine

As you know, dogs pick up on habits. By varying your routine, such as leaving at a slightly different time, or by a different door, your dog may not recognise that you are leaving and may be calmer.

Remain Calm

When you’re leaving, keep your greetings to a minimum. Big goodbyes can make your absence harder, and extreme hellos can reinforce the bad behaviour when you get back.

Focus Energy

Give your dog a chew toy before you leave, something to occupy her or him –this can be a good outlet for anxiety. Alternatively, setup an activity, something to occupy your dog while you’re away: boredom can lead to anxiety for a pet.

Plan Ahead

If you know you’ll be out, take your dog for a long walk before and tire the pooch out. He or she is more likely to fall asleep when you leave. Just like with humans, research has shown exercise can be a great stress and anxiety reliever for dogs.

CBD for Pets

Cannabidiol, or CBD Oil, is a compound found in hemp and cannabis that many studies have shown effectively treat stress in both humans and animals. We’ve written about how this works before, so we won’t go into detail here. However, what we will say is that CBD oil formulated for pets, has been shown as an effective treatment for canine stress and anxiety.

Even better, it’s not expensive, and all you need to do is put the recommended dosage for your dog’s size in its food, or on treat, and watch as your dog feels calmer.

It’s important to point out that CBD will not make your dog high! CBD oil does not cause addiction, and has very few side effects, none of which are serious. Just be sure that you’re using premium CBD oil for your pet, which will be supported by an independent laboratory certificate of analysis.

We’d Love to Hear from You!

Please feel free to share your experiences with CBD oil for your pet in the comments below, or ask any questions you may have by emailing us.