Natural Awakenings Twin Cities October 2021

natural pet
Cannabis and Canines
How Cannabidiol Benefits Dogs
by Caroline Coile
Struck with severe arthritis, Topper,
a 7-year-old Ibizan Hound, was in
such pain he could hardly walk. He
had to be carried outside to eat or use the
bathroom, and medication wasn’t working.
On a friend’s recommendation, his owner,
Christy Moore, of Florence, Arizona, gave
him cannabidiol (CBD). “Within three
days, he could walk on all four legs and I
was crying tears of joy,” she recalls. “It was
the miracle we needed.”
Topper is among the thousands of furry
family members that have found relief with
CBD, one of 113 cannabinoids found in cannabis
(hemp) plants. Success stories abound
of how CBD has helped dogs overcome
anxiety, reduce seizures and even beat cancer.
Cannabinoids, including CBD and the
psychoactive compound THC, are substances
that mimic the naturally occurring
chemicals produced in all vertebrates.
Receptors for these endocannabinoids are
found throughout the body, especially in
the brain, nervous system and immune
system, as well as the heart, lungs, liver,
spleen, intestinal tract, muscles, bones
and both the reproductive and circulatory
systems. They act as master regulators that
signal other systems when to speed up or
slow down, working to stabilize the body
and return it to homeostasis. Cannabinoids
from the cannabis plant affect these same
receptors, each in slightly different ways.
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32 Twin Cities Edition NAtwincities.com