CBD is the latest thing in human health and has been shown to help reduce anxiety in people, but is it suitable for dogs - and will it ease their anxiety?
If your dog finds fireworks or any loud noises stressful it can be tempting to reach for CBD, however using CBD to calm their anxiety isn't recommended say veterinary professionals as the effects of unlicensed CBD products on animals are unknown.
Can you give dogs CBD?
“As veterinary professionals, we do not recommend using CBD drops to help calm your dog during fireworks season," says veterinary nurse Rhiannon Cartwright from Maggie and Marlow.
"These are not licensed in the UK and, therefore, we do not know what effect these unverified products could have on your dog.”
"The use of CBD oil in treating pets has not yet been fully studied and as such recommendations about dosage, what conditions it may help with and what side effects it might cause are currently not possible," agrees veterinary surgeon Graham Lewis from Paragon Veterinary Group in Cumbria.
"It is also currently an unregulated area with very different products available that may have different additives in them and different strengths of CBD.
"With many good alternatives available for veterinarians to prescribe as well as lots of helpful advice as to how to minimise stress due to fireworks I would recommend anyone with an anxious pet to speaks to their local veterinary team about how they can help."
What is cannabidiol (CBD)?
CBD is a chemical substance found in cannabis that has medical benefits. Unlike some forms of cannabis, it does not contain the substance THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), so it won't get you high.
The NHS website explains more about its medical uses and potential risks.
Can I buy CBD oil for my dog?
No CBD products are currently authorised for use in animals in the UK.
According to the government website, CBD products are not currently authorised in the UK for veterinary use because a safe dosage for different animal species has not been determined.
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