Using CBD oil to help your cat's underlying pain is a potential option that has some support from early research and a large base of anecdotal from cat owners who have tried it.
That said, it's important to keep in mind that official research hasn't concluded that CBD oil can effectively help cats with their pain. This article discusses how CBD could support cats with pain, giving you the overview needed to make a decision about purchasing a product for your cat.
Should You Use CBD for Cat Pain?
To start, note that research suggests that long-term daily feeding of CBD at 4mg/kg of body weight is safe for healthy cats.
Further, while there aren't large-scale studies on the efficacy of CBD on pain in cats, small scale studies have been successful. One study showed that a cat's chronic pain score decreased from 13 points down to 5 points after a 30 day treatment.
The key takeaways to keep in mind here are that CBD oil is generally well-tolerated by cats, and that it can be effective in treating pain symptoms for at least some cats.
More confident claims can be made once research expands, but there isn't evidence that CBD oil doesn't help cats with their discomfort.
How Does CBD Help Some Cats with Pain?
CBD oil can help with discomfort in cats in a couple of ways.
First, CBD oil interacts with a cat's endocannabinoid system which influences pain perception. CBD can dull the severity of the experience of pain, improving quality of life and reducing overall discomfort.
Second, the NIH states that CBD exerts a number of beneficial pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory properties. Inflammation is often the key cause of pain in cats with chronic pain. Reducing inflammation can have an overwhelmingly positive effect on symptoms of discomfort.
Third, CBD can help to holistically support joint health, mainly by its effect upon pain perception and overall contribution to the inflammatory response. Senior cats are often plagued by joint issues that cause pain, and improving their joint health can reduce that pain.
Conclusion
In summary, CBD oil is generally considered safe and has shown to improve pain symptoms in some cats in limited studies. While there isn't large-scale research, the small-scale research is promising.
CBD oil may support your cat's discomfort in a handful of ways such as influencing pain perception, influencing the inflammatory response, and promoting overall joint health.
If you'd like to learn more about CBD oil for cats, Lolahemp has a wealth of research on this subject.
References:
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Learn more about CBD and THC as analgesic therapy in a cat with chronic osteoarthritic pain.
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Learn more about the role of the Endocannabinoid system in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis.
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Learn more about cannabidiol (CBD) and THC in nonprescription consumer products.
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Learn more about the role of cannabinoids in pain modulation in companion animals.
