Here at Lolahemp, we love to share how our full spectrum hemp oil is making a difference in the lives of our customers. Today we hear from Sonia and Dave from Huntsville Alabama who found that Lolahemp had some unexpected benefits for both of their furry family members.
Can you tell us a little bit about your dogs Lobo and Kona?
My husband and I have two dogs —
Lobo is a 9 year old German Shepherd mix rescue we acquired as a puppy. He is a sweet and very vocal boy who can be very willful and stubborn. In his old age, he has mellowed, but he is still very active and loves to play fetch, swim, and go on long walks/runs/hikes.
Kona is our 7 month old Belgian Malinois. She is new to our family and she lives up to the Malinois reputation with endless amounts of energy! She loves to run/hike/walk … and, generally, get into trouble.
What kinds of problems did your dogs have before you found Lolahemp?
When I took Lobo into the vet for his annual check, she noted that he had lost flexibility in his hind legs. She performed an X-ray so we could get a baseline on the progression of arthritis in his hips. GS's are notorious for hip dysplasia and she wanted to verify it wasn’t a concern yet; it wasn’t. After his exam I really paid attention to differences in his gait and movement — I realized that I hadn’t seen him do an “upward dog” in a long time. When I pulled on his legs to test his joints I realized he was very stiff and whined and snapped when I did -- which shows how uncomfortable this is for him because he would never/has never bitten me.
With Kona, we noticed an aggressive streak when away from the house on walks. She would bark and snap at any passing pedestrians and kids. We tried to socialize her from the moment we adopted her but she was always very fearful and she would go from calm to aggressive in an instant. We have always had dogs and this has been a challenge that we have never encountered. We have a personal trainer and have tried doggy daycare and all have been without success in helping her get more comfortable with other animals and people. We couldn’t even put our dogs together because Kona would attack Lobo each time.
Did you try any traditional treatments at first?
Honestly, we decided to go with CBD before we attempted the medications that were recommended for our dogs. Learning the side effects from our vet made us hesitate about trying those options first.
Lobo has been on Dasuquin and Salmon Oil for years — I started him on it as soon as the vet recommended it for our previous older dog, probably from the moment he turned 1 year. Our vet credits this as the reason his joints aren’t in worse condition. The vet also recommended a prescription anti-inflammatory but warned about long term side effects with daily use.
As for Kona, the personal trainer recommended CBD oil to calm the aggression. I knew it was good for older dogs but never thought about using it on a young dog for aggression — and since we were at a point where we were advised to medicate her we decided a holistic method was worth trying first.
What are some of the specific improvements you noticed after using Lolahemp?
Since starting Lobo on Lolahemp, I was pleased to see Lobo do the upward dog to stretch out his hips. He has not shown any issues with taking the stairs on our back deck (21 steps) and he plays longer when we take the ball out to play fetch. When I test his joints, he pulls a bit but no longer snaps at me … which is a marked improvement.
With Kona — this is where the Lolahemp is almost miraculous. She can walk by people and not go nuts! When we are out walking her and friends approach, she greets them by walking up and going belly up for a rub and a pet. THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!
Previously, when neighbors came over she would bark and snap to the point we had to take her indoors so we could have a conversation. It was demoralizing and embarrassing. We always had to have Kona in a crate while indoors because she wouldn’t sit still and now she will lay on her bed next to our other dog (without attacking him)! Keep in mind, she is still a puppy … so there is that energy … but it’s not as aggressive anymore.
How long did it take to see improvement after starting Lolahemp?
It took about 2 weeks before we saw improvement with Lobo’s joints and about 3 weeks before we saw improvement with Kona. With Kona, we had to play around with the dosage and increased it weekly until we saw a difference in her attitude. We are still seeing improvements since we started her since it’s only been about 5 weeks since we received our order - this past week is when we have seen the biggest improvements.
How much Lolahemp do you use?
Lobo gets 16 drops once per day and Kona gets 15 drops per meal; which sounds like a lot but our trainer encouraged it.
Have there been any unexpected benefits since your dogs have been taking Lolahemp?
I would say that the unexpected benefits have been with Kona. Just to be clear, the benefits have been miraculous for us … but we have been very realistic about the outcome. We are using Lolahemp as a tool not as a cure. The calming effects have been great in allowing us to socialize her slowly. It was impossible prior to Lolahemp and now, we can take a walk without fearing how she will react to passersby.
She and Lobo can play together without her constantly attacking him. She has shown marked improvements in losing her aggressive possessiveness of food and toys. It still requires work to get her to adjust to new stimuli but, at least, we CAN introduce her to new stimuli — it was impossible to do so before.
Is there anything you are able to enjoy with your dogs now that you couldn’t before Lolahemp?
We were reaching a point with Lobo that he was not enjoying exercise as much — we noted he favored certain legs and it wouldn’t take long to tire him out. Now, it seems that he is more outgoing in his enjoyment of outdoor activities.
With Kona, we can enjoy taking her for walks and having people over without fearing her reaction. That has been the major improvement … there was worry that we would never get to this point with her. She now plays very well with Lobo whereas before we had to provide separate play time because she would attack him. Now she plays well and enjoys having him chase her around the yard … it’s their ability to play together that has been fantastic! When playing fetch with her, she releases the ball now without a struggle and she is a lot more enjoyable as a pet.
What made you choose Lolahemp?
We had done research on CBD oils before and Lolahemp came up as a recommended product in an article that I read. I like that it was created because of the lack of good products for animals and I loved that it was founded for a special dog in their lives.
Would you recommend Lolahemp to a friend?
I would absolutely recommend Lolahemp to a friend and I am a lifelong fan!
