It’s critical to see your pet’s veterinarian if you have any medical concerns, and before making any modifications to their health plan or adding supplements.

Is your dog apprehensive every time you leave home? It’s probable that your pet has separation anxiety, and it isn’t the only one. It’s one of the most frequently identified behavioral issues in dogs, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. In North America alone, 20% to 40% of dogs diagnosed with behavior problems have separation anxiety, according on a research conducted by the University of Western Ontario.

Dogs with separation anxiety may show a variety of signs, such as howling and barking, gnawing and digging, urinating/defecating in the house, and even escaping.Although there is no clear cause, far more dogs who have been acquired from shelters exhibit separation anxiety than those who live in one family from puppyhood.

It’s also detrimental to your dog’s health. In one study, veterinary behaviorist Dr. Stefanie Schwartz compared pet separation anxiety to panic attacks and phobic disorders in humans.

How does it work? 

The endocannabinoid system, which operates in both humans and dogs, is a network of receptors found throughout the body. Dogs, like humans, have endocannabinoid receptors in their nerves, organs, and brains that naturally release chemicals to maintain a positive mood. CBD Oil may affect this system as a supplement by increasing serotonin levels in the brain and soothing the individual.

All of these things work together to provide a soothing influence on your canine companion, reducing their anxiety and assisting them in coping with the loss of their favorite human. While CBD Oil’s effects remain to be fully understood, testing and research have shown that it is beneficial for both people and dogs.

CBD For Dogs With Separation Anxiety

Dogs, like humans, are susceptible to anxiety. Separation anxiety is a condition in which a dog becomes anxious because it has been separated from its closest companions (s). A dog-to-dog bond is often formed between the same individuals, but it may also be both of the dog’s or his or her parents if the connection is strong enough.

Your dog’s separation anxiety may range from mild sadness to full-blown panic, as well as potentially deadly behavior, on a scale that could go from minor to severe. It might be caused by a number of factors, although the most likely ones are some form of change. A move, a new family for an adopted or rescued dog, or just a shift in routine or environment might all cause separation anxiety. However, the loss of a loved one is likely to be the most common reason.

signs your dog has separation anxiety may start well before you leave the house. dogs are very good at honing in on various cues within sequences in their lives, such as getting ready to leave the house. for example, you may have keys hanging next to your front door that you grab before leaving. you may also put shoes on before grabbing those keys, and you may have other tasks that lead up to that as well, such as grabbing sunglasses or a hat, brushing your teeth, filling up your water bottle, etc.

The more frequently it happens, the more your dog will link one event with the next until eventually learning that you’re about to depart from the start of your routine. When you bite your lower lip, you’re telling yourself that it’s going to be all right. Your dog will make the connection since he or she can smell it when you do this and associate these cues with the start of your departure. If you make CBD available to your dog, it’s likely that separation anxiety will result. If you want to use CBD to help with their separation anxiety, keep this in mind because it might lead them to display indications of separation anxiety in the past. In other words, be cautious about giving CBD to your dog before you had originally intended.

Any combination of acting sad (even more than usual), howling (usually frantically), pacing around the house, or drooling may be signs that your dog has separation anxiety. However, they may not be visible while you are there, and will certainly deteriorate once you’ve gone away. This is another reason why it’s important to give your dog CBD early enough so that it has had a chance to work fully before leaving.

When luna was a puppy, she barked loudly whenever we departed and engaged in other destructive activities such as chewing the edge of our kitchen table and a wall. Some dogs, like luna, may dig through carpets or upholstery (luna also shredded one of our couches), or try to flee. They may also put themselves in physical danger by attempting to escape out of a crate or break down a door or glass. Finally, dogs may urinate or defecate indoors as a method of expressing their anxiety, and some may even eat their own feces afterwards.

Another comparable problem you should be aware of is isolation distress. Isolation distress, unlike separation anxiety, occurs only when a dog is left alone, and it causes many of the same outward signs that dogs with separation anxiety exhibit. It’s simply a dog-human issue; another dog’s company within the pack will not help reduce a pup’s suffering.

The major distinction between the two is that dogs’ spirits can generally be lifted by the presence of any known person, but a dog suffering from separation anxiety for a particular individual will seldom recover until their special someone returns, even if other people are present. Both separation anxiety and isolation distress are most likely to come from similar mental processes, and CBD may be worth researching as a potential cure for the problem. 

Giving Your Dog CBD For Separation Anxiety

Cortisol and adrenaline are increased in dogs who are stressed, much like humans. When this happens, their basic fight-or-flight mechanism is inadvertently activated, causing worry as a result of their brain’s inability to comprehend the whole scenario. Consider it from your dog’s perspective: much of human life is strange and difficult to understand. The first step might be tough, because it requires waking up and leaving your house. The second step may be less complicated: You travel to work all day, return home at night, then go back to sleep. You may be gone for long periods of time, but your furbaby is at home waiting for your return, having no knowledge about the demands of your everyday life..

Once you and your dog have had a chance to interact, you may notice that the world outside of your home might appear quite daunting. Dogs, who are another species with a distinct evolutionary history from us, can’t communicate or think like humans. It’s absolutely amazing, in some cases. Only 20-40% of dogs suffer from separation anxiety and the number isn’t much higher! Nonetheless, chronic stress can cause chemical imbalances, which can lead to even more anxious behaviors on your dog.

CBD may help your dog deal with separation anxiety by addressing the underlying mechanisms behind their stress response. Let’s start with the fundamentals before we get into how cbd works and the greatest ways to give it to your dog. First and foremost, let’s cover the fundamentals quickly.

• It’s derived from the cannabis plant, and it’s one of more than 100 phytocannabinoids found in the plant.
• CBD is one of the two main components in the cannabis plant, out of the hundreds or perhaps thousands of compounds. CBD is non-psychoactive, which means that it will not make your dog high!
• THC is the other main component, which contains the psychoactive component associated with “marijuana” smoking. If the cannabis plant has more than 0.3 percent thc, it is identified as “marijuana,” whereas anything less than that amount classifies it as hemp.
• It’s legal, safe, and nontoxic for your dog to consume CBD derived from United States-grown hemp.

Simply said, CBD activates the endocannabinoid system (ecs). The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a network of receptors and enzymes that controls various functions throughout your body. It exists in all animals, including humans, and it has receptors and enzymes. The ecs corrects issues in our body’s homeostasis, which means it collaborates with other systems and processes to cure any abnormalities that may occur. This is all true. However, if your dog has separation anxiety, this may also be an opportunity for you to practice saying goodbye in a way that they will understand. It’s easy when you think about it: You’re the one who leaves home every day! So go out of your comfort zone and try doing things slightly differently than usual by convers

How Much CBD Should I Give My Dog For Separation Anxiety? And When?

CBD is measured in milligrams (mg). When considering CBD for your dog’s separation anxiety, remember to consider the total mg of CBD in a tablet and the amount in its entire contents. Because CBD has no vocal way of communicating the degree to which it works, you’ll be the one who must monitor any indications of improvement in your dog.

Giving your dog CBD on a daily basis, however, provides you a base structure to start with and work your way up from as needed. CBD oil is completely safe to give dogs in high doses, just like it is for people. Smaller dogs will require less CBD to have an impact than larger dogs, but like us, dogs have individual body chemistries that can greatly affect their CBD tolerance.- last spun

Since dogs are very good at picking up on your routines, you are going to want to factor in enough time for the CBD to take effect before starting your routine, not just before you leave. this may mean first thing in the morning, as any means of your dog consuming CBD will likely be done orally, meaning it must be digested before it takes effect. humans usually feel the effects of oral consumption in somewhere between 30 minutes to two hours, so an hour (give or take) would likely be a good base line.

You may be inclined to look into specific CBD products for dogs, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar store. either way, be sure to pay attention to the overall potency of any CBD-infused products made specifically for animals, as they may end up containing an insignificantly small amount of actual CBD. these products are often relatively expensive as well, and worse, may make for an ineffective product unable to produce the results that your pup needs.

With that being said, if a low dose of CBD works effectively on your dog, these types of treats may be perfect. however, that could also enable you to use just a couple of drops of a concentrated CBD oil tincture just the same, whether mixed in with food or given directly in their mouth. it really depends on what your dog likes, and you may only find out by trying out a few different options. we got lucky with luna: she loves it all, and will happily take both olive oil and mct oil cbd drops, straight from the dropper like a champion (i’m not a proud pet parent, nor am i biased in any way, am i?), even if her mom disapproves. 

While we’re at it, there are a few other crucial things to pay attention to as well when buying cbd for your dog, no matter what.

• Always make sure your cbd oil comes from american-grown hemp.
• Buy organic CBD for your pup, just the same as you would for yourself. CBD can absorb any nutrients within its soil, so you want to make sure your hemp was grown organically to ensure it is free of any pesticides and other harmful toxins such as lead or arsenic. 
• Make sure any cbd product you buy can provide third party lab test results. if you see cbd products in your local pet store, this might provide a bit of a hindrance at first, but you have two solutions: look online to see if that specific company displays their results, or choose another brand that does!
• CBD is not regulated by the FDA. believe it or not, buying CBD online is the best way to ensure a quality product since it gives you the opportunity to fully vet the company you buy from! (no pun intended…)
• Look for broad spectrum hemp extract as your source of cbd. this procedure retains all portions of the plant (except for thc), resulting in more wholesome and beneficial results than when cbd is isolated from the rest of the plant. this occurrence is known as the entourage effect.
• Get cbd oil, not hemp oil or hemp seed oil. hemp seed oil comes from the seeds of hemp plants, which contain no cbd whatsoever. this is different from the flowering buds of the hemp plant, which are rich in cbd and everything else within the “full spectrum” of a hemp extract. hemp seed oil may be sold as cbd oil to take advantage of unknowing buyers, especially online. make sure you buy cbd oil. 

What Can I Do In Addition To Giving My Dog CBD To Help With Separation Anxiety?

Dogs are very good at picking up on your energy. if you are concerned, stressed, or anxious about their separation anxiety, they will also pick up on that, which only perpetuates the cycle. if possible, it is better to leave the house when your dog’s energy is as calm as possible, while the least ideal time to leave (if you can help it) would be if your dog is going berserk as you are walking out the door. 

Taking your dog on a long walk or hike, or doing something else such as a good play session to get some energy out of them whenever possible may help the situation, as long as you give your pup enough time to wind down should you rile him/her up while playing. or maybe saying bye to them 10 minutes before you actually leave can help, as giving them attention immediately before you walk out the door may stir up some unnecessary excitement.

From first-hand knowledge (and no, i am not an expert), the first thing for me was to recognize that separation anxiety is a psychological issue. dogs (canines) are not like humans (primates), and their brains run largely on logic, whereas ours have a far greater capacity to experience and integrate emotion into our world views and our beings.

We learned from ivan pavlov that dogs think in terms of associating a stimulus to a response. this is how your pup can know you’re getting ready to leave ahead of time, and we can utilize it in order to create environments that mimic leaving the house in broken down, step-by-step ways to set our dogs up for success. it may take a lot of time and energy on our ends, but breaking down our pre-departure routine into step-by-step pieces and then desensitizing them to each given step can ultimately help them work out the situation in their own heads and realize that it is okay for you to leave without them.

Let’s use an example: say that you grab your sunglasses, walk to the front door, put on shoes, and then grab your keys before leaving the house. at a time when you have no intention of actually leaving, you could conduct experiments (while your dog is calm) where you walk over and grab your sunglasses; but instead of walking to the front door afterwards, you could just set the sunglasses right back down and see if/how your pup reacts.

Such a small interaction may seem trivial, but doing it enough times will begin to break the association to the point where your dog is no longer concerned with the act of grabbing your sunglasses. then, maybe take just one step towards the door before turning to put your sunglasses back where they belong. take it step by step from there over a period of time until you can walk to the door without your pup being concerned. from there, you could grab your shoes and begin to put them on, immediately taking them off just like your sunglasses. same goes for the keys afterwards.

This may already be a long process, but once you’ve nailed it, you can simply start by opening the door and closing it. then you can leave for a second or two and stand just outside the door, gradually increasing your time away. some dogs may rapidly progress through this process, while others may still seem stuck on one step or another for a long time. it’s ultimately important to do everything you can to set your dog up for success, and while this may not work for everybody, it is something certainly worth considering or discussing with a dog trainer if your dog’s separation anxiety is extreme. 

Positive associations also go a long way towards helping anxiety. if you are looking to contain your dog’s environment to a crate or other enclosed area, taking the time to properly associate the space in a positive manner is great for your dog. you could do this with praise and treats, and/or by putting them into the space for a second before releasing them, making sure to do so while you are home. you can increase the time little by little, giving them lots of love through the process. also, make sure to use a different space for time out if you have one, in order to avoid negative associations.