Yes We Can(nabis): How HerbStrong Paws Helped Us Help Our Anxious Dog
For those of you that follow us on Instagram (via @dobiesisters), you know that we call our blue Doberman by her nickname, “B.” Although “B” is an abbreviation for her full name, “Boston,” some days it could just as easily stand for “Basket Case.” We love our B, but she’s a naturally intense dog that, as a result, sometimes gets anxious and therefore reactive. So, when HerbStrong Paws reached out to us about seeing if their CBD oil would help, we gladly gave it a try. We have had a great experience with it, and want to share it with you. Standard disclosure: we received the initial product free of charge in exchange for our honest review.
Rich spending time with B as a puppy at Doberman Rescue of the Triad.
First, a little bit of background about B. B was the smallest surviving puppy in a letter of ten that was born at Doberman Rescue of the Triad in Greensboro, NC. Although we loved her the moment we saw her, we’d already been approved to adopt her sister, Griffin. Genetically, B is basically a loner. She’s skeptical of new people and socially-awkward in her play with other pups. So, one by one, all the other pups in the litter got adopted, and the little blue lady was left behind. In addition to her naturally cautious personality, this had a fairly detrimental impact on her socialization. She lived in an 8 x 8 kennel for the first few months of her life, a time when getting out and exploring the world is crucial toward raising a confident dog. Recognizing the situation, we reached out about adopting her too, which the Rescue agreed to. We knew that raising her would present some challenges, but we also knew we had to get her out of that kennel before her social anxiety and fears became worse.
Second, a little background about me. Professionally, I’m a huge supporter of the medical benefits that cannabis-based products can provide. I’m on the Board of Directors for the United States Cannabis Coalition, a bi-partisan, pro-cannabis organization dedicated to influencing federal-level decision-makers to reform our antiquated drug laws. I also work with disabled veterans, many of whom advocate for the medical benefits of cannabis products for managing their chronic pain. So, I am very familiar and supportive of the benefits cannabis-based products can have in humans.
With that being said, I had not thought of cannabis-based products for our dogs, and B in particular, until we were approached by HerbStrong Paws. Because we’d previously worked with trainers on behavior modification and medication to help B with limited success, we were very enthusiastic about giving their oil a try.
B relaxing after having a few drops of HerbStrong Paws full spectrum hemp oil.
All I have to say is wow! We almost immediately noticed a difference when we started putting a few drops of the HerbStrong Paws oil on B’s food. It did take us a little bit of time to figure out the right number of drops, but as with introducing any new product to your dog, it is best to start slow and increase as needed. Although B still has her moments where she gets amped up, overall, she’s much more relaxed. More importantly, one of the other benefits we discovered is that the oil has increased her appetite. Previously, we had trouble keeping B interested in training because she’s not a food-motivated dog. The subtle increase in her appetite after using HerbStrong Paws made her much more motivated to work for treats, meaning it also greatly enhanced our ability to work on our training. What an amazing surprise that was!
And, although we did not try HerbStrong Paws with Griffin in mind, we’ve also found it useful for her in certain situations as well. Griffin is pretty confident and relaxed on a day-to-day basis, but she is very fearful of loud noises, such as from thunder, fireworks or gunshots (we live near an area where people hunt). On days when we know a storm is coming or that people will be celebrating with fireworks, a few drops for Griffin also goes a long way.
In addition to our experience with HerbStrong Paws, here are a few other things CBD/hemp oil has the ability to help your dog with:
Chronic pain/arthritis
Epilepsy/seizures
Fighting and preventing cancer.
Reduces inflammation
Heart-health
Decreases nausea
Help managing neuro-degenerative diseases
Provides topical relief for minor skin abrasions/allergies
Reduces anxiety
Increases appetite
With all of that being said, always remember to do your research. There’s no guarantee that every product will work for every dog. Although full spectrum CBD is helpful to the majority of people and animals, everybody is different. We all have different body chemistry, tolerances, outside factors, and allergies. In addition, doing your research on the product itself is important. We agreed to work with HerbStrong Paws because their oils contain high quality ingredients and are over 80% CBD. Oils are an area where you often get what you pay for; although other brands may be less expensive, this may mean that they are also less effective due to additives and lower amounts of CBD.
Overall, we’re really thrilled with our experience using HerbStrong Paws, and we will continue to use it for B on a daily basis to help manage her anxiety.
Any questions? Just ask! CBD oil has been a great benefit to us and we hope it will be for you, too.