Benefits of CBD (Cannabidiol) Treats For Dogs
by Christy Caplan
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June 9, 2016 
Disclaimer: We received Pumpkin Cannabidiol Treats from Barkworthies in exchange for an honest review. I only share information about products that I believe in and already fit into our doggie lifestyle and routine. Barkworthies did not compensate me for this post.
A recent survey showed a record-high of Americans, 58 percent, saying they support the legalization of marijuana. That number continues to rise, as well as the number of people becoming more interested in using medicinal products for their pets. This topic also came up in a lot of Global Pet Expo articles as there were a number of brands exhibiting these products.
I’ve been doing some research on Cannabidiol Treats, as this is a new and growing category. Many are saying these are a great alternative “snack” for dogs who suffer from anxiety or joint pain. Shermie suffers from anxiety and Bruiser (photographed above) suffers from joint pain. So I’ve been interested in the long term benefits for dogs but this post is just an introduction to Cannabidiol treats as I asked Barkworthies some important questions to educate anyone interested. I just received their Cannabidiol treats a week ago and I know it’s going to take more than a few days to determine the benefits for my pack.
Barkworthies sent me their “Pumpkin Cannabidiol Treats” to review and test. I started giving each of the dogs one treat a day, four days ago. Part two will include what I think the benefits were for both my dogs. So far they seem to digest them without any issues.They say to observe your animal after giving the treats so that’s what I’m doing at this point.
Cannabidiol treats for pets- A Q&A with Bill Chilian, Marketing Vice President, Barkworthies:
From the company’s product page: Barkworthies Cannabidiol treats are non-toxic, 100% legal treats contain a naturally occurring compound found in the cannabis plant, Cannabidiol (CBD). This plant extract is highly therapeutic, and can help relieve many common symptoms that affect dogs, including inflammation, lack of appetite and anxiety.
Q. CBD: What research and testing have you done?
Our team completed an extensive review of both mainstream and holistic veterinary journals. Following this research, we knew the key ingredient in these functional treats should be Cannabidiol. Along with this, we blended pumpkin and coconut oil to boost the healthy benefits of these treats.
Our treats are lab tested at every stage; from the raw materials to the finished product. We test all hemp ingredients from contaminants to heavy metals to rule out their presence and assure they are perfectly safe for dogs to consume.
Q. People are worried about safety: Can you expand on how your treats are perfectly safe for dogs?
We follow a rigorous protocol when producing, packaging and shipping our hemp products to ensure that our customers get the highest quality product and service. At Barkworthies, we believe that transparency and education are vital to success. We provide information and resources about our products and the ingredients so our customers have all the same knowledge that we do.
Q. What kind of feedback are you getting from customers? How long before people are seeing a difference with their dogs?
We’ve learned that every animal is different when it comes to noticing the affects of the hemp treats. We recommend small treats for animals up to 50lbs and large treats for animals that are 50lbs or more. Typically, the treats can start working within five minutes to one hour. However, since every animal is different, some may need more and some less. We recommend that owners observe their pet before and after giving the hemp treats to determine the optimal dose.
Q. Which benefit far outweighs the others – anxiety?
From mood disorders and pain, to cardiac health and cancer, there are many reasons why these treats can benefit your pet. These treats contain hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). This plant extract is highly therapeutic and can help relieve many common symptoms that affect dogs, including inflammation, lack of appetite, and anxiety relief, among others.
Q. The package says one treat a day for dogs at 25 lbs so that’s what I’m giving mine but what would happen if my dog ate the whole bag by accident?
Our CBD treats are completely safe and non-toxic. It is not possible to overdose.
Q. Any risks pet parents should have on their radar?
There are no risks associated with pets consuming our CBD treats. Our product contains a proprietary blend of non-psychoactive hemp so that animals can enjoy all the benefits without any intoxicating affects.
Barkworthies Social Channels:
- www.Facebook.com/Barkworthies (Barkworthies)
- www.Twitter.com/Barkworthies (@Barkworthies)
- www.Pinterest.com/Barkworthies (Barkworthies)
Resources:
- Barkworthies Site
- http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/is-medical-marijuana-safe-for-pets-a-case-for-more-study
- http://iheartdogs.com/cannibis-dog-treats-good-or-bad/
I had no idea Barkworthies made cannabis treats for dogs. I’m a huge fan of this brand so I’ll have to check them out. One thing that worries me about cannabis treats is that soon this will become the Thing To Do and we’ll see treats claiming benefits that they can’t deliver.
I need to do more homework and check with my local pet store for these treats. Thanks for the great review!
Thanks so much for your comments! I was so happy to read on your blog that you love this brand! I haven’t tried anything from Barkworthies so I appreciate your comments a lot. I agree with you – I’m on week one so I’ll post again in a part two with any benefits I can glean from these treats. More shortly!
Interesting, thank you for this. Our dog has both separation anxiety and joint pain. Perhaps I should look into this for him.
Awesome — that’s why I thought this would be interesting for sure for my guys. I’ll let you know about the benefits after these guys have gone through at least two weeks of daily treats.
I had no idea that pet companies were starting to implement CBD into some of their products. It’s really great to see people being more open minded to the positive effects CBD, both for humans but also animals. I’ve seen some incredibly remarkable results, on humans, not dogs, but still… It’s incredible.
I’ll have to look into this further. Thanks for sharing, Christy.
It seems like there are a few manufacturers now rolling these out — so I was happy they provided some Q&A for folks. I think many of are interested in the short term benefits. I’ve seen awesome results on humans to. Absolutely – I’ll let you know what benefits we see with the boys.
I think our local pet store is starting to carry these. Do the dogs like the taste? You know how picky Mr. N is!
You know, the pumpkin flavor is pretty popular with Sherm and Walter so –so far so good!
I have never heard of these. I heard of canna type dog treats but haven’t seen them in stores.
They are rolling out slowly so I think the benefits are still being determined.
Ruby has both anxiety and joint pain so I would definitely be interested in trying these. I actually haven’t heard about Cannabidiol Treats – where have I been? Look forward to reading your next post about how they impacted your furry kids.
CBD treats are a really interesting evolution now that pot is being legalized in various states and folks are seeing the benefits which is great.
Interesting. Therapeutic cannabis was on my radar as a potential option for some serious stuffs.
Yea – I’m seeing a few manufacturers carry these CBD treats now so it’s good to see a brand like Barkworthies on board.
The treats are definitely interesting. However, I haven’t heard of them or seen them anywhere yet. I have 2 pups with arthritis (one with hip issues) this could possible help!
I was sent these and they have them on their site but let’s ask them to respond with location and availability – I have an email into them.
Hi Christy! You can find a Barkworthies Retail Store Locator at: http://www.barkworthies.com/retailer. Please be sure to call ahead to make sure they stock the CBD Treats, though. If you can’t find them at your local store, you can also buy them direct on our site at http://www.barkworthies.com/treats-barkworthies-pumpkin-cannabidiol-treats.
Thanks so much Bill! This is so helpful for folks — since they’re new, I think most people aren’t aware they’re available so thank you for adding this comment.
Really interesting as I worry about Layla when it comes to Fireworks, Blue Angels and those kind of loud sounds when she freaks from fear and hides in the bathroom. Am going to look more into them. Thank you for sharing this information
Shermie hides too – we have Alprazolam in case it’s really bad. Our vet gives is that this time of year – hoping these take the every day edge off of other scary things for Sherm…
Really fascinating – do they have studies showing effects. Certainly could be a great product with pumpkin and coconut oil. However, I would have thought it was the psychoactive part that helped with pain/inflammation and also anxiety? I did not know there were other properties in hemp that could work on those. I have bad inflammation and Kilo the Pug has anxiety so very interested in both.
They do — I’ve actually asked the brand to comment on some of these posts this week. We’re also interested and my dog Shermie is on a lot of herbs for anxiety so I’m hopeful we’ll see some benefits but it may be hard to determine what exactly is helping the most. So I’m actually hoping to see a difference with Bruiser and the joint inflammation benefit. More soon.
We love Barkworthies but haven’t tried these treats. They sound promising, though.
I was also loving that this brand started to make these types of treats – still trying them with my guys!
I can’t wait for your follow up post!! My dog has some mild anxieties, and I have never found anything that calms him significantly apart from his Thundershirt. That’s rough to use in hot weather! This was a very interesting post, and gives me something else that may do the trick for him!
These sound like they could be quite beneficial for a lot of dogs.
I wonder if this would work with cats too? This is a whole new area of medicine we know so little about.
Wow! I had no idea there was such a treat. I look forward to reading your follow up review. Henry suffers from separation anxiety and is also very frightened of thunder, lightening and fireworks. Maybe with one of these treats he would chill out and enjoy the light show?!
This is very interesting. (And Barkworthies is a company based in my backyard, almost literally, in Richmond, VA.) I did not know they made these types of treats (not legal for people in VA, but clearly, OK for dogs). I’d probably have to do a ton of research before giving to my dogs, though, I’ve heard lots of people say the stuff is great.
Excellent! Love that you’re familiar with thee brand – and I’ve asked them to look at some of these comments and to keep me updated on research as it develops over time — I’ve been reading a ton of blogs and third party sites so CBD has some possibilities for sure!
Very interesting! I think that if this is something that you and your veterinarian think could be right for your dog, then go for it. Personally, my biggest fear would be toxicity ( cannabis can be toxic to cats and dogs). However, I think we should all make our own choices in regards to our pets’ health care.
Yes, these treats contain hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). This plant extract is highly therapeutic but it’s not toxic. I’m a CVT so I’ve seen first hand dogs that come to our clinic “high” but this plant extract is not toxic – it’s the way it’s prepared. I’ve asked Barkworthies to expand on research around CBD to help educate folks as I asked some questions related to this point you make- a concern for all pet parents for sure. Thank you!
I’m so glad to see new, creative options for pets with chronic health problems. This is something I’ll definitely keep in mind as my dogs get older!
Agreed: I think it’s interesting to hear about the many benefits and over time we’ll see what pet parents are seeing with these CBD Treats.
This is very interesting information. I had no idea a compound found in the cannabis plant was being used as a dog treat. It does seem a bit controversial since cannabis can be toxic for dogs who consume marijuana brownies or other baked goods. Maybe it’s a different part of the plant being used? Or a smaller concentration?
Thanks Jasmine! Yes, these treats contain hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). This plant extract is highly therapeutic but it’s not toxic. I’m a CVT so I’ve seen first hand dogs that come to our clinic “high” but this plant extract is not toxic – it’s the way it’s prepared. So it’s not about quantity either as even a small dose of marijuana can be highly toxic for animals. Hoping to see more research done as well!
What a great post Christy, chalked full of information that I hadn’t even seen yet. I love that they are researching and have developed a product to help our furry family members with use of CBD. I also didn’t realize there was an hemp product that was non toxic. This is terrific! Shasta’s arthritis is only going to get worse and I’m glad to see more things on the horizon to help. As well as all of the other problems like anxiety, cancer pain etc that could help the furry members as well. This is truly exciting!
Thank you so much: The research is fascinating and it’s good that companies like Barkworthies are on the forefront of CBD treats. I know it helps humans so hopefully animals will also start to benefit!
What an interesting product for dogs. We know of some of the benefits to humans, but had not idea there was something available for dogs.
I was also fascinated to hear these CBD products are on the market now!
I had no idea bout these treats. I have one Husky who has inflammation and arthritis pain that I’m thinking these may be something to try. Very interesting. Thank you for the informative review!
Thank you! I’m hoping to see some benefits with my own dogs so I’ll report back in the next post for sure.
Well this was quite fascinating, as well as informative. I had no idea such products were now becoming available for dogs. Great info! I’m just curious, would there be adverse effects if a child or teen injested these treats? Would they feel marijuana type effects? That’s the only thing I might be concerned about. Thanks for sharing.
Love & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Thank you! That’s an excellent question -since these are made from the plant extract and the Barkworthies expert said a dog could eat an entire bag with no adverse affects, I would think they are safe for us as well. Why don’t I add this to my list of follow up questions for my next post.