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Using CBD Oil To Control Cat And Dog Aggression

7 July 2021

People take pets like dogs or cats because they enjoy the company of animals at home. A sweet, playful dog or a quirky, cuddly cat can really contribute to a happy home and overall quality of life. Children love pets unconditionally, too. However, all that homely happiness can get thoroughly disrupted if your pet starts to show aggressive behaviour. It’s not just sad to know your pet is feeling stressed or unhappy; cat or dog aggression can cause actual dangerous situations. CBD Oil could be a solution for pets with aggressive behaviour issues, as its soothing capacities can help reduce cat and dog aggression.

The Causes Of Aggressive Behaviour

Aggression in cats and dogs can pose a serious problem for pet owners. It’s often hard to pinpoint the causes of aggressive behaviour. Is it conditioning or training, or could your pet be in pain somehow? Is your cat frightened, or is your dog merely trying to protect you? Animal aggression can be expressed in many ways, including biting, hissing, barking, growling, or scratching. Demolishing furniture, clothing, or the carpet are also quite common. Urinating in unwanted places and at inconvenient times is another problem caused by aggravated or anxious pets. But regardless of whether aggressive behaviour is directed at people, other animals, or furniture, there is always an underlying cause waiting to be discovered. These causes may be:

• Fear, stress, or anxiety;
• Medical reasons (pain);
• Territorial behaviour;
• Socialisation issues;
• Male rivalry;
• Protective instincts;
• Lack of mental challenges (boredom);
• History of abuse

Aggressiveness is a complex issue. Sometimes, the cause turns out to be flawed training and socialisation. Leaving pets alone for extended periods can also lead to unwanted aggression, caused by loneliness and a lack of physical and mental challenges. Cats are known to be particularly strong-willed animals that can lash out seemingly unprovoked. Truly aggressive feline behaviour, however, can be caused by a range of underlying factors, including territorial behaviour, fear, over-excitement, and pain.

No matter the ultimate causes, though, failure to address aggression issues may eventually bring pet owners to the point where they have to let go of their companions. Of course, you don’t want to come anywhere near that point. That’s why it’s good to know that CBD can help control aggression in cats and dogs.

CBD Can Curb Cat And Dog Aggression

Ideally, pets should be our best friends. When pets display aggressive behaviour, however, we may start to feel uneasy in their company, or begin to see walking the dog as a chore to be avoided. CBD (cannabidiol) is a natural substance with several special properties that may help ease pet aggression. CBD is extracted from hemp plants. It is not psychoactive, so it will not get pets ‘high’ or affect their perception and thought processes. What it can do, though, is interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our body.

This system regulates a large number of important physiological processes, such as blood pressure, our sense of appetite, and our emotional wellbeing. Many animal species, including all mammals like cats and dogs, have an ECS of their own. They too can develop symptoms when the system loses its internal balance. CBD can interact with cell receptors, enabling it to relay messages throughout the nervous system. CBD can promote production of neurotransmitters like serotonin, for example. This hormone has positive effects on mood and produces calming effects. This is an important fact in the context of canine and feline aggression. Cats and dogs that feel more at ease and relaxed are less likely to display aggressive behaviour.

Reducing Pet Aggression By Treating Pain

Another way in which CBD can help control aggression is by its natural analgesic capacity. Just like humans, animals can suffer from painful conditions such as arthritis, bladder infections, sore teeth, or inflamed gums. The pain caused by these conditions is particularly likely to flare up when we pick up, pet, or play with our pets. No matter how unpleasant such aggressive behaviour may be, we can’t simply blame our pets for growling or hissing in agony. Animals simply lack the means to let us know they are in pain in ways we can easily understand. Many of these conditions are caused by inflammations. Research has shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory capacity in addition to its pain-relieving properties. This is yet another way in which CBD oil can help solve aggressive pet problems.

Not many studies have been conducted into CBD and pets so far, but we are starting to identify the mechanisms by which cannabidiol could help animals, too. The results of a 2018 study on dogs suffering from arthrosis were published in Veterinary Science magazine. The study results indicated that CBD is safe to use for pets (no side-effects were observed), and reduced pain by significant degrees. The animals showed improved mobility and became more active after receiving CBD.

As we can see, CBD appears a good natural candidate for reducing aggressive behaviour. Of course, that doesn’t dismiss pet owners from their obligation to provide consistent training, a healthy diet, and plenty of attention and exercise for their furry friends. Nonetheless, CBD could be the relief your pet is waiting for, making them feel better and allowing them to return to their ideal role of cuddly family friend.

How To Give CBD To Your Cat Or Dog

If you want to try whether CBD can help your dog or cat, you have several ways to do so. Mixing CBD Oil in with pet food and snacks seems the easiest course of action. But whereas dogs tend to eat just about anything, cats can be particularly fussy when it comes to food. Your easiest option is to mix drops of CBD Oil in with your regular pet feed brand, or to hide it in a favourite snack. Cats tend to be suckers for CBD oil blended with some oil from a tin of salmon or tuna, for instance. Another helpful trick is applying some CBD Oil to a front paw, which will trigger a cleaning response that makes your pet lick its paw and ingest the CBD.

According to all current knowledge, CBD is safe to use for animals. Don’t forget, however, that your dog or cat has less body mass than you do. Therefore, you should either use a low-concentration CBD supplement like our 5% Full Spectrum CBD Oil, starting out with no more than 1 or 2 drops per day. If you do not notice improvement after a few days, you can gradually increase the dosage if you want to.

If you would like to see direct evidence of CBD’s positive influence on pets, read the story of Funky in our blogs. This loyal guide dog was crippled by a hernia injury, but CBD provided the relief that Funky needed.

Please note that if your pet is displaying severe behavioural or health problems, you should always consult a veterinarian. Not all pet problems are suited for solving using CBD Oil alone. If you are dealing with cat or dog aggression issues, however, CBD may be just what you need to tackle the problem in a natural, pet-friendly way!