Holistic Dog Anxiety Options with Treatibles CBD Treats and Calmz
Whenever the pops and high pitched squeals of home grown firework displays start to happen in our neighborhood, sometimes days and even weeks before the Fourth of July, I cringe. I know how these sudden and unexpected sounds can impact dogs who suffer from anxiety. While many people look forward to the holiday, I know many pet owners who dread the days leading up to it and afterwards if they have a dog who is anxious and that reacts to loud noises like fireworks or thunderstorms.
Anxiety is a fickle thing for animals and humans. Sometimes it’s been a part of someone’s life since they graced the world with their presence, other times, it seemingly comes out of nowhere. For Bean, she’s more the former than the latter. She’s always been an anxious dog, sometimes exhibiting almost OCD like behavior during times of stress. She doesn’t react to loud noises like some dogs, but she is always hovering at around a 9 out of 10 when Yoda’s normal chill out status is at about a 2. In other words, he’s a baked potato with legs, while Bean is a twittering hummingbird, always fluttering.
We received CBD treats from Treatibles & the Calmz Anxiety System from Petmate in exchange for an honest assessment of our views and experience. We only share products we've tried and love and feel confident our readers would benefit from trying. This post contains an Amazon Affiliate link. If you click and make a purchase through the link, I will make a small commission.
So, what do we do with Bean? Well, not much, up to this point. We’ve tried essential oils, and thunder shirts, and they didn’t hurt, but they didn’t really help much either. To be honest, I don’t know how much of Bean’s regular scratching is from allergies or from anxiety. She has been on allergy medicine her whole life (she’s currently on Apoquil) and I’m convinced her time on a different allergy medicine is what caused her cancerous Mast Cell Tumor, when she was just four years old.
We began reading about CBD oil and its benefits for dogs not that long ago, I’d say less than six months ago. After a lot of reading, I haven’t heard of any pet owners or people in the pet sphere, like fellow bloggers, share negative experiences about their use of CBD. After only hearing positives, I decided it was worth a shot to introduce CBD to Bean and see what happened.
Let’s talk about the specifics of Treatibles CBD Treats before going into the way we have used it for Bean (and Yoda on occasion).
IT’S NOT “POT” & YOUR DOG WON’T GET HIGH
CBD - Cannabidoil. It is an extract of a compound that is found in the Cannabis plant. This extract can come in different forms, including an oil that can be added to a dog’s food or already mixed and baked into items like treats. Products using CBD do not include THC, which is the item that is toxic to dogs, and it is also the psychoactive part of marijuana. Since CBD is extracted from hemp, that means THC isn’t a part of the equation.
IT CAN HELP A VARIETY OF ISSUES
If your dog suffers from anxiety, joint pain, appetite issues, or inflammation, CBD may be something to consider.
NO, YOUR DOG CAN’T OVERDOSE
There are recommended servings, just like with anything for consumption. Even so, a dog can’t overdose when using CBD. No matter what, though, it’s still important to read and listen to the recommended serving instructions given by the provider. Every animal reacts differently, so be sure to observe your dog and use your best judgement. If you have questions, ask the brand who manufactures the product you’re using, or a veterinary professional.
IT’S LEGAL
No need to worry about having CBD treats on your person, or shipping them in the mail. It’s perfectly legal to buy, have and use. No code words or special telephone numbers, or anything else that may be crazy. My experience is having watched Half Baked about 100 times, but I have no idea if the movie is actually a reflection of reality, and I’m totally fine with that.
TREATIBLES = LIFE CHANGING
I met folks from Treatibles while we attended the BlogPaws conference last month. I shared information about Bean’s anxiety and my research about CBD and they were impressed with my knowledge on the subject (once a nerd, always a nerd). It seemed like using their treats would be a great fit for Bean so I was happy to have some samples to try for when I got home.
I gave Bean two of the small pumpkin CBD treats when I was home and noticed a change in demeanor after about thirty minutes. She was more chill. She wasn’t conked out, snoring on the couch, but she wasn’t bouncing off the walls and pestering Yoda. She was just a zen-like dog, looking out the window and appreciating the sights and sounds. No barking when another dog walked and no growls at the squirrels.
We know Bean has the start of arthritis, and while we have been using glucosamine, I noticed that since using Treatibles, it seemed easier for her to get on and off the couch, and find a comfortable place/position to rest.
The other thing? Less scratching. Maybe she was still itchy but didn’t feel like scratching, but my inclination is to say that some of her scratching is more a nervous tick than an actual symptom of allergies.
Yoda, while not normally anxious, does get a bit too high strung in situations involving new dogs or people. We have used Treatibles in advance of him visiting a new pet hotel and when he was with me on campus at work due to an unforeseen circumstance. Both times, he was just more relaxed. He was able to greet new dogs and humans calmly and didn’t appear stressed.
So, I guess you could say we’re Treatibles converts! I will always have a supply of their treats on hand now and I hope to be able to share the benefits of CBD treats to anyone willing to listen.
Be sure to read to the end of this post for a chance to win a bag of Treatibles CBD treats to try with your dog(s) or cats. Yes, it’s totally safe to use with cats too, but you may need to moisten the treats in some water first, since they’re pretty hard.
THE CALMZ VEST
We also had a chance to connect with individual at BlogPaws from Petmate who had a product I hadn’t heard of before. The Calmz Anxiety Relief System is comprised of a harness and a remote control that fits in a slit on the back of the harness. There are different settings that range in length of time being activated, number of times a cycle repeats before automatically shutting off, and intensity.
It vibrates and plays classic music when turned on. The vibrations fall on pressure points on a dog’s spine and the music is quiet enough to not distract you while you’re sitting on the couch together, but loud enough for your dog to hear without a problem.
This system should be introduced to a dog in steps, which are clearly outlined in the enclosed informational booklet. If you have a dog suffering from anxiety, the last thing you want is to actually make your dog MORE anxious. It’s important to recognize signs of stress and modify use until your dog is accustomed to the vibration and sound.
Once you know your dog is comfortable with the vibrating sensation and sound, you can adjust how long the program runs and the intensity of the vibration.
Bean was confuzzled when she first felt the vibrations as I held the remote in my hand to use as a shield. She was curious, and a little befuddled but overall comfortable. It was pretty quick and painless to bring her to a point where she was okay with wearing the device with it operating.
We have been using this when there are circumstances that we know will make Bean more anxious, like impending storms. Separation anxiety is an issue with Bean, so using the vest has helped calm her. We have a Nest camera so I can see what she’s up to at all times even when we’re away. There has been less pacing, scratching, and other restless behavior with the use of the vest, especially when used in tandem with the CBD treats from Treatibles.
CONCLUDING POINTS & GIVEAWAY
We have been really impressed with the CBD treats from Treatibles and the Calmz Anxiety Relief System from Petmate. Finding more holistic ways to help treat symptoms of anxiety has been a mission of mine for awhile, so having found two options recently has been incredible for us, the humans, and Bean too! I hope one or both of these options have been helpful for you as well.
Want a chance to win a bag of Treatibles CBD Treats? Two lucky winners will by entering the giveaway below!
Sometimes Rafflecopter Widgets don't show up, so here's the link, just in case.
