Holistic veterinarians: Pet owners report hemp products helpful in relieving pain
62 percent of veterinarians consulted were positive about consumption.
According to a survey published recently in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (JAHVMA), 64 percent of dog owners and 66 percent of cat owners felt that the consumption of hemp products helped their pets either moderately or a great deal.
The survey was conducted by a team from the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. A link was provided to the survey from a website of a company that sells hemp products for animals. Responses were anonymous.
Six hundred and thirty-two people responded to the survey, with 457 using or having used a hemp product for their dog and 104 people using or having used a hemp product for their cat.
In addition to the relief from pain, 51 percent of the dogs and 44 percent of the cats were perceived by their owners as having either moderately or greatly improved sleep habits from the use of hemp products.
When it came to anxiety, 49 percent of dog owners reported that the hemp products helped moderately or a great deal. For reducing inflammation in cats, owners perceived the products were similarly helpful in 56 percent of the felines.
The most common side effects reported by both dog and cat owners were sedation and overactive appetite (dogs: 22 percent, 16 percent; cats: 19 percent and 16 percent, respectively).
Of the 274 respondents who reported that they had spoken to their veterinarian about the products, 62 percent reported that their veterinarian had responded positively, and only 8 percent reported a negative response. One hundred and ninety-two people did not tell their veterinarian, and another 47 had not visited their veterinarian since they began using a hemp product.
JAHVMA is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published quarterly by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. The paper, “Consumers' perceptions of hemp products for animals,” appears in the spring 2016 (volume 2) issue of the journal.
