Becoming a pet owner is a big responsibility that involves time, money, and effort. Before adopting a dog, there are some factors you need to consider like choosing a suitable dog breed for your lifestyle. Some dog breeds tend to be prone to specific health issues, and purchasing reliable pet insurance can help you mitigate some routine expenses and protect your pet in case of illness. Bivvy offers coverage options despite hereditary or congenital conditions, and some options include prescription medication, blood tests, and diagnostic treatment. While some dog breeds are generally hyperactive, you should contact your vet if your dog starts showing signs of hyperactive behavior. Hyperactivity is a common canine disorder that is easy to treat. Symptoms include short attention spans, lack of self-control, anxiety, and frenetic activity.
Dogs with hyperactivity disorder struggle to adapt to familiar stimuli and may be disoriented by familiar sounds like a car rumble. They will also exhibit physical signs like panting, salivation, rapid heart rate, and abnormal urination.
You can treat hyperactivity disorder using stimulant drugs such as d-amphetamine and methylphenidate. But these drugs are toxic to dogs despite being so effective. Some reactions from these drugs can be life-threatening.
If you don’t want to expose your dog to the side effects of stimulant drugs, you can try CBD for dogs. Many pet owners recommend CBD since it is so effective for anxiety. But how can you use CBD effectively to treat hyperreactivity?
Table of Contents
How CBD Helps with Hyperactivity
Don’t be too quick to conclude that your dog has hyperactivity disorder. Unlike most animals, hyperactivity in dogs can be a normal behavior depending on the breed. If your dog breed is not the hyperactive type and you suddenly notice unusual hyperactive behavior, you may want to get it treated.
Hyperactivity in dogs occurs due to imbalances in dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain. Luckily, CBD reacts with the endocannabinoid system in dogs to help regulate these hormones and neurotransmitters.
Anxiety is one of the leading causes of hyperactivity in dogs. Canine anxiety includes symptoms such as compulsive behavior, excessive barking, restlessness, pacing, destructive behavior, and aggression.
CBD has strong anti-anxiety effects, which are known to be effective in humans. Animal studies also show that the anxiolytic effects of CBD can relieve anxiety symptoms. It regulates the levels of serotonin and other chemicals that control wellbeing and happiness.
CBD makes hyperactive dogs more chill, more willing to settle, pleasant to other dogs, better company, and able to sleep easily.
How to Choose the Best CBD Oil for Your Dog
There is a wide range of CBD products for pets. You need to know what works best and carries less risk for your dog if you intend to use CBD therapy. You should avoid products with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical in cannabis. Products labeled full-spectrum may have traces of THC.
While THC might make your dog high, that’s not the problem. Studies show that THC could be toxic to canines. Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors, making their endocannabinoid system more sensitive to cannabinoids, especially the adverse effects.
The best CBD products for dogs seem to be broad-spectrum. These are similar to full-spectrum but without THC. Broad-spectrum CBD contains additional cannabinoids as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which possess additional health benefits.
While broad-spectrum CBD may offer additional benefits, vets advise pet owners to start with pure CBD isolates. This will protect your pet from the effects of other cannabinoids, and you can monitor the dog’s reaction to the treatment better.
How to Choose CBD Dosage for Your Dog
There is no standard dosage for CBD but factors such as age and weight matter when considering the dosage. You can rely on evidence from clinical trials and consult your vet to decide the appropriate dosage.
Healthy dogs seem to tolerate 2 to 2.5mg/kg doses of CBD twice daily without adverse reactions. You can start with a small dosage and observe the dog’s reaction before gradually increasing the dosage. Hyperactive dogs may also require several weeks of treatment to achieve significant outcomes.
Combine CBD with Exercise
CBD direct works best in hyperactive dogs when combined with regular exercise. Dogs that are pent up all the time tend to have a lot of energy and exhibit hyperactive behavior. Treating the dog with CBD and not addressing the root cause of its hyperactivity will not help.
Not all dogs require the same amount of exercise. The age of the dog and its species will determine how much exercise it requires. For younger dogs, you may have to unleash them for at least an hour daily so that they can run around freely, socialize, and train.
When exercising your dog, don’t just focus on physical health. Dogs also require mental exercise. They need to use their creative skills and senses, such as smell. Mental exercises will also take up a lot of energy and work wonders for hyper dogs.
When exercising, consider activities that encourage the dog to use its brain and nose. These can include puzzle games that add fun to exercise routines.
Conclusion
Hyperactivity can be difficult to diagnose, but it is easy to treat. Some dogs jump at owners unexpectedly, seek too much attention, and bark a lot sometimes. These behaviors could be the result of a lack of training or discipline rather than hyperactivity.