Pet Owners Check Out Expo In The Hopes Of Finding Answers To Pet Anxiety, Pain
DENVER (CBS4) - Many people visited Denver International Airport's Crown Plaza to learn more about the CBD and hemp industry at the NoCo Hemp Expo. Some of that curiosity surrounded the effects of CBD on pets.
Dante is a service dog for veteran Ian Quinn. Together they've helped countless veterans battle PTSD and substance abuse by volunteering at the Veterans Affairs.
Dante, himself, is a rescue from a from a kill shelter and had plenty of issues of his own.
"So he's got anxiety. He's a pit bull, so he's got hip dysplasia issues and knee issues and with pain and anxiety he had no appetite," said Quinn.
He tried all types of medicine to treat Dante, but to no avail. That's when he got an idea. He had seen cannabidiol help his fellow veterans so why not use it on his best friend? He consulted his veterinarian.
"He said 'Ian, CBD is going to be a game changer for your buddy.'"
After a lot of research, Quinn finally found an oil safe for pets and started making his own treats.
"Within three days, my best friend started moving better. He started eating without fuss and I no longer had to crate him."
The jury is still out on whether CBD oil treatment for animals is healthy for them and effective. Dr. Stephanie McGrath is a veterinarian at CSU the Veterinary Teaching Hospital. She's looking into the effectiveness of treating pet seizures with cannabidiol.
In July, she told CBS4 results from her 16 dog study are promising, but overall more research needs to be done.
"Although really exciting results, it still has to be taken with a little bit of a grain of salt because the power of the study is diminished when you don't have a lot of dogs involved," she said.
Today, Quinn sells his CBD treats, and Dante is doing just fine. He's excited to see more research too, but he knows CBD oil has given Dante a better life.
"Now he's a good 60 pound husky boy."
