CBD products are becoming so popular that pet owners are giving them to their furry friends.
"Once that CBD started kicking in and we got the right dose for him, it was like a new dog,” James Dean, a partner at Pure Golden Botanicals, a CBD store in West Allis, said.
CBD is part of the Cannabis plant that some claim has medical benefits.
Dean owns a 6-year-old three-legged golden-doodle. One day when the arthritis was so bad in Bear's hind leg, he couldn't get up. That's when Dean decided the medication the veterinarian gave him wasn't working and would try something else. He turned to CBD.
"It worked tremendously," he said.
In fact, Dean doesn't give Bear prescription medication anymore. It's all CBD.
"I give him close to an adult dosage of about 12 and a half to 13 milligrams in the morning and at night.”
However, veterinarian Dr. Andrew Linklater, doesn't share the same optimism that Dean does about CBD products.
"I think the biggest risk is that we don't know the potential side effects or adverse effects related to CBD, and certainly (we) don't know the potential benefits," Dr. Linklater said.
CBD products aren't regulated by any government agency and there haven't been any long-term studies on their effects.
"The level of evidence for CBD and other products is really lacking," the Dr. Linklater said.
Dr. Linklater said to exercise caution if giving CBD products to your pet is something you want to do.
Both he and Dean stress that it's important to find a reputable and safe brand of CBD since the variation in product can be so large.
