Has anyone switched their senior dog from traditional pain meds (carprofen, tramadol) to CBD oil with good results? How did you taper off pain meds and start the CBD oil?
Why would you do that?
CBD may provide some pain relief but I doubt most vets would recommend using it instead of pain meds that are known to provide results.
What kind of pain are you treating for?
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Bad hock and recently sprained back in 12.5 yo dog…has come back about 80% but we worry about the conventional drugs being hard on his liver. Just took in a new rescue dog, and the head of the rescue said she’s had amazing results with the CBD oil working and so discontinued the conventional meds with a couple of dogs. I’m leery, so asking for people’s experience who have made the switch.
I started my 13.5 year old Lab on CBD : It is in the form of a chew. The chews also have Glucosamine and is their Mobility formulation. My girl was on 100mg of Galaprant a day and has been for over a year. She has a weak hind end, arthritis in her shoulder, and a paw that swells-she was stepped on a puppy and it is also on the side of the bad shoulder. During the loading dose I did not change anything…which was 1 week - and kept all the same for the first week of the maintenance dose. Starting last week I cut her dose of Galaprant in half and so far she is having no negative effects. In fact, she is a bit brighter and more engaged. She eats a lot better now too. Her paw is staying normal and not swelling. Now her hind end is still week and she isn’t running around like a puppy or anything but her overall well being seems to have improved. Starting next week I am going to go every other day with the Galaprant 1/2 dose and see if anything changes. If nothing changes I will take her completely off. If I notice any negative effects I will put her back on. I am concerned about the side effects of the Galaprant and if she can be comfortable and happy without it I will be thrilled - if not then back on she will go. Quality of life is important.
I found this brand of CBD thru the facebook page of Ricochet the Surf Dog. If you use “ricochet” as a discount code (I think it is 25%) - the company is Ellevet. I just ordered more!
Uncorked, thank you for relaying your experience. I would love to be able to cut back/eliminate my dog’s carprofen and tramadol for the sake of his liver and kidneys.
My small, elderly dog was on Tramadol for several months, originally prescribed after emergency eye removal surgery. Eventually, his regular veterinarian suggested that we switch him to prescription CBD capsules, as the vet doesn’t like the oil-based liquid for little dogs.
This is a product compounded to the veterinarian’s specifications by a Colorado pharmacy - I was told that CBD has many terpenes, and the vet selected the ones he wanted in the product; he considers this important.
A water-based liquid compounded CBD prescription became available (same source as the capsules), and my dog now receives that. It is easier to give than the capsules were, and I would guess that it’s probably better absorbed, as we’ve been able to give a lower dose of CBD in the liquid form than with the capsule formula.
Personally, I would not give my dog an OTC product, due to doubts about what it would really contain.
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Thank you so much for your input Jarpur. How did you transition your dog off tramadol onto the CBD?
I had a 13 year old Australian Shepherd with hip dysplasia and arthritis. Almost all conventional medications gave her stomach problems and put her off her food so I eventually switched her to CBD oil and a glucosamine chew. The results were amazing. Significantly improved mobility and appetite. She seemed a couple years younger. She was on CBD oil for the last 1.5 years of her life. I transitioned by not giving her any meds beyond the glucosamine for two days to clear everything out of her system before switching to CBD. But talk to your vet first because certain meds require a gradual wean off. I will always try CBD as a first solution for my pets and myself now.
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I think there might be uses for CBD but statements like this make me nuts. It certainly shouldn’t be a “first solution” for anything, especially since it has yet to be evaluated for effectiveness or dosage. And using something like CBD oil for things like “lameness” or unknown illness is a terrible idea because in many cases, an injury/illness can be identified and healed/improved with proper treatment.
But in cases where the condition can’t be improved or fixed, and where long-term pain or anxiety is involved - yes, sure. Give it a try.
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I gave my diabetic/acromegaly cat, my IBS elderly JRT, and my Beagle who had cancer CBD in addition to the traditional treatments I was using.
It’s a great add on so you might be able to use less of the traditional meds or get greater relief.
Instead of? No.
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Sorry - should have clarified that I use CBD as a first solution after consulting with my vet. I completely agree that any problem needs to be properly diagnosed before being treated. I have heard a few tragic tales of well-intended but ill-informed home treatments!
You might also ask your vet about gabapentin rather than tramadol for pain (with or without CBD). I’ve found for some elderly dogs and types of pain it seems to work better. I worry about using the CBD oil for my dog with chronic pancreatitis (the oil carrier could be an issue) so that’s interesting, Jarpur. He seems to tolerate a glucosamine chew well, though - he’s been on that for a while and it seems to help his mild arthritis (he’s 11 and still extremely active).
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I started my dog with multiple problems (bad back and IMPA) on CBD oil a couple of weeks ago. She is already on several medications and the hope was that it would allow us to reduce or eliminate a painkiller. Unfortunately it does not seem to have helped so far.
I am using the oil made by the company that did testing with Cornell. My vet felt it was worth a try and unlikely to cause harm.
