30 May Curbing Possum’s anxiety with plant-based medicine
We love hearing from pet parents and veterinarians whose precious pets we’ve been able to help with our medicinal cannabis for pets… like Possum who, with expert help from her vet and our high-quality CBD products, is now thriving.
Possum’s story
Possum is a female short-haired grey tabby cat who began weeing in all the wrong places. This can be a sign of a few different things, including feline idiopathic cystitis. Also known as feline interstitial cystitis, or FIC for short, it’s a type of feline lower urinary tract disease that causes inflammation of the bladder in cats. One of its causes is stress, so helping to reduce a cat’s anxiety can help improve their FIC.
Possum’s vet initially prescribed an antidepressant to help her, but her parent was worried about a side effect she observed – Possum seemed withdrawn and not as cuddly and affectionate as usual. So then, the veterinarian prescribed CBD oil for pets. At first, CBD oil was introduced alongside their original medication, and then, the antidepressant was removed altogether, with great results. The pet parent’s email tells the story:
“Possum is going really well on the CBD oil – we have now completely weaned her off the [antidepressant] and she is only on the CBD. We are still finding the odd wee in the wrong place, but it has significantly improved and she’s so much happier than she was on the [antidepressant]! Back to being a very cuddly cat again too. I think the main change is that her behaviour and anxiety are so much more under control now, but she’s much more like herself – we found her personality disappeared a little bit on other medications so it’s amazing having her back to herself.”
Ready for another success story? Watch this video about how medicinal cannabis is helping to alleviate Frankie the cavoodle’s anxiety.
Anxiety is common in pets
Like people, pets can experience anxiety at any time of life. They commonly suffer from generalised anxiety, or trauma related anxiety, or separation anxiety.
Generalised anxiety is when a cat or dog feels anxious and worried most of the time. Pets suffering from this kind of anxiety display behaviours such as constantly being on guard, constantly panting and trembling and destructive behaviours.
Trauma related anxiety, sometimes called PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), is when a past experience triggers anxiety. Thunderstorms and grooming are common triggers. Avoidance behaviours like attempting to escape or flee, hiding or avoiding eye contact are typical symptoms. Read more about symptoms of trauma-related anxiety in pets here.
Separation anxiety is more common in dogs than cats. It’s been recognised a lot lately, as people get back out in the world after COVID and their pets must get used to being alone as their humans regularly leave the house again. Signs include distressed behaviors such as barking and whining and being ‘clingy’ by following family members around the house. Read more signs of separation anxiety in dogs here.
We’re here to help
Medicinal cannabis may be able to help alleviate your pet’s symptoms from a range of ailments, including anxiety. We’re so pleased we can support pet health with therapeutic plant-based products for pets. Please talk to your veterinarian or reach out to us directly if you’d like to know more. Meow!
Interested in exploring CBD for pets? Speak with a vet for free.