CBD for Pets After Surgery

At some point in your pet’s life, they are going to need surgery. Whether it’s a simple lump removal or a complicated dental surgery, your pet will experience the same pain and healing time as you would. You may have wondered “Can I give my dog CBD after surgery?” Indeed the benefits of CBD for pets after surgery are numerous. Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD Oil can be a critical tool in helping your pet recover faster and stronger postoperatively.

Post Surgical Benefits of CBD for Pets

CBD for Post Surgery Pain & Inflammation

A pet’s response to surgery is supposed to be protective and promote healing. There are several events that occur immediately following surgery that affect every system of the body. The metabolism, immune system, hematological (blood), and hormonal systems are all affected by surgery. There are processes that are both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory following surgical procedures. If these processes are not kept in balance, an excess of cytokines (small proteins involved in signaling cell response) can occur, called a “cytokine storm”. This can result in systemic inflammation and can result in infection and organ dysfunction. 

Post-operative pain and inflammation are the most common and critical post-surgical issues in pets. Thus, regulating the inflammatory response is absolutely paramount post-operatively. One of the most well-known benefits of a Full Spectrum Hemp Extract (FSHE) is its ability to relieve inflammation and pain. FSHE CBD oil for dog pain and inflammation after surgery, (or cat pain and inflammation), is the perfect tool for the job since its benefits are systemic. Every organ system is benefitted from its presence. In addition, FSHE is a proven anti-microbial and antifungal, reducing chances of post-operative infection as well. 

Related: CBD Reviews for Pain in Pets

CBD For Anxiety & Restful Sleep After Surgery

The stress felt by your pet after surgery is a silent one. Since pets cannot speak to us, the amount of post-operative stress they are experiencing is largely left unnoticed. If serious enough, pets may vocalize, have excessive separation anxiety, or lick themselves (or worse-their incision) to injury. Without proper intervention, this stress can lead to excessive inflammation and more pain for our pets after surgery. In severe cases, this pain can lead to aggression. Full Spectrum Hemp Extract is a well-studied anxiolytic (anxiety reducer). Using FSHE CBD for dogs post surgery anxiety and restfulness is a wonderful way to ensure your pet begins the healing process under as little stress as possible.

In addition, it’s important that you limit your pet’s activity when healing from any surgery. This can be tricky, especially after surgeries performed on young, energetic animals. Full Spectrum Hemp CBD for pets after surgery is a great way to keep your pet calm and free from restlessness while they recover. 

CBD for Bone Healing 

A forgotten benefit of Full Spectrum Hemp Extract is its bone-repairing properties. Orthopedic surgeries and dental surgeries will involve the manipulation and/or removal of bone tissue. With dental surgery, often the bone is just below a suture along the gums, making the usage of FSHE directly beneficial to the surgical site. Using FSHE CBD for dogs after surgery will initiate a cell response that will help repair bone damage much faster than without. 

CBD for the Immune System After Surgery

As previously mentioned, when under anesthesia, the immune system “goes to sleep”. Cell-Mediated Immunity (CMI) is suppressed postoperatively and can predispose your pet to post-operative complications like infection. Several immune response pathways are activated after surgery, and FSHE CBD post surgery can also work upon these pathways to achieve balance in the body. 

CBD for Healing Incision Sites 

When applied topically, FSHE salves like Soothe for dogs and cats, do an incredible job healing incision sites and keeping them free from infection. Full Spectrum Hemp for pets after surgery also encourages the growth of granulation tissue, which speeds wound closure. When used in combination with an orally administered FSHE like EASE for dogs and cats, the post surgical benefits of CBD for dogs and cats are compounded, and recovery internally and externally will be quicker. 

Safety of CBD After Surgery

Is CBD safe for pets post-surgery? Yes, but some issues require more consideration. Depending on the surgery performed, the dosage of CBD for dogs after surgery needs to be monitored and adjusted. For example, a teeth cleaning or minor lump removal is not going to be as invasive as a major dental procedure with extractions or an invasive tumor removal. Depending on the risk of postoperative bleeding, your use of CBD oil for post surgery recovery should be monitored by your veterinarian. 

Full Spectrum Hemp Extract can have mild anticoagulant (blood thinning) properties, so it’s important to pick the appropriate dosage. If your dog is on any blood thinning medications, FSHE may increase that medication’s effectiveness. 

At CBD Dog Health, we are proponents of finding the minimally effective dose. This ensures that you do not waste oil, and also ensures that your pet is receiving the dose that works best for their body. Some animals are more sensitive to FSHE, so they won’t need as much CBD after surgery. While other pets (oftentimes older animals) will need more to achieve the desired effect. Talk to your veterinarian about your pet’s unique risk factors to determine what method of application (topical or internal) and dosage is best for your pet.

Full Spectrum Hemp Extract has many powerful medicinal properties, so it’s important to check with your veterinarian to make sure your dog is not taking any medications that may interfere with FSHE or vice versa. FSHE works on many of the same pathways (plus more) that conventional drugs do. Unfortunately, often times pharmaceuticals will cancel out the benefits of FSHE. Some heart medicines, blood thinners, and thyroid medications can be affected by the use of CBD.

Working with your holistic/integrative veterinarian will ensure you use FSHE safely and effectively in conjunction with other medicines. 

Other Holistic Tools for Pets After Surgery

Full Spectrum Hemp Extract is just one of many helpful tools to ease and encourage proper surgical recovery for pets. Other methods include:

• Cold laser therapy, which many vets offer immediately after surgery is complete
• Medicinal Mushrooms, like MycoDog Vitality, to encourage a steadfast immune response
• Homeopathics to reduce pain and swelling, such as Arnica and Hypericum
• Acupuncture to bring the body to balance and reduce pain
• Vitamin C IV therapy (in addition to IV fluids ran during surgery) to promote detoxification
• Massage Therapy to encourage lymphatic drainage and relieve stiffness
• Liver-supportive herbs before and after surgery to promote detoxification from anesthetics and prescription drugs used during surgery

Final Thoughts

Using Full Spectrum Hemp Extract CBD Oil for pets after surgery can be a safe, effective and efficacious tool when used properly. If your pet has surgery coming up, discuss using FSHE and other alternative healing modalities after surgery with your pet’s holistic veterinarian.