IN THE PRESS: Holistic Healing For Furry Friends
The original interview was published on Nutraceuticals World.
Angela Ardolino earned a professional certification in medical cannabis for therapeutic use from the University of Vermont, College of Medicine, and is an accredited terpene specialist by Cannabinoid Medicine Studies. She operates a rescue farm, Fire Flake Farm, in Florida, and is also the owner of Beautify the Beast, a natural pet salon and shop. After getting her certificate in medical cannabis biology and therapeutic use, she founded CBD Dog Health to provide high quality, all-natural medical cannabis products designed specifically for pets. Ardolino has seven dogs: Odie a 12-year-old mini-schnauzer, Nina an 8-year-old Doberman, Jolene a 7-year-old mutt, Maza a 7-year-old mutt, Rhemi an 8-year-old poodle, Potato a 15-year-old shih-tzu, and Miss Daisie a 15-year-old black lab—plus 4-10 more at any time she is fostering or boarding. She has been using full spectrum hemp extract daily on all her pets at her rescue farm since 2016. She is a member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, the Veterinary Cannabis Association and has trained hundreds of medical doctors and veterinarians about the therapeutic uses of medical cannabis on animals.
Area Code 420 (AC 420): What started you on giving full-spectrum hemp to your dogs?
Ardolino: A few years ago, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and knew that I needed to find alternatives to the toxic medications being offered to me. I had heard of the benefits of full spectrum CBD oil and thought it might be a better, safer option, so I started using it. Thankfully, full spectrum CBD worked. It changed my life and made it possible for me to make it through the day without pain. I looked around and saw a lack of education about medical cannabis and CBD and decided to change that. I was invited to be a part of the inaugural class for medical cannabis from the University of Vermont, and the more I learned, the more I discovered how therapeutic CBD can be for dogs. I knew that my pets, and all our pets, deserve the same kind of relief that I had found in CBD. I own and operate a rescue farm, Fire Flake Farm, and since I have started using cannabis medicine on them I have seen dogs who could barely walk start to run, seizures completely stop, all levels of anxiety go away, tumors fall off and more.
AC 420: What are the health benefits from CBD or hemp for dogs?
Ardolino: Humans and animals have an endocannabinoid system which interacts with the cannabinoids in the hemp plant. The endocannabinoid system regulates our mood, appetite, inflammation, and homeostasis in our bodies. Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors than people, meaning that they can benefit from the hemp plant the most.
AC 420: Can cats take a CBD or hemp supplement?
Ardolino: Absolutely. We have a full cat line as well. All animals have an endocannabinoid system so they can all benefit from it. We give CBD to cats, dogs, chickens, pigs, bunnies, and more.
AC 420: How is the product administered to animals?
Ardolino: Administering CBD is all a matter of bioavailability. This is important because bioavailability affects how much to give in one dose, and how quickly your pet can feel the effects.
AC 420: What is the most effective way to give your pet CBD oil?
Ardolino: The gums are one place. Lift the lip and place the dropper on the gums for best absorption. This method works best because the medicine is absorbed through the mucous membrane (transmucosal) in the mouth and the full spectrum hemp extract (CBD) then goes directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract altogether. Applying CBD oil to the gums minimizes the number of active compounds, or cannabinoids, that are lost or broken down in the digestive tract. The inner ears are another effective place to administer CBD oil, directly onto the hairless area on the underside of the pet’s ear flap. This is another way to achieve quick and efficient absorption. Because of the high number of blood vessels in this skin, it is well absorbed into the bloodstream while avoiding the digestive tract. But be cautious and avoid this site if your pet has a ruptured ear drum. If possible, avoid putting CBD on food. CBD oil that is added to pet food takes longer to enter the bloodstream and generally results in lower rates of absorption. This is because they must go all the way through the digestive tract and filtration processes, like the first pass of the liver.
Get the rest of the interview on Nutraceuticals World.