The Pro’s and Con’s of Hemp Dog Treats for Your Pupper

Published by Niamh Tumilty at

As with the growth of legal medical marijuana for humans, people are turning to see what benefits it might have for their dogs. Now no sane person would recommend lighting up a bowl for your pet but there are a growing amount of safe treats to give your dog.

Dog owners spend a lot of time worrying about their dog’s health. Dog’s are curious pups and are always drinking puddle water and licking and sniffing random things. Pet companies are looking into hemp as a form of treatment and a treat for our precious pets.

Unlike what lawmakers have been feeding us for so long marijuana and hemp are not the same thing. Marijuana and hemp are alternative species of the same plant. They are related but they are chemically different and also grow very differently. The THC content is much higher in marijuana, up to 30% while in hemp it maxes out at .03%.

THC is the psychoactive chemical that gets you high. Also, there is a much higher level of CBD in hemp than in marijuana. This further helps to curtail the effects of the psychoactive element. Basically, marijuana is not the same as hemp.

Advantages of Hemp for Dogs

Research suggests that these could both be ingredients that we start seeing in dog food and treats more and more. This is because the initial evidence of the nutritional benefits are amazing. Organic hemp oil is a rich source of Omega 6, 3 and 9, and stearidonic acid. What this means is that hemp oil is basically a super serum for dogs. The benefits are:

Helps to make an immune system stronger
Reduces shedding and flaking whilst helping with coat health
Improves energy levels and maintaining a healthy and stealthy weight
It supports a healthy heart and also other organ health as well
It supports brain functions to remain healthy (My dog still thinks she can open a door with her head though)
Finally, it’s an anti-inflammatory, which helping your dog recovery from any injuries sustained

Do They Work for All Dogs?

This is the real question and the answer is, we don’t actually know. Just like any other supplements and treats that claim health benefits, they have to be a part of your dog’s daily diet for at least 3 months to be able to reliably say this definitely works.

More research is needed but as mentioned above initial research and evidence show that this could be a major benefit to your dog’s health. It’s recommended talking to your vet before giving them to your pet.

Pros and Cons of Hemp Dog Treats

Finally, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of hemp dog treats. Firstly dogs love treats. The great thing about these is that you know exactly what they are made of. Also giving your dog their medicine on a daily basis is a great way to build up their immune system and tolerance to the hemp. Thirdly the anecdotal evidence in support of hemp treats for dogs is overwhelming.

Honestly, the only major problem is the lack of confirmed evidence that these are better than any other supplements. If you are someone who is reluctant to try anything until it has been fully proven by science then maybe hemp treats for your dog are not your bag.

However just like with medical marijuana use in humans new evidence in favor of it for dogs is coming out every day. As mentioned above if you are interested, make sure you do your research and talk to your vet.

Niamh Tumilty

Niamh Tumilty is a writer and multimedia producer for cannabisMD where she is constantly evaluating the continued growth of CBD and its presence in the news. Her research and writing on cannabis and CBD can be found at niamhtumilty.com.