According to a survey published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (JAHVMA), 64.3% of dog owners and 66% of cat owners felt that the consumption of hemp products helped their pets either moderately or a great deal.
The survey was conducted by a team from the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine. A link was provided to the survey from a website of a company that sells hemp products for animals. Responses were anonymous.
Six-hundred and thirty-two people responded to the survey, with 457 using or having used a hemp product for their dog and 104 people using or having used a hemp product for their cat.
In addition to the relief from pain, 50.5% of the dogs and 44% of the cats were perceived by their owners as having either moderately or greatly improved sleep habits from the use of hemp products.
When it came to anxiety, 49.3% of dog owners reported that the hemp products helped moderately or a great deal. For reducing inflammation in cats, the owners perceived the products were similarly helpful in 56.3% of the felines.
The most common side effects reported by both dog and cat owners were sedation and overactive appetite (dogs: 22%, 15.9%; cats: 19.2% and 16%).
Of the 274 respondents who reported that they had spoken to their veterinarian about the products, 61.7% reported that their veterinarian had responded positively, and only 7.7% reported a negative response. One-hundred and ninety-two people did not tell their veterinarian, and another 47 had not visited their veterinarian since they began using a hemp product.
JAHVMA is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published quarterly by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. The paper, "Consumers' Perceptions of Hemp Products for Animals," appears in the Spring 2016, Volume 2 issue of the journal.
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