Even laid-back canines can get the shakes when they hear fireworks, so CBD treats have become a hit with many dog owners as a calmer for their pups.
To help prepare dogs for the upcoming July Fourth holiday and its associated loud fireworks, SunKissed Greenz, LLC, a CBD shop in Mokena, distributed free calming treats to dog owners so they’d have them on hand. The dog treat CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, doesn’t have THC, the compound found in Cannabis plants that causes a high, though the store does sell CBD with or without THC for humans.
Misty Nelson, who opened her store online during the pandemic and moved into a storefront in 2022, has built a following amongst customers who bring in their dogs for a treat and a hug from her.
Kelly Garver, who lives in New Lenox, recently stopped by with her 11-year-old dog, a Staffie mix named Sadie.
“This one is really scared around the 4th of July, so the treats here completely helped,” said Garver, adding they also help with inflammation. “She likes coming here, Misty is her friend.” Garver also has a Spanish greyhound rescue named Valerio.
Garver puts CBD oil in the dog’s breakfast each morning. CBD helped her previous dog who had cancer and needed chemotherapy. She also uses various CBD products herself.
“I trust her products because she makes them in back,” said Garver. “She’s a dog mom herself.”
The dog treats are actually made by Misty Nelson’s husband, Bryan, she said, though she helps.
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Misty Nelson got the idea for the store when her 15-year-old dog was having three seizures per day. CBD helped reduce the incidents to one a day.
“We actually felt we got a few more years of life with her,” said Nelson.
That dog has since died, but she now has two German shepherds named Bohdi and Utah.
She said the CBD has no THC in it because dogs are much more sensitive to those side effects than people. Some of her CBD products for people do have low concentrations of THC.
“We’re just trying to make people (and pets) feel better,” she said.
She also said though CBD is thought to have a “wide safety margin,” pet owners should start at a low dose and increase gradually if needed, monitoring their pet closely. Higher amounts could cause temporary fatigue, thirst or digestive upset, she said.
She also hosts dog adoption events for NAWS in Chicago Ridge and Cache Creek Animal Rescue in New Lenox. She holds dog yoga events and raises money and collects and delivers goods for NAWS, with the help of customers, over the holidays.
Tara Triefen of Frankfort brought her 12-year-old Shorkie named Smalls to the shop to see Nelson and buy some treats in preparation of the upcoming holiday.
“She hates the fireworks, she just shakes,” said Triefen, adding when she’s given the treats, “She just chills and we watch TV.”
Becca Keller, NAWS director of development and marketing, said a light sedative can help with dog anxiety. She also recommends keeping pets in a small room with calming music and all of the windows and blinds closed when fireworks shows are happening.
“Dogs, cats and wildlife get very disoriented from the sound of fireworks, so keeping your pets in a small room can help them stay centered and feel more safe,” she said.
April Finan, a veterinarian who owns Finan Animal Hospital in Downers Grove, and who is Garver’s vet, sometimes recommends CBD to dog owners for stressful situations. She uses the products for her own Spanish Galgos, too.
“I hosted a clinic Christmas party at my house, gave them CBD an hour before and they were nice and mellow,” she said.
But Finan said it was important for pet owners to know the risks.
“In the veterinary world, there are not a lot of studies about the safety or efficacy of CBD,” she said. “So we don’t really know about how it works and the right doses.
“I use it on my own pets but I have to use it cautiously and explain to my clients it is not an FDA-approved medication and you have to take it at your own risk.”
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She did say she chose a CBD company owned by veterinarians, who “do third-party-testing on their products by hiring independent labs to test the product and prove to the customer that it really does have CBD in it and it is at the right concentration that is being advertised.”
“Supplements are kind of like the Wild West in the veterinary and human worlds,” said Finan.
If the CBD treat or oil doesn’t do the trick, Finan said she then moves on to medications, such as Trazodone, an antidepressant also used “off-label” for anxiety, and Gabapentin, also used “off-label” for pets experiencing pain and anxiety.
Ward Phillips, one of the veterinarians at the Low-Cost Clinic at South Suburban Humane Society, said they tend to recommend medication for such stressful events.
“We have more research and experience with prescription meds than CBD,” said Phillips. “The CBD (products) may work fine, but we do not have research on them.”
He also said dog owners should prepare in advance for the 4th of July, and if checked by a vet, have medication on hand.
“I personally wish there weren’t as many fireworks, for the animals’ sake,” he said. “I do live in Indiana, too, so it’s non-stop.”
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.