Hi everyone. This is Krista with Episode #179 On the Wag Out Loud pawdcast. Have you checked out all of the amazing trusted brands that I highly recommend? These are products that I have researched. And I've tried that I know, like and trust. Products that'll help your dog to thrive. So just go to wagoutloud.com and check out the trusted brands section. And I've negotiated discounts for most of the products, so why not see what can make a difference in your dog's life? And don't forget to also check out the resources page as well. It's filled with some very important info for both you and your dog.

How a dog reacts to dairy products depends on how much lactose is in the food. So the higher the amount of lactose, the greater the risk of digestive upset. So if your dog has issues with dairy from cow's milk, maybe try giving them products made from goat milk, which is more digestible and lacks the complex proteins that are often associated with allergies.

Welcome to the Wag Out Loud pawdcast, where we are obsessed with bringing you helpful tips on canine health care, nutrition, and overall wellbeing. If you'd like to support the show, check out the amazing online events, products and resources that I personally recommend on the Wag Out Loud website. I'm your host, Krista and I'm super excited to be bringing you yet another tail wagging episode.

Hello dog lovers, and thank you for joining Sandi Krucik-vanBommel and I today as we discuss the topic of new tricks for old dogs: cannabis for the golden years. Sandi, welcome to the show.

Thank you, Krista. So glad to be here.

Well, I'm excited to have you because I know that we have a lot to learn. So why don't you first introduce yourself and share what led you to become a veterinary cannabis counselor?

Well, I'd love to share my story that, unfortunately, started out to be quite tragic, but ended up with a gift. So my family and I were in a high speed collision in 2019. And when I say my family, that included all of our dogs, and one of our senior girls, had sustained some injuries that unfortunately, couldn't be treated with conventional medicine. And my veterinarian who is very alternative had suggested that we try CBD. And in doing so, I started my journey on trying to find a product and dosing and navigating through the space at the time. And I felt very overwhelmed. And it wasn't an easy process. And so I thought as a veterinary professional and being in this world, if I'm feeling overwhelmed, I can't imagine how pet parents must be feeling. And so that led me to finding a way to be certified as a veterinary cannabis counselor.

Okay. Well, I was surprised to read that roughly 50% of dog owners in the US actually give their dogs CBD. I thought that would be lower. But I'm pretty encouraged about that. But of course, you and I both know, that doesn't mean that they are all giving the highest quality, correct dosage, you know, all of the above. So, before we dive into cannabis for our senior dogs, can you explain what exactly is the endocannabinoid system? Because to me, it kind of was more prevalent on the scene maybe five to seven years ago. So what is it and what functions of the body does it actually regulate?

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

Yes, they're actually right on on target in the sense that the endocannabinoid system or the endogenous cannabinoid system has been really gaining some traction in research and discovering it's importance. So we just call it the ECS system for short, but all mammals and that includes us have this internal regulatory system that produces molecules whose functions are to bring balance within the body's internal environment, and we call that homeostasis. So think of it as an internal regulatory system that helps along with so many processes in the body. So we know that the ECS system is always functioning in the background. Because of that, it is responsible for many processes, such as mood, pain, memory, stress, digestion, sleep. So, you know, those are just a few selections. But as you can see with there being so many that does translate to how marketing does possess cannabis or CBD, as most people know, it is so beneficial for so many medical conditions and health conditions.

Right. Well, speaking of which, when your clients come to you, with their senior dogs, what would you say, are the issues that can be treated with CBD.

What Can Cannabis Treat in Our Older Dogs?

I would say I have about three to four, the first one being osteoarthritis being rooted in pain and inflammation. And most of the time, you know, our, our pet parents don't want to see their their dogs in pain, they see them starting to slow down not being able to do things that they used to do. And so in that is always rooted pain and inflammation like osteoarthritis. So we are able to again, modulate the responses that our pets have as a result of influencing with cannabis products in taking down that inflammation, and then as we see their pain improve, and of course, then their mobility improves. The second one I see is what we know as canine cognitive dysfunction. And so think of that as like our doggy Alzheimer's or dementia. Changes that are relating to changing the brain and aging and the cells dying. And we also get beta amyloid proteins building up which interferes with some of the nerve function. So when that happens, we see these behavior changes start to manifest. And as such, the dog might be pacing, or up all night, sleeping all day, being disoriented, having vocalization during the night. So these are all things that really can start to see improvement with using cannabis. And we see that happening as a result of these changes that are happening internally that then can be showing us their ways externally. And then the last or second to last would be just the anxiety that happens with those cognitive changes. So you know, as you have eluded to when we start to see some of the dogs maybe not seeing as well, or where we see them not hearing as well, that brings them anxiety to not be able to take in their world as they normally would. And so then we start to be able to use cannabis for ways of modifying the anxiety. And then of course, lastly was the some of those immune modulated diseases like the big C and the pain that's associated with it as well.

And you were talking about cognitive issues. Have you seen any studies on sundowners syndrome?

CBD for Sundowner’s?

Yes. And I have had several clients come to me with their dogs that have sundowner’s. And we've had some remarkable results. These are dogs that go from not sleeping at all during the night, or very little, as well as a lot of vocalization, restlessness, distress, and going to now where they are sleeping through the night, where they are more settled. And it really does turn things around for the entire family because when the pets aren't sleeping, usually the pet parents aren't sleeping either. And so it really brings back that quality of life for the family, not just for the pets themselves.

Absolutely. Well, I know we're focusing on our older dogs in this segment, but would you recommend CBD also earlier in life as a preventative, and if so, what is a good age to start?

CBD As a Preventative?

I haven't really experienced that in anecdotal results or in studies. As I've been going through this process of, of helping pet parents. If we have an endocannabinoid system that is working well, and it's efficient and it is performing as it should be, we really should have our body be well balanced. It's really only needing to supplement in with our phyto cannabinoids, our plant based cannabinoids that need to be intersecting to some of the pieces where we start to see that balance be out of disease what I would call it, Disease but not necessarily a disease process. So essentially, when we have those medical conditions start to manifest symptoms, then that tells us it may be time to intervene with cannabis.

Right. Well, you brought up a good point you mentioned cannabinoids. And I personally hear some different terms in this industry. And I was hoping you could set me and maybe others straight. So what is the difference between cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes? What do each of those terms mean?

What is the difference between cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes?

We could start with the term cannabinoids. Those are the molecular compounds that are naturally occurring in the cannabis plant. They live in what are known as the trichomes of the plants. And we call them phyto cannabinoids because they come from plants or plant derived. And so we know that they really are more than 100 compounds that have been discovered now in the cannabis plant. So there's a lot more research to come. And they each bring therapeutic value. The next would be our flavonoids, these are phytonutrients that not only do they bring flavor, and the way we experience the plants, through our senses, but they also act as a defense mechanism for the plants. So essentially protecting bacteria, insects and reproduce their their aroma, so that you know they too have therapeutic properties. And then that brings us to our terpenes I like to assimilate terpenes like essential oils of the plant. So for example, when we speak of lavender plants, we know they have a distinctive smell, and to that are there relaxation and calming properties. And that is coming from the specific terpene Linalool. And so Linalool is actually one of the terpenes that can also be in cannabis plants. And so they give that distinctive aroma. They do have some flavor components as well. But again, additional therapeutic potential. So when we combine all of these three components in a product, for example, we then have what is called the entourage effect. And the way I like to produce an analogy to understanding that is thinking of many hands make for light work. So in the example of making chicken soup, you can have chi