This is Chloe. She’s one of the best dogs in the world!

Would you believe she turned 13 this year? I’m so grateful for all the time I’ve have had with her and of course, want to extend her life as long as possible. I've found myself having the same conversation a few times over the past few weeks.

A lot goes into taking good care of your dogs, feeding them the best food (they used to be on a 100% raw diet in KY - let me know if you want to learn more about that), taking them to the vet for regular check ups, and multiple daily walks. However, the main thing that has made the biggest difference in their overall health, in my opinion, is the daily use of CBD oil.

Jeremy has been with Chloe since 2007. Driving down a two-lane highway in Menifee County, KY there was a sign that read “Husky’s for Sale”. Jeremy always wanting a husky made a great decision that day. I’m sure he didn’t realize what an amazing dog he had when he picked her out of a box full of other puppies. But we count our blessings everyday with this girl.

Chloe was already two when Jeremy brought her back from his parent’s house to move in with him. We were in college and I used to call her my step-dog because her and I didn’t know each other well at the time. This post isn’t about my love for Chloe, I could go on and on and tell 100 different Chloe stories but that is for another day.

Knowing my love for this girl (and her sister) explains why I give the girls CBD oil EVERY day. I feel, this has significantly helped their overall health. CBD is known to reduce anxiety, relieve pain, reduce inflammation, and promote a healthy cardiovascular system. The average lifespan for a Husky is 12-15 years. She’s right in this range now, so it’s important to do everything we can to keep her healthy.

About five years ago, she started limping on her right leg. We didn’t know why so we took her to the vet. We discovered that she had torn her ACL. There were only a few options; put her down, surgery, or physical therapy. Putting her down was absolutely out of the question. Everyone, including the vet, was hesitant for the surgery due to her age and how she would react to the anesthesia. We decided to create our own option and go a more natural way.

Taking her to California Animal Rehabilitation in Santa Monica for a consultation was very helpful. They had some really good exercises that could be performed at home, this would help strengthen her leg. Around this time we also started experimenting with CBD oil. After research and some trial and error Vet CBD is our go to product and preferred brand.

With other brands, I’ve seen misleading information, bad ratio’s, and they weren’t made for animals. Vet CBD has had our loyalty due to it being an all natural, olive oil based product, founded by a vet, and being specifically formulated for animals. Not to mention it’s very easy to administer and use.

The usage guidelines are:

4 - 10lbs: 0.5ml twice/day
10 - 25lbs: 1ml twice/day
25 - 50lbs: 1.5ml twice/day
50 - 100lbs: 2ml twice/day
Above 100lbs: 2.5ml twice/day
*1ml contains 4.2mg CBD, and 0.21mg of THC

It’s worth noting that it does contain minimal THC, but according to their website,

“At low doses THC, in combination with CBD, is non-psychoactive and can provide additional relief from pain, muscle spasms, nausea and loss of appetite.”

While my dogs have never had a bad reaction with CBD oil, you will want to start with a very small dose, and increase over time. Also, consult with your vet before starting to get an opinion for your specific pet.

Our dogs currently take CBD oil daily, but in very different doses. They’re both give or take 50 pounds (Emma on the give and Chloe on the take side). Chloe is given the full recommended dose, 1.5 mL in the morning and 1.5 mL in the evening every day. Emma only gets 0.5 mL in the morning and 0.5 mL in the evening every day. The reason for the difference in dose is mainly due to the fact that Chloe has a medical need, and a minimal does helps with Emma’s anxiety.

We purchase it from a local dispensary The Weed in Studio City, CA (pro tip: go on Sunday’s for CBD Sunday’s and get 20% or Friday’s, for 20% off everything). We go every other Sunday to take advantage of the decreased LA traffic and 20% discount.

The biggest difference in our story is knowing that we give them CBD EVERY SINGLE DAY. They have come to expect it and notice whenever we’re out. I know this might be hard and quite expensive, and not everyone lives in a place to purchase CBD oil. I’m not writing this to urge you to do this, I simply want to share what I think has specifically helped Chloe recover from injury and possibly live a little longer.

I am not a vet and you should consult with yours before trying CBD oil. Keep an open mind and remember consistency is key. CBD products at this time are not very regulated, it is challenging to ensure the 100% efficacy for various purposes and/or companies. Also, there are currently only a few studies on the health benefits and long-terms effects of CBD use. Hopefully, these studies are only beginning and more are on the way. This is why it is very important to do your research, choose a brand you trust, and do what’s best for you and your pet.