Do Not Use Laser Pointers With Dogs. Part 4
Part 4 – How I Learned That The Laser Pointer Caused Gracie Psychological Injury
In early December, I finally made contact with a local trainer organization that responded professionally and had their prices upfront. After sharing with her the things I want Gracie to focus on and her behavior looking for the elusive laser beam, she sent me a link to an article. After I read it, my heart sank. By using the laser pointer, I caused my precious puppy to develop OCD.
The guilt I felt was almost unbearable. Friends and family tell me I shouldn’t feel guilty because I didn’t know that laser pointers cause dogs to have OCD. They are correct that I did not know. I relied on the product’s description. Why are pet stores selling that product? I feel responsible just as a parent of a human child feels responsible if they purchased a product for their infant that damages them for the rest of their life.
Because the Hemp Calming Treats contain melatonin, I had to wait 24 hours before starting Gracie on Prozac. The vet said that it would take at least 2 weeks before I saw a change. I asked what I could give Gracie for those 2 weeks and he told me CBD, but not with additives.
Learning my lesson with the laser pointer, I was not going to depend on marketing descriptions for CBD for dogs. I conducted research on THC and dogs and learned that THC slows their respiration and heart. It can kill them. There are also amounts of THC that prevents the metabolism of Prozac.
When I underwent treatment for cancer and surgery, I had a medical marijuana license and purchased CBD that contains small amounts of THC. It helped me sleep without waking up in pain, and when I did wake-up, I wasn’t sore and achy. Until December, 2023, I’d not gone to the dispensary since calendar year 2019. Wow! Was I in for a surprise!
Since Illinois made marijuana legal, the dispensaries seem to only have products that causes people to get high. Even the oil they have contains enough THC to cause the high. They’re no longer selling CBD that contains small amounts of THC. I called Gracie’s original vet. He was also Gracie’s predecessors’ vet. After I informed him of the issue, he gave me the name of the company he uses for CBD – Innovet.
After a month of being on Prozac, I actually think the Hemp Calming Treat with melatonin worked better for Gracie, but I can’t take her off the Prozac because the dosage has to be reduced to wean her off of it. I can’t give her the Hemp treats because melatonin interacts with Prozac reducing its effect. I’ve not yet given her CBD and before I do, I want to get her back to her original vet and get his advice. She has an appointment next week.
Next: Part 5 – Sources that report on laser pointers causing canine OCD.
Posted on 02/13/2024, in dogs, laser pointers, Uncategorized and tagged CBD, laser pointer syndrome, laser pointers, OCD. Bookmark the permalink. 12 Comments.
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident 
Wow … nothing is ever simple, is it? We have used laser pointers to play with our cats before, but after reading of yours and Gracie’s experiences … NEVER AGAIN!!!
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Hello Jill. Here’s a link to an article about cats and laser pointers. There seems to be ways of letting cats feel satisfied when ending the chase game. That doesn’t work for dogs, however. Dogs need to see, smell, and taste their prey. The laser light only appeals to sight and transforms the dog’s brain into using that sense only.
There is a warning in the linked article about automatic laser toys because cats can look at the laser, damaging their eyes. If they allow a dog to share their home, the same can happen to the dog.
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Thanks for that article! Much to ponder, but it just seems safer to me not to take any chances …
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Jill,
I think you are very wise to not take any chances.
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THC and CBD are two very different substances. Although cannabis can and does contain both, if you use a hemp CBD product, you can be sure you’re not getting any THC because there’s very little to no THC in hemp. So you can give animals CBD without worrying about the heart rate changes caused by THC.
In fact, CBD is a safe painkiller and anti-anxiety med for animals and many respond really well and quite quickly to it. Hemp CBD is safer than Prozac, virtually without dangerous side effects. It’s really a shame that people – and sometimes even doctors – are confused by all the different cannabis and hemp products. Hopefully, this issue will clear itself up as more medical personnel begin to embrace the medicinal properties of hemp and cannabis.
Prozac can be extremely helpful for animals, but it can can also make animals quite sick – do look up the possible side effects online.
While it helped a dog I had who had a severe endocrine problem that caused him to have severe anxiety and mood swings, I experienced the side effects of Prozac firsthand myself years before it was prescribed for my dog. The Prozac worked well for that dog, but sadly, the endocrine condition was difficult to treat and I ultimately had to put the dog down, but that’s another story.
I had a rare 1% type side effect from Prozac – painful gallbladder attacks. While I appreciated the alleviation of anxiety and depression that I experienced during a difficult year, I wouldn’t touch Prozac or any other pharmaceutical antidepressant or anti-anxiety drug ever again. Never, after the months of pain and discomfort I eventually experienced until the drug was fully out of my system and my liver and gall bladder finally calmed down.
I now swear by my nightly drops of pure hemp CBD oil – have been taking it for restful sleep and as anti-anxiety medication for about 7 years now with 0 side effects. It’s been way, way better for me than Prozac ever was and I feel at peace knowing that I’m putting a safe, natural oil from a plant into my body and not a chemically derived pharmaceutical drug with known side effects.
I currently have an 11-year-old terrier who responds really well to hemp CBD on occasion – she sometimes gets a bit too frisky for her age, and a bit of CBD oil in her food takes the discomfort away in minutes. She doesn’t need it daily – just here and there if she’s over-exerted herself – or if she’s affected by some anxiety-producing event like fireworks. I’ve read many stories about the good CBD has done for both animals and human kids – the anti-seizure properties of CBD are legendary, and it’s also helped dogs and cats with hip problems and other conditions and injuries to regain better mobility.
My 93-year-old mom took both cannabis oil and hemp CBD oil during her early years of fighting lung cancer, beginning at age 80… She had great results by taking it at night and taking her prescribed chemo pill in the morning. Thirteen years ago it was harder to get consistently good hemp or cannabis oils, so we were always scrambling for info and consistent access to the products that worked. There’s been a lot more research and many companies are now making consistently good products. She was scared to tell her oncologist that she was taking cannabis and hemp oil, but when she finally did, he just laughed and said, “just keep doing what you’re doing,” and he also said he had many cancer patients also taking cannabis and hemp products. She was expected to not live more than 5 years but will mark her 14th year this summer.
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Two sides,
I owe you the credit for telling me about CBD when I was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. I took your advice. I was not given post-surgical pain medication. If it hadn’t been for the CBD I don’t know if I would have slept or been functional. So, a gazillion thanks to you!!! (((((hugs))))) I am now a 5-year breast cancer survivor. Marijuana was not legal in Illinois then, but my oncologist agreed to fill-out the form for the State so I would be approved for a medical marijuana license.
The issue we have here in Illinois now that marijuana is legal, is that the dispensaries no longer sell the CBD that I used to buy. They all contain high amounts of THC. There are so many places on the internet now that claim producing good quality hemp or CBD, that my head began turning flips with so much information. I’m going to order from the company the vet recommended for CBD for dogs, but if you know of a good brand of Hemp for me, please let me know.
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Yeah, it’s a chore to wade through si much info.
I’m so glad your doc got a license for you when you had breast cancer. Cannabis and hemp are important tools for healing cancer. My youngest brother lived with HIV for 30 years and cannabis and later hemp were part of his medical survival strategy.
I’m not sure that dispensaries in Cali or AZ ever stocked much hemp CBD. At least not where I went with my mom, nor recently in PHX where I bought cannabis. I don’t see it on online lists at a Tucson dispensary where I have one of my kids occasionally fetch some cannabis. The place in PHX kept small quantities of one brand and were almost always out, and it was one of those huge supermarket style dispensaries that had a deli with food products too. I suppose it really depends on the dispensary, and there are zillions, but since hemp products are available over the counter, dispensaries really have no good reason to carry it.
As for CBD products expressly for dogs – they’re convenient because you get the proper MGs and dosage info for dogs. I bought one bottle for Tootie ages ago that took weeks and weeks to arrive. I’ve used dog-sized doses from my own hemp oil ever since. I’m sure it’s easy to find articles onlone that show how much to give dogs from human oriented bottles of different MG sizes. The hemp oil itself can’t be any different and in fact might be more pure for human consumption since it may be classed as a food product.
Best wishes for you and Gracie! I know you’ll get this all sorted out.
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Two sides, thanks for the info. The company that the Vet uses is on the expensive side. They include a dosage chart based on the dog’s weight, so that will come-in handy. I don’t mind the money as long as it helps Gracie and I’m pretty sure that the Hemp oil will. I’m going to ask the Vet that if helps Gracie, if we can begin weaning her off the Prozac. Thanks for your best wishes and same to you.
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Two Sides,
Many blessings to your mom, and may she continue to live cancer free for many years.
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PS I live in AZ and while it’s true that most dispensaries sell cannabis products aimed at getting high, it’s also true that you don’t need to buy hemp CBD oil in dispensaries! I don’t know what’s going on in Illinois, but you can buy good hemp CBD oil in lots of non-dispensary settings in Western states – I’ve purchased mine at gas stations, regular tobacco smoke shops, small shops that specialize in hemp CBD oil, shops that specialize in natural cosmetics, and yes, even at Circle Ks! Of course, there’s CBD products for animals at pet stores (animals can take CBD meant for humans, just give fewer drops).
I now live in a tiny and remote historic mining town and for nearly two years, our local Circle K sold Hemp CBD products. They discontinued carrying it recently, and I’m now purcasing it online – there’s just not the same restrictions for CBD products that contain no THC. You don’t need a medical or recreational permit to buy hemp CBD oil and you don’t need to buy it in a dispensary (at least not in AZ and West coast) because it doesn’t have any intoxicating properties.
Don’t confuse hemp oil with cannabis oil, which does contain THC as well as CBD, (as do many strains of cannabis buds meant for smoking). Hemp and cannabis plants are related and voth have medicinal properties, but aren’t identical plants – hemp cultivation was popular in the US prior to WWII to make rope, strong fabrics, and other industrial applications. When the reefer madness thing came along and cannabis became illegal, hemp cultivation diminished and almost disappeared too despite not being intoxicating.
Mainly you’ll get a headache or get sleepy if you toke up on hemp. We used to try to smoke it back in the day when I grew up in Iowa. You’ll see wild hemp growing among other weeds in the Midwest around field crops and along streams, and sometimes even in empty lots in town sometimes.
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Two sides,
You have given me important information. Thanks so much. What’s happening in Illinois is confusing because I think you have to be licensed by the state before selling marijuana but not like other businesses. I think the state has to approve what suppliers are used. Suppliers can only sell to dispensaries. There’s a good brand of CBD called “Matter” and the manufacturer is located in Illinois. It was the first CBD I used. Matter contains 250 mg of CBD, and 13.8mg of THC. The dispensary stopped carrying it.
My son, trying to be helpful to find CBD for Gracie, went to the same dispensary and bought Remedi brand, CBD Tincture. It contains 51.3 mg of THC, and 48 mg of CBD. That would kill Gracie. Once you make a purchase, you can’t return it. There’s too much THC in it for me, and my son cannot use it because his job takes random drug tests. Although marijuana is legal, there are still companies who will not hire (and will fire), if drug tests produce results of THC. All of my pothead friends are dead, so I suppose I’ll just hold on to it in case I meet an old pothead. LOL!
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Oh my! Those products you used were likely cannabis oil and not hemp CBD. Hemp CBD oil has no THC. And yes, even the employees of dispensaries are sometimes confused by CBD percentages on cannabis products, not realizing that hemp cbd oil is a different product.
I currently have a large 4-oz bottle of The Essential Co. full-spectrum hemp extract, 6,000 MG. I bought it online from cbd.co Expensive, but got it at half price during a sale and so actually cost less than the smaller, less potent bottles I was buying locally (I per month at about $50). So my $75 for this one is a bargain, has lasted almost 3 months so far, and is still about 1/2 full. I’m really pleased with it.
I only take about 6 drops per night and might take another dose 12 hours later or even do 3x a day if I’m experiencing extra anxiety or depression, but that one small dose usually tides me over.
Therefore, I give my dog (and my son’s Basset, when he’s around, just a drop or two. She’s only 16 lbs and he’s 60, so he gets more if he needs it. Sometimes he’s so rowdy that he seems to get achey at the end of the day. Bassets put a lot of wear and tear on those short legs.
Of course, if you have a bottle of CBD with much lower MGs, the number of drops you’ll need will increase.
Although dogs have cannabinoid receptors like humans do, vets and zoologists say they really don’t respond well to getting THC or getting high, so it would probably make your dog anxious, just as cannabis with high THC levels also make some people anxious too, as you found out.
Fortunately, many states are dropping the old cannabis testing. Illinois will probably follow. It takes a couple of years after legalization for legislators in states to follow through with dropping the employment testing testing for THC.
I still sometimes smoke a bit of cannabis at bedtime now and then. I have a couple of autoimmune problems that seem to respond well to both hemp and cannabis, so I keep a bit of both in my bloodstream.
I’m sure you can probably find someone willing to polish off your bottle of cannabis oil for you. When my mom had lung cancer, we only knew about cannabis oil and so that’s what she took. But she was retired and didn’t have to worry about tests. She only used one small bottle every 90 days, the bare minimum for it to work but it did indeed help.
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