By Samantha Rough

If you’ve come into Hashtag Fremont, you’ve probably had the pleasure of meeting at least one of our lovely shop dogs. Our most famous Puptender is the big, lazy 10-year old Chocolate Lab, Nahla. While Nahla might get up to greet you, wag her tail in contentment or beg for a treat (or three), she is developing a common ailment in labradors: hip dysplasia.

While she may seem lackadaisical in the shop, present her with a tennis ball or show her open water, and you’ll see a completely different side of her. As her owner for the last 10 years, I’ve noticed her slowing down over the years, sometimes taking days to recover after running too much at the park or trying to keep up with her younger sister Percy (the small golden that can be seen on occasion with her).

Almost two years ago, I noticed a specific product that caught my eye: a bacon flavored tincture by Fairwinds Manufacturing, on the label, a sketch of a dog and a cat. I did some asking around in the neighborhood for people’s experience with THC and their pets, and I found that the majority of people believed that dogs do have the same natural cannabinoid receptors in the endocannabinoid system as humans. I knew that the combination of CBD and THC has worked wonders for me, so not my pet? So I gave it a try.

I was amazed by the results! It’s been years since Nahla has jumped into my Jeep, but just an hour after I gave her the tincture, she jumped right in. I tried giving her two drops on the way home from the park to see if it would help with the soreness in her hips, which sometimes renders her immobile, but this time was different. While she still wasn’t at 100%, I could tell she was in a lot less pain. As a dog mom, as her partner in crime for the last decade, I couldn’t believe it.

Although I am not a doctor or a pharmacist, I can tell you that from my personal experience: it works. As a budtender and pet owner, my customers share their stories with me of their success with this tincture as well: Stories of relief from loss of appetite and anxiety to seizures.

Don’t get me wrong; just like in humans, too much can be too much. But, unlike humans, too much THC in pets can sometimes lead to extreme health issues. So be mindful and be careful when administering cannabis to pets, or humans for that matter. Our best friends are much more sensitive to THC than we humans are, so please keep that in mind while trying to help your pet with this natural remedy.

Swing by either of our Hashtag locations in Redmond or Fremont and ask one of our knowledgable budtenders about their personal experience with pets and cannabis. We recommend Fairwinds Companion Tincture, it even tastes like bacon! Drop it on your pet’s food, or right into their mouth for a tasty and comforting treat.