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Kratom For Dogs & Cats: Should You Be Giving Kratom to Your Furry Friends?

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The rising use of CBD for pets has pet owners wondering whether kratom for dogs might be able to help, too. While we can’t provide a definitive answer, we can present some information on what the science says, so far, about the kratom for animals issue. Let’s dive in and take a look at whether kratom might be safe for dogs or if this is one trend that needs to play dead.

Kratom & Animals: Understanding How Kratom Works on the Brain

Kratom is perhaps best known for its ability to reduce feelings of pain by activating the mu-, delta-, and kappa- opioid receptors. These are the same receptors that are activated by classical opioids like morphine and codeine — except that kratom has yet to be proven to cause respiratory depression like classic opioids tend to do.

Like humans, other mammals, like dogs and rodents, also have opioid receptors in their brains that work very similarly to their human counterparts. Dogs, for example, have a large density of kappa receptors, followed by delta receptors, and mu receptors. This could have some interesting ramifications for using kratom on dogs, as kratom’s main alkaloid Mitragynine works on these opioid receptors.

Could Kratom Work for Dogs?

Whenever scientists test a new substance with the potential for therapeutic use in humans and/or animals, they usually start with a mouse or rat model to determine the safety and the dose that is likely to have the best effect. As rodents are mammals, these animal studies may shed some light on whether kratom might be safe for dogs as well.

So far, this is what researchers have discovered:

  • A 2007 mouse study showed that an aqueous extract of Mitragyna speciosa improved withdrawal symptoms in addicted mice at a dose of 300 mg/kg. At doses of 100, 200, and 500 mg/kg, kratom improved depressive symptoms without reducing the mice’s spontaneous activity level.
  • A 2008 rat study showed that kratom slowed down digestion (stopping diarrhea) when given as a single dose for one day. However, the rats adapted to the kratom after two weeks and their digestive transit time went back to normal. High doses of kratom decreased body weight in a similar way to morphine.
  • A 2016 rat study showed that kratom alleviated both positive and negative symptoms of psychosis in mice. These symptoms included exaggerated climbing behaviors and social withdrawal.
  • A 2017 rodent study showed that kratom derivatives were effective for relieving chronic pain and had fewer side-effects than the original compounds. The derivatives used in the study were structurally modified components of Mitragynine and 7-Hydroxymitragynine.

Seeing that dogs are also mammals, we could expect that kratom for dogs would have similar effects to kratom extracts in rats and mice. However, the dosage could be difficult to determine when using the whole kratom plant as opposed to the aqueous extracts or modified alkaloids used in these studies.

A man sits next to his dog on a bridge.

Is Kratom Safe for Dogs?

Given the lack of research around kratom for dogs, the main question you would have to ask yourself is whether kratom is safe for dogs if they take too much. Fortunately, a 1992 study showed that kratom is not fatal for dogs when taken in large doses (up to 920 mg/kg). That said, high doses may cause liver and kidney damage in animals, so it’s best to consult a holistic veterinarian before giving kratom to your pet. From Kratora you can buy kratom online that has been lab-tested for the highest quality experience possible.

Please note that the US FDA has not approved kratom to be sold for human consumption, it is sold for external use only. None of the products sold on our website are intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition.

Want to learn more about kratom quality and value? Start here:
Why Buying Cheap Kratom Can Be Dangerous

Author Bio

Colleen

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Colleen is a part owner of Kratora along with her brother David. Kratora was founded in 2013 by David with Colleen joining the team later in 2017. The siblings were born and raised in the Bay Area and spent most of their professional years working in Silicon Valley. Their interest in botanicals began in the early 2000s as they cared for a sick family member and quickly grew into the passion that formed Kratora.

Colleen and the team at Kratora are dedicated to providing the best quality botanicals on the market along with the best customer service. They believe their loyal customers are what makes Kratora so special! Over their many years in business it has always brought them joy to work with their customers and see how botanicals are changing lives for the better.

Kratora’s vision is to help their customers live a better life by consistently providing the highest quality, safest, and purest botanicals on the market. Colleen and her team specialize in regular kratom, kratom extracts, liquid kratom, even kratom gummies — plus a lot of kratom alternative products. Kratora is always looking to expand their product line while remaining true to their high standards.

Colleen believes in transparency between the Kratora team and the expert farmers in South Asia which is why they follow Fair Trade policies. Without these farmers, Kratora would not have any products to sell. As part of Colleen’s commitment in providing the highest quality botanicals, Kratora invests highly into third-party lab testing for all of the products they sell.

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