(WTNH) — As we come out of the pandemic and workers head back to the office, our pets may be dealing with anxiety. A shoreline couple has come up with a new dog treat designed to help Fido feel better.
Maybe it will help Cooper, a dog who looks pretty freaked out every time he gets in a car.
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“He is an awesome dog, but he hates the car,” said Cooper’s owner, Fairfield resident Tracey Holleran. “We tried medication from our vet. It did not work. We’ve tried Dramamine, did not work.”
Now, Holloran is thinking about trying CBD. That’s something Westport entrepreneur Joe Sequenzia knows about.
“CBD is an all-natural remedy, as you probably know, and it seems to be all the rage right now, for everything from pain, sleep, anxiety,” Sequenzia said. “So, as we started using it ourselves, we thought we could also look into this for our dogs.”
That’s how he and his wife Kelly ended up developing Yup Pup: dog treats made from natural ingredients, with CBD in them. And no, they are not getting their dogs high.
“CBD is found in cannabis and hemp,” explained Joe’s wife, Kelly Coveny. “Cannabis is the plant that also contains marijuana, or THC, and we do not have that.”
THC is the element in the cannabis plant that creates a psychoactive effect. Using CBD only – without THC – will not result in a psychoactive effect for you or your dog.
Veterinary Technician Kristen Barstow helped with the recipe and says there is no risk of addiction, either.
“It targets very specific receptors in certain areas of the body,” said Barstow. “So, as soon as it targets those receptors, it does its job. And as soon as it’s done, it’s done. There’s no dependency on that.”
Many dogs have grown dependent on their people working from home every day during the pandemic. That is rapidly changing as folks head back to the office.
“Pets, you know, are very prone to something called ‘separation anxiety,'” Barstow said. “Now, their people are no longer there, and they are spending more and more time by themselves.”
Some signs of anxiety are “accidents” in the house, or chewing things they are not supposed to. CBD can help with that.
“It’s been really interesting the different kinds of anxiety that people have written in about,” Coveny said. “From thunderstorms, that it’s helped tremendously with, to grooming.”
Yup Pup is only available online. It’s fairly new, but Joe and Kelly have already noticed the difference in their golden retrievers. Less joint pain for the older one, a calmer demeanor in the younger one.
As for Cooper, Holleran has an appointment to talk about CBD.
“As soon as our veterinarian says that we’re good to go, I’ll try it immediately,” said Holleran. “My hope is that we can get him to the point where we can bring him more places, not just out of necessity.”
And hopefully, no more freak outs in the car.
