My Dog Murphy Was a Hot Mess. Then He Tried CBD.
A love letter to the golden retriever who turned our couch into a panic room — and the pet tincture that finally gave us both some peace.
Let me paint you a picture.
It’s a Tuesday. There’s a thunderstorm rolling in over Dayton. And Murphy — my 7-year-old golden retriever, 78 pounds of pure anxiety wrapped in fur — has already squeezed himself behind the toilet, knocked over a lamp, and eaten half a throw pillow. He’s looking at me with those enormous brown eyes that say “Dad, I am absolutely not okay,” and honestly? Same, Murphy. Same.
If you have a dog, you already know exactly what I’m talking about. Dogs don’t just get anxious — they commit to it. Thunderstorms, fireworks, car rides, the mailman’s audacity to exist, the vacuum cleaner, the sight of a plastic bag blowing across a parking lot — any of it can send a dog into full existential crisis mode.
For Murphy, it was all of the above. Plus Tuesdays, apparently.
The Internet Rabbit Hole That Actually Helped
Like any responsible dog parent, I did what we all do: I googled at 11pm while Murphy hyperventilated next to me. I fell deep into forums, Reddit threads, and vet blogs. A lot of people were talking about pet CBD tinctures — specifically broad spectrum, zero THC formulas for dogs.
Now, I’ll be honest. My first reaction was “Is this just… weed for my dog?”
It is not. Let me save you the forum spelunking.
Broad spectrum CBD contains the naturally occurring hemp plant compounds — cannabidiol, terpenes, other minor cannabinoids — but with THC completely removed. Zero. None. Your dog is not getting high. Murphy is not going to develop a taste for Doritos and start philosophizing. What CBD can do is support the endocannabinoid system, which both dogs and humans have, and which plays a role in regulating mood, inflammation, and stress response.
Science-y enough? Good. Let’s get back to Murphy.
The Tincture That Changed Tuesday Nights
I picked up HyperNova CBD’s Pet Tincture — a zero THC, broad spectrum formula made right here in Ohio — mostly because I trusted the sourcing and the third-party lab testing. (No THC means no drug test worries if your dog is in an agility competition. Yes, that’s a real thing. Murphy is not in an agility competition. Murphy once tripped over his own ears.)
I put the recommended amount on his food before a predicted thunderstorm. I braced myself.
He ate. He curled up. He… went to sleep.
I sat there waiting for the chaos that didn’t come.
I’m not saying it was a miracle. I’m saying Murphy slept through a storm that had previously required me to sit on the bathroom floor with him for two hours while he panted on my lap. I watched the lightning from the couch like a normal person.
What I Actually Noticed Over Time
We’ve been consistent with it for a few months now. Here’s what’s changed:
His baseline chill level is higher. He still notices storms, but the panic spiral doesn’t start the same way. He comes and finds me, we hang out, life goes on.
Car rides improved dramatically. Murphy used to drool so much on road trips that I’d bring a towel. Now he mostly looks out the window like a distinguished gentleman.
His joints seem happier. He’s 7, starting to slow down a little. The CBD has anti-inflammatory properties, and I genuinely think he’s been more comfortable — more willing to chase a ball than he was a year ago.
A Word to Fellow Dog Parents
I’m not a vet. Talk to yours — especially if your dog is on medication, because CBD can interact with certain drugs. But if your dog is anxious, aging, uncomfortable, or just a lot, a high-quality, zero THC pet CBD tincture is absolutely worth a conversation.
The key words are zero THC and third-party tested. You want to know exactly what’s in it. Murphy can’t read the label. That’s your job.
You can find what I used at hypernovacbd.com/shop — Ohio-made, ODA-licensed, and formulated specifically for pets.
Murphy would write this endorsement himself, but he’s currently asleep on my feet.
Which, honestly, is the whole point.