CBD oil has been gaining popularity for the management of various health conditions like asthma, diabetes, arthritis, anxiety, etc. in humans. Moreover, it has recently been found that CBD oil also has numerous benefits for pets like decreased pain and seizure frequency.
The article explores the potential benefits of CBD oil for pets and what the scientific literature says about it.
What is CBD Oil?
Medical Cannabis (MC) or Vijaya is a plant whose leaves contain many compounds including cannabinoids like tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). There are numerous different methods to extract THC and CBD from the leaves of MC. Once extraction is completed, CBD is purified and infused in a carrier oil like olive oil.
The final product undergoes lab testing for quality checks (QC). The gold standard for QC is third-party testing, which reputed brands like Cannazo India opt for.
This article explores the use of CBD oil for pets and the science behind it.
Why Consider CBD Oil for Pets?
Clinical trials for CBD oil have shown promising efficacy for chronic pain (1,2), insomnia (3), anxiety (4), etc. in humans. However, there is a growing interest in the potential use of CBD oil for pets because of its potential for use in humans.
Della Rocca & Di Salvo (2020) reviewed the use of hemp in farm animals (like pigs, cattle, ewes, goats, and hens) and pets including its nutritional and medical benefits (5) which are discussed ahead.
How CBD Oil Works in Pets
Similar to humans, animals have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) which consists of cannabinoid (CB) receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are more abundant in the central nervous system while CB2 are abundant in the immune system (6).
Activation of these receptors by interaction with THC and CBD leads to activation of various kinds of cells. Interaction with CB2 receptors leads to the increased production of cytokines that decrease inflammation and pain. Moreover, it has been found that CBD also has antioxidant properties and may alleviate stress and anxiety (6).
Thus, using CBD oil for pets may confer various benefits in treating inflammation, pain, and anxiety.
Is CBD Oil Safe for Pets?
It is crucial to use safe CBD oil for pets and ensure that there are no side effects. Although CBD oil is well-tolerated by most patients, some might experience mild side effects like:
- drowsiness
- dry mouth
- lowered blood pressure
It is crucial to recognize and monitor any adverse reactions, and prompt measures need to be taken if these side effects are persistent and/or severe.
Benefits of CBD Oil for Pets
A 2019 online survey conducted by Kogan et al. asked US veterinarians about their experience with CBD for pets (7). Veterinarians who used CBD products for pets were asked about their benefits based on their first-hand experience or via client reports. They perceived that CBD might help pets for:
- Analgesia for acute and chronic pain: CBD might help patients with pain conditions like arthritis and hip dysplasia.
- Anxiety: 87.1% of veterinarians perceived that CBD might help pets with anxiety.
- Vomiting: CBD might potentially reduce nausea.
- Seizure frequency or severity: CBD shows potential for epilepsy management
- Storm or fireworks phobia: 73.3% of vets felt that CBD helped pets with their phobias.
Specific Conditions CBD Oil May Help With
Since using CBD oil for pets has many benefits, veterinary clinical trials have explored how CBD oil may help pets with specific conditions like osteoarthritis and epilepsy
Osteoarthritis (OA) and Hip Dysplasia (HD)
A 2023 study conducted by Dr. Sudhakar Nataranjan of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force in collaboration with Cannazo India investigated the efficacy of full-spectrum MC oil for OA and HD in Labrador dogs.
Initial treatment with NSAIDs for osteoarthritis led to no change in mobility and pain after a month of treatment, while 2 patients presented with gastrointestinal bleeding due to the NSAIDs.
When the patients were switched to Cannazo India’s CBD pet oil, all patients experienced decreased pain while walking and defecating. After a month, they presented with significant improvement in mobility.
Epilepsy
A 2019 randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial investigated the effect of adjunctive CBD therapy for epilepsy. The study revealed that although both the CBD and placebo groups experienced more than a 50% decrease in seizure activity, there was an increase in serum alkaline phosphatase activity in the CBD group (8).
Moreover, the CBD group did experience a significant 33% decrease in seizure frequency, meaning that CBD doesn’t interfere with conventional anti-epileptic drugs. Thus, the authors suggested that further research is required on high doses of CBD oil for pet epilepsy (8).
How to Choose the Right CBD Oil for Your Pet
The most important feature of CBD oil for pets is its quality. Pets deserve high-quality, rigorously tested and certified products. Thus, buy CBD products from reputed brands like Cannazo India whose products undergo stringent third-party quality checks and certification.
Then comes the right flavour profile and dosage which is available in various formulations such as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum and isolate. It is crucial to keep in mind that it is best to choose low-THC or no-THC for pets due to the psycho-activity of THC.
Conclusion
It is prudent to be responsible while using CBD oil for pets to ensure their safety while getting the best efficacy. Using CBD oil for pets has shown potential benefits in managing pain, seizures, vomiting and anxiety that may help in the treatment of conditions like osteoarthritis, epilepsy and phobias.
References
- Wade DT, Robson P, House H, Makela P, Aram J. A preliminary controlled study to determine whether whole-plant cannabis extracts can improve intractable neurogenic symptoms. Clin Rehabil. 2003 Feb;17(1):21–9.
- Habib G, Khazin F, Artul S. The Effect of Medical Cannabis on Pain Level and Quality of Sleep among Rheumatology Clinic Outpatients. Aloisi AM, editor. Pain Res Manag. 2021 Sep 6;2021:1–6.
- Ried K, Tamanna T, Matthews S, Sali A. Medicinal cannabis improves sleep in adults with insomnia: a randomised double‐blind placebo‐controlled crossover study. J Sleep Res. 2023 Jun;32(3):e13793.
- Dahlgren MK, Lambros AM, Smith RT, Sagar KA, El-Abboud C, Gruber SA. Clinical and cognitive improvement following full-spectrum, high-cannabidiol treatment for anxiety: open-label data from a two-stage, phase 2 clinical trial. Commun Med. 2022 Nov 2;2(1):139.
- Della Rocca G, Di Salvo A. Hemp in Veterinary Medicine: From Feed to Drug. Front Vet Sci. 2020 Jul 28;7:387.
- Silver RJ. The Endocannabinoid System of Animals. Animals. 2019 Sep 16;9(9):686.
- Kogan L, Schoenfeld-Tacher R, Hellyer P, Rishniw M. US Veterinarians’ Knowledge, Experience, and Perception Regarding the Use of Cannabidiol for Canine Medical Conditions. Front Vet Sci. 2019 Jan 10;5:338.
- McGrath S, Bartner LR, Rao S, Packer RA, Gustafson DL. Randomized blinded controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of oral cannabidiol administration in addition to conventional antiepileptic treatment on seizure frequency in dogs with intractable idiopathic epilepsy. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2019 Jun 1;254(11):1301–8.
