Do you own a cat, horse or dog? If so, you may have noticed a large number of CBD items in the market. An array of items with CBD for pets are available in pet supply shops with positive feedback from customers. Now, does that feedback mean that all those products are safe for animals? If so, which are the advantages of cannabidiol to pets?
Does Cannabidiol Benefit Animals?
As per Canadian and US dog owner surveys, pain relief, anti-anxiety effects, and anti-inflammatory effects are the three main reasons why they buy CBD for dogs. Cannabidiol pet product sites and internet forms discuss anecdotal evidence on cannabidiol health advantages. However, the scientific study count on cannabidiol for pets is limited, although it has been steadily going up since the EU and the US legalized hemp.
There is only a handful of studies about cannabidiol and analgesic effects for animals. Most of those studies were performed in osteoarthritis-affected dogs, and they showed that it improved mobility and reduced pain. Those consistent outputs are notable as the pieces of research are varied by cannabidiol form, dosage and dosing regimen as well as the duration of treatment. The studies only found minor side effects such as incoordination and sleepiness. With longer CBD use, however, the studies found that it increased the levels of alkaline phosphate, which is a factor in liver damage.
There is no published clinical study on cannabidiol for inflammation in cats and dogs. However, because horses that perform well are more in danger of inflammation and injury, a study was conducted about inflammation and cannabidiol metabolism in horses. These animals tolerated cannabidiol well, and there were changes noticeable in inflammation-related signaling pathways. For that reason, the study authors recommend further studies on cannabidiol for horses.
It has also been shown that cannabidiol reduces anxiety in human beings, mice and rats, but a published scientific study does not confirm the same for other animals. None of the published studies about dogs with anxiety supports cannabidiol as an anxiolytic substance. There is a lack of clinical studies on how cannabidiol affects anxiety in horses or cats.
There is some interest in administering cannabidiol to animals to treat their epilepsy as Epidiolex with CBD has been an approved drug in North America and Europe for some humans. Two studies on cannabidiol’s anti-seizure effectiveness found that it reduced the frequency of seizures, but it does not have a consistent effect on all dogs.