Cannabidiol (CBD) has become extremely popular among the human population, but is it safe for pets?
New research by the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) and Nutrasource aimed to answer this exact question.
They used CBD on 32 healthy male and female dogs over the age of six months with each dog receiving a daily dose for 90 consecutive days.
The findings were ultimately positive with the study showing that the dogs tolerated CBD well.
There is anecdotal evidence of owners of pets using CBD on their pets to help with their pain as well as helping to control seizures.
However, this is one of the first studies to show that medium term use does not appear to be damaging to dogs.
Another study conducted by the AKC Canine Health Foundation is examining whether CBD can be used as a treatment for treatment-resistant epileptic dogs.
It is expected that similar side effects of CBD use such as dry mouth, lower blood pressure and drowsiness could also apply to our canine friends.
Even though the study has shown positive results, much more research is needed in this area before CBD is considered as a safe treatment for pets.
Further to this, once conclusively found safe, further research needs to be conducted whether the positive effects of CBD that have been shown in humans transfers to pets.
There are still no CBD products on the market specifically for pets and the debate around their usefulness continues.
A depressed elephant at a Polish zoo received CBD oil treatment after it was mourning the death of the matriarch.
Margitta Dziwenka, Nutrasource’s director of preclinical and companion animal services, added, “This research is a game-changer for pet health, offering an expanded horizon for veterinarians, industry, and pet owners alike. These findings grant us a renewed sense of confidence in exploring CBD product development for use in companion animals so that industry can confidently answer the call and growing demand for natural and alternative products.”
