Can My Pets Take CBD?

The good news is that dogs also have an endocannabinoid system, and so can use the naturally-occurring phytocannabinoids like CBD, just like humans can. If you’ve read about how CBD works, then you know that it pairs with our endocannabinoid system perfectly.

It is a logical conclusion that if we can find benefit in a CBD regimen, then so can our furry friends. Just remember they are much smaller than we are, so would need much smaller doses.

One study done on osteoarthritic dogs showed that, after giving them a dose of CBD equal to 2mg per kg of body weight of the dog every 12 hours:

“CBD oil increase comfort and activity in the home environment for dogs with OA. Additionally, veterinary assessments of pain were also favorable.”

In a survey of 2130 US veterinarians conducted by Lori Kogan from the University of North Carolina, the most discussed and shared topics relating to the use of CBD as a treatment for pain management, anxiety and seizures.

However, it seems that the responding community of veterinarians doesn’t proactively discuss CBD as a treatment option, with a little over 44% responding that they never advise their clients about CBD.

When asked why this is, the most common answer was they didn’t feel knowledgeable enough to discuss it or they thought the field needed more research.

The respondents of this survey reported seeing clinical benefits in dogs through relief from both chronic and acute pain, anxiety as well as a reduction in seizure frequency or severity. This is a hopeful start but needs more research to back it up.

One side effect reported in about 10% of dogs using CBD was sedation, but less than 30% of vets responded as seeing this occurrence.

Looking for that research turns out to be very difficult, and it’s not surprising. There isn’t a ton of research being conducted on humans, and our furry friends would be further down the list of priorities for funding research.

This is a big question we want to know before giving CBD to our furbabies. In one study I found, which was designed to determine the tolerability of CBD by healthy dogs, reported that there was a significant side effect in the 30 dogs that received CBD – diarrhea.

But, the report went on to summarize:

“This study is the first to assess the safety of transdermal and oral CBD use in healthy dogs. Overall, the product was well-tolerated clinically.”

What I can get from this limited research is that, yes CBD is well tolerated by fur babies, most likely because of their shared endocannabinoid system. However, you can expect that they might get diarrhea at the beginning of treatment that might go away over time.

With the different conditions that have anecdotal data supporting through the use of vets, maybe it’s time you spoke to your vet about the benefits of CBD for your pets.

Remember, try different approaches and keep track of what you are doing and you might find the relief that your pet needs!