CBD and Your Dog
In the past five years or so CBD has gone from something of a novelty to a near ubiquitous product. If you noticed it when it first came on the scene, you probably saw tinctures or essential oils at your local health foods store. Lately they’ve been adding it to everything, from hand cream to fancy sodas. Touted for its health benefits, you may have found yourself wondering what, precisely, is CBD, and how can it help? Here’s a brief guide on its uses, risks, and potential benefits.
What is CBD, Anyway?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is also one of two main active ingredients in marijuana, the other being THC. Unlike THC, which will get you high, CBD does not produce the same psychotropic effects, meaning that its sale isn’t limited to your local dispensary. Most commercially available CBD comes not from cannabis, but is either extracted from the hemp plant (legal in all fifty states since legislation signed in 2015), or made synthetically.
In humans, CBD is thought to provide relief for symptoms related to the following conditions:
Anxiety
Chronic Pain
Seizures
At present, the first documented effective use of CBD is a medication derived from CBD, which is used as an effective treatment for children suffering from more severe forms of epilepsy. The other benefits, while under investigation, remain largely unproven. Research in humans and animals is ongoing.
CBD and Your Pet
Because of its purported health benefits in humans, it shouldn’t be surprising that pet owners have turned to CBD for treating similar symptoms in their pets. In response, a number of companies have begun producing products specifically tailored for use in animals.
The general medical consensus (at least with regard to treatment in humans) is that CBD is somewhere between an “expensive placebo” and “generally considered safe”. The risk of overdose is relatively low, with the LD-50 for an animal weighing roughly fifty pounds being measured at over two dozen grams. This being the case, we nonetheless recommend practicing caution if you do choose to adopt CBD for treating your pets. Here are a few things to take into consideration.
Dosage is still a big question. When considering administering CBD to your pet, bear in mind that there are no established guidelines regarding appropriate dosage. Not only does the recommended dose vary depending on the size of your dog, the level of active ingredient and bioavailability of the medication can vary between brand and delivery method.
Consider potential side effects. Potential side effects from CBD raise certain concerns. Lethargy and dry mouth are common. Of greater concern is the potential for lowered blood pressure. Writing for Harvard Medical Publications, Dr. Peter Grinspoon points out that CBD may produce abnormalities in liver function tests similar to those caused by acetominophen, the active ingredient found in Tylenol.
Medications don’t always produce the same effects in animals as they do in humans. Remember that not every active ingredient works the same way in dogs that it does in humans. Even harmless-seeming everyday foods, like chocolate or grapes, can be fatal if ingested by pets.
Most sources are still skeptical about the benefits. For the moment, and because CBD and its effects are so poorly understood, most sources remain doubtful as to whether you should dose yourself or your pet with CBD to treat your ailments. As noted above, the most promising therapeutic use of CBD is related to seizure disorders, and it may yield promising results for animals suffering from those conditions.
Supplements are regulated differently from medications. One final consideration is that the Food and Drug Administration regulates supplements differently from medications. Medications need to prove safety and efficacy through extensive clinical trials (which can take years, if not longer) in order to gain FDA approval, whereas for supplements, the bar is considerably lower. Companies looking to register supplements need only demonstrate that their product contains (within certain tolerances) predictable concentrations of the advertised ingredients, and that the product is free of contaminants. Testing is often left up to producers, and enforcement is often administered only following incidents of documented adverse events, or complaints filed by consumers.
Conclusion: Proceed with Caution
If you remain interested in exploring CBD as a treatment option, The American Kennel Club recommends choosing products made by brands with an established line of quality products. Keeping that in mind, given the available information, our recommendation is to proceed with caution if you decide to go this route. Our first concern is that the correct dosage of CBD for dogs remains unclear. The exact level of concentration in CBD products can vary from brand to brand, which increases the potential for overmedication (although an overdose is unlikely), which can lead to, among other things, liver damage. Other side effects—lethargy and irritability—may seem less concerning, but consider that lethargy may be linked to lower blood pressure, and that irritability in dogs may have consequences beyond your pet’s health. PetMD.com recommends, above all, that you don’t start your pets on a course of this supplement without first consulting your veterinarian.
With research ongoing, it’s possible that we will have a better picture on best practices and legitimate uses of CBD in the near future. Until there is better evidence in support of the benefits of CBD treatment in animals, however, we recommend proceeding with caution.