Much has happened after the publication of the world’s first clinically pertinent, peer-reviewed research showed cannabidiol’s effectiveness and safety in lessening the pain of osteoarthritis-affected dogs. Cannabinoids have been in use for years for animals and human beings. Despite that, there has been much stigma around cannabinoids, or these have long been deemed illegal therapeutic options for animals. This arose from a federal level prohibition, which exists even now. A lot should happen to educate doctors on the therapeutic indicators for cannabinoids, harm reduction and dosing ranges.
For clinical use, data from veterinary clinical trials and preclinical studies demonstrate the usefulness and legitimacy of cannabinoids in animals. This is true if you compare the use of cannabinoids with that of other integrative or novel options that veterinary practitioners already adopt, despite conflicting or limited evidence. However, further research is essential about how phytocannabinoids such as CBD for pets and human beings work.
Research Updates
There is a lack of FDA-approved cannabidiol products for animals. However, there are at least ten pharmacokinetic studies published about CBD for dogs, besides three safety studies exploring the clinical use of cannabidiol-dominant items at various dosages. There are two safety studies and just as many PK studies at many different doses for cats.
Besides, there are two published pharmacokinetic studies for horses and a PK study about dairy calves. At the same time, multiple pharmacokinetic studies about various species are underway. You cannot assume that the efficacy or bioavailability of every product will be the same as compared with the items in the featured studies. This is especially the case given the different ratios and formulations of many different cannabinoids.
Despite a temporary alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in one cat in one study and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) elevations in some dogs, there seems to be a high therapeutic index. This means that the items are safe if properly produced and tested.
Anecdotes suggest that phytocannabinoids like cannabidiol are effective in treating pain, but studies are yet to address the same for acute pain. However, some peer-reviewed research pieces demonstrate moderate to excellent effectiveness in reducing pain scores among dogs suffering from osteoarthritis-related chronic pain. Another potential use of phytocannabinoids is to treat epilepsy in animals. A published study demonstrated an approximate 30% drop in seizure severity and frequency with the inclusion of a low level of a cannabidiol-dominant item for dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy.
