CBD Supplements For Dogs And Cats: Where Are We Now?

cbd supplements dogs cats where are we now dr franck vet

CBD is probably the supplement that attracts the most curiosity from pet owners.

This is especially true with the legalization of cannabis in Canada.

However, it is important to understand that several companies can produce this supplement (often in the form of oil) and that this field is still relatively new. This also means that not all products are identical and standardized in their manufacture.

In plain English, one CBD supplement can be quite different from the one next to it, even if they look similar or even identical. This is not to discourage you, but rather to make you understand that even if you see a cute puppy or kitten on the bottle, this does not mean that there has been intense research before. 

So, Dr. Franck, I’d love to try some CBD for my dog and cat at home, do you think that’s a good idea?

My dear friend, I’m glad you asked!

To answer you properly, we have to consider 2 points:

  • first, safety
  • and second, effectiveness

We can agree that if it’s safe to give it but it doesn’t work, it’s not very interesting. On the other hand, if it is very effective but there are many problems related to its use, then we will also be afraid to use it (and rightly so).

So on the safety side, preliminary studies seem to show that it is quite safe to use CBD in cats and dogs, i.e. the side effects observed are generally mild and short-lived. As with any medication or supplement, there can always be more serious problems, although these seem to be quite rare. So all in all, this is good news!

Now as far as effectiveness is concerned, there seems to be some way to go before we have clear answers.

For now, we can say that it seems promising for the future. 3-4

Different uses are currently being studied such as anxiety in animals, pain, and inflammation as well. It is likely that one day, this CBD supplement will be used more and more, so until then, we have to wait a bit.  

Whew, that’s a lot to remember! So what do you recommend I do?

Since there is no registered product in Canada at this time, I can’t recommend a specific one.

The best thing to do then is probably to buy one, give it away and see what the effects are (both potentially positive and negative). If there seem to be more advantages than disadvantages to using it, then great!

Then if it doesn’t seem to be the case, you can always try another type because as we explained at the beginning, not all products and brands are created equal so there’s no guarantee that the same thing will happen to you if you do another trial with a different supplement. So what do you think?

I think I’ll keep thinking about it. Thanks, Dr. Franck!

Any last words of advice before you go?

Sure, I’d love to! I would just suggest that you follow this burgeoning field of research! There will be more studies to come in this path of veterinary medicine.

With animal welfare being a major concern for veterinarians and pet owners today, we’re not done hearing about it!

So tell me I’m curious: have you ever tried CBD for your pet? If so, what was your experience?

Further Readings

Source 1. Kulpa JE, Paulionis LJ, Eglit GMI, Vaughn DM. Safety and tolerability of escalating cannabinoid doses in healthy cats. J Feline Med Surg. 2021;23(12):1162-1175.

Source 2. Vaughn DM, Paulionis LJ, Kulpa JE. Randomized, placebo-controlled, 28-day safety and pharmacokinetics evaluation of repeated oral cannabidiol administration in healthy dogs. Am J Vet Res. 2021;82(5):405-416.

Source 3. Verrico CD, Wesson S, Konduri V, Hofferek CJ, Vazquez-Perez J, Blair E, Dunner K Jr, Salimpour P, Decker WK, Halpert MM. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of daily cannabidiol for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis pain. Pain. 2020 Sep 1;161(9):2191-2202. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001896. PMID: 32345916; PMCID: PMC7584779.

Source 4. Yu CHJ, Rupasinghe HPV. Cannabidiol-based natural health products for companion animals: Recent advances in the management of anxiety, pain, and inflammation. Res Vet Sci. 2021 Nov;140:38-46. doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.08.001. Epub 2021 Aug 8. PMID: 34391060.