CBD Holds Promise of Pain Relief for Dogs with Arthritis

Study shows improvements in both quality of life and mood.

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A small and preliminary but high-quality study shows that dogs afflicted with osteoarthritis may experience pain relief, a better ability to get around, and mood improvement by consuming CBD, or cannabidiol. CBD is a component of cannabis that does not produce a “high.”

In collaboration with researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Medterra CBD, Sunset Animal Hospital in Houston enrolled 20 dogs weighing at least 45 pounds into a research trial in which neither the veterinarians nor the dogs’ human companions knew which dogs were getting CBD and which were getting placebo. But after four weeks, differences between the CBD and non-CBD dogs were clear. Both the dogs’ guardians and the veterinarian on the research team observed that 90 percent of the dogs who had been given the supplement moved around with more ease and seemed happier. The results were published in the journal PAIN.

Those dogs who had been given the substance encapsulated in liposomes — tiny teardrop-shaped “bubbles” that contain the same materials as cell membranes and deliver substances to the bloodstream more effectively — did even better than dogs who were administered the CBD on its own. The encapsulated CBD produced the same beneficial results as the “naked” one at only 40 percent of the concentration. By contrast, the dogs who had been receiving only placebo showed no changes whatsoever in their pain, mobility, or mood levels.

Even two weeks after the end of the dosing period, the dogs taking the more effective CBD were still doing better than the others. The researchers aren’t surprised. In a series of prequels to this study, they had found that in the cells of both humans and mice, CBD cut down on the production of molecules that cause inflammation, which is what leads to much of arthritis pain. The CBD also had what Baylor researcher Matthew Halpert, PhD, calls a quieting effect on immune cells commonly involved in chronic pain conditions, and even led to an increase in substances known to suppress inflammation

The human cells and some of the mouse cells were not examined inside the body; they were looked at on cells isolated in the lab. Still, the results suggest that CBD wasn’t just masking pain “in the moment.” It was apparently having an effect on underlying biological mechanisms that contribute to inflammation and other processes that bring on the pain in the first place.

CBD market out in front of the science

People contemplating offering CBD to their arthritic dogs — or who already do — should be aware that although the substance is a drug, it is marketed as a supplement. And the supplement industry is very under-regulated.

The Food and Drug Administration has to be shown rigorous proof that a drug is safe and effective before it is allowed to come to market as a qualified medical treatment for a specific indication/disease. A supplement doesn’t have to undergo the same pre-market scrutiny and can end up on supermarket shelves with contaminants or different amounts of the active ingredient than the label says. Indeed, Dr. Halpert reports, “I have analyzed different CBD offerings from several companies and found many to be inaccurately labeled, containing zero CBD, or clearly contaminated.”

In other words, regulation is, at best, loose. That means a supplement is pulled from the market only after it shows harm once it has been distributed to the general public. The public, in effect, becomes the “body” in a large, uncontrolled study.

We don’t mean to say the results of the current research are not encouraging. They are. But they are in the early stages of where evidence needs to be. FDA-approved medications that can only be obtained by prescription from a veterinarian, such as Galliprant and Rimadyl, remain at the frontline of canine osteoarthritis treatment due to their extensive testing. These should be administered in conjunction with lifestyle measures that include helping an arthritic dog lose excess weight and engage in moderate activity that will nourish his joints without over-taxing them.

If you decide to try CBD on your dog without knowing, for instance, how it interacts with other drugs your pet might be taking or its long-term effects, at least choose a product made by a company that can provide lab results showing a) that the supplement contains what the label says it does, in the stated amounts and b) that the product is free from contaminants.

In addition, discuss your decision with your dog’s veterinarian. Otherwise, you’re really dosing in the dark. The needs (and safety) for a 45-pound dog in severe pain might be very different from those for a 110-pound dog in extreme pain, which is significantly worse.

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