CBD: Becoming Broadly Accepted, but Dosage Questions Remain Peter Kenseth

CBD: Becoming Broadly Accepted, but Dosage Questions Remain

Peter Kenseth

CBD is becoming increasingly more accepted as a beneficial supplement for humans, and like many human trends, it is crossing over into the pet landscape. At SuperZoo 2021 (August 16-19th in Las Vegas), it was clear that the pet industry might be reaching “peak CBD,” as over 20 companies promoting CBD-based products were present at the show. Product differentiation is becoming increasingly more common. Some companies continue to market multiple benefits associated with CBD in all-in-one products, but many companies are beginning to combine CBD with other ingredients to create products that can be marketed with specific functional claims. companies are now marketing separate CBD products for dogs and cats, and for different indications (calming, joint/mobility, etc.). Products are now available in several forms, including tinctures, balms, treats, chews, powders, and creams.

In addition to the proliferation of CBD-based products targeted for specific indications, and the emergence of dog- and cat-specific offerings, another key indicator of CBD’s growing acceptance was Martha Stewart CBD’s (Canopy Growth) announcement that it had obtained a placement in Wegman’s. Although CBD is not FDA-approved for humans or pets, and there are no approved uses of CBD in animals, many companies, including Pet Releaf, EllePet, and Canopy Growth have completed studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of CBD in pets. Other companies at SuperZoo, including Prospect Farms and Paw CBD mentioned that they had trials in progress. Prospect Farms is building a trial with leading vets from AirVet and UCLA Cannabis Lab, while Paw CBD has an ongoing study with Colorado State University, studying the effects of effects of the company’s patent pending, proprietary cbdMD branded cannabinoid blend on dogs that suffer from osteoarthritis.

CBD has been shown to promote calm behavior, reduce anxiety, and alleviate pain. As such, it is marketed to pet owners as a potential remedy for anxious or aggressive behavior, and for joint/ mobility issues. Pet owners seeking an alternative remedy for any of these conditions might benefit from exploring whether CBD is a viable option for their pet. The existing clinical studies show that CBD is well tolerated by dogs, but there is not as much research on the use of CBD in the cat population. Because CBD is not FDA-approved, most U.S. veterinary medical licensing and pharmacy boards are advising veterinarians against discussing, recommending and selling CBD products until such time when it is approved. However, Canopy Animal Health notes that 29% of veterinarians are asked about CBD products on a weekly basis, and that interest in CBD-based products is higher in states where recreational marijuana has been legalized.

In the absence of FDA-approval, the next big question surrounding the use of CBD in pets will likely be around appropriate dosing levels. Given that there are no guidelines around dosing in humans, finding appropriate CBD dosage levels in pets may be a challenge. I take CBD myself, and generally use around 30mg/ day. However, CBD companies market capsules containing 100mg of CBD. Given that CBD contains very low levels of THC (if it contains any THC at all), there is a generally accepted guidance that “dosing” is a matter of personal preference.

At SuperZoo, the majority of the companies promoting CBD-based products for pets marketed treats, chews, or tinctures that contained 10mg of CBD per dose. However, a few companies noted that higher levels of CBD were required to achieve optimal results in the pet population. I talked to one of the owners of LIX, an Oregon-based pet CBD company, and told her that I generally gave my dog, Peony, about 7.5mg of CBD with each meal. We rescued Peony almost 5 years ago, and she’s always been a somewhat nervous dog, so soon after I began taking CBD, I started giving it to Peony as well, to see if she would experience the same calming benefits that I had noticed.

“Oh, that’s much too low,” she replied. “I would bump that up to 20mg, and see if you notice any difference. We know that when we’re treating pets with anxiety, you have to give higher levels of CBD. There are examples in humans who have been given CBD to help combat conditions like PTSD – we know that CBD can help to heal the brain, but it has to be given in high doses to make a difference.”

When I walked away from the LIX booth, I pondered about whether I should change Peony’s CBD dosage when I got home. Amazingly, it didn’t take long to find another proponent of a higher CBD dosage in dogs. Canopy Growth, which is one of the largest cannabis and CBD distributors in the world, had a booth at SuperZoo to promote their SurityPro and Martha Stewart pet CBD products. The CBD content in both of these brands is on the high end of the spectrum. The SurityPro Multi soft chews for large dogs (51-130 lbs) have 57mg of CBD per chew. The directions on the package recommend 1 chew per day for dogs that are 51-85 pounds, and 1.5 chews for dogs that are 85-130 pounds.

When I remarked that this was almost twice the amount of CBD that I took on a daily basis, the reps at the booth told me that the company’s research had found that to achieve meaningful results, dogs should be given a ~1mg of CBD per pound of body weight. “You’re not a dog,” they told me. “The way you’ll metabolize CBD is different than how your dog will metabolize it.”

I’ve tried increasing Peony’s CBD dosage over the past few months, and while upping her dosage has been beneficial to an extent, I’m still working to find an optimal level. The science behind CBD is still relatively unstudied, in both humans and pets, and although there is clearly tremendous promise for what CBD might be able to offer in terms of anxiety reduction and pain relief, the decision on whether or not to use it, and at what levels, will likely remain a personal one for the foreseeable future.