CBD oil for animals with osteoarthritis - What can I do?

We are only well when our pets are well. If something is wrong with them and they are ill, we suffer with them. After all, our pets are part of the family. Unfortunately, arthritis does not stop at dogs and cats and the poor animals have to endure pain until the disease is finally discovered. In the process, you can observe how they become more and more immobile and no longer feel like romping and jumping. But since painkillers are not an option for many, as they have side effects, CBD oil can be an important helper to relieve the inflammation and reduce the pain. We explain how this works in this guide.

How does CBD oil work for arthritis?

Our pets, like us humans, have an endocannabinoid system in their body that also has receptors connected to it. Since the endocannabinoid system sometimes gets out of balance, not as many endocannabinoids are produced anymore, which is why it is necessary to supply CBD oil from the outside. Since CBD, like the endocannabinoids, also interacts with the receptors, sleep, pain as well as well-being and mood are positively influenced.
Cannabinoids are already quite well researched and there is a lot of information and evidence that CBD is an important tool for pain and inflammation. Especially for chronic pain of all kinds, cannabidiol oil can be used helpfully and is therefore recommended by many veterinarians. Even if it still takes some time in Germany until all vets are convinced of this, it is already completely normal in southern countries that painkillers are only prescribed in emergencies. As a rule, CBD preparations are recommended for rheumatism or arthritis.

The study situation on CBD for osteoarthritis in animals

In a study from the USA, for example, 16 dogs suffering from osteoarthritis were given CBD. They received CBD extract for four weeks and a placebo for another four weeks. It was found that during the time the dogs received cannabidiol, they were significantly more active and felt better. They also had less pain. Even if the pain therapy the animals received was continued, it can be said that CBD significantly improved mobility and also reduced pain. [1]
In another study, different groups of dogs with osteoarthritis were compared. While one group received 20 mg of CBD per day, another received a dosage of 50 mg per day. Another group received a placebo and the last a specially upgraded CBD product that was better absorbed by the body. Here, too, the dose was 20 mg. This showed that the group with the 50 mg CBD and the group with the specially upgraded product showed better mobility and did not stand up as sluggishly.
Of course, there are many more studies and scientific studies on the effect of CBD on osteoarthritis in humans and animals. However, the most important studies on this topic are listed above.

What is the right dosage?

Every dog and cat is different. Therefore, an individual dosage is of great importance and no recommendation can be given. It is important that at the beginning the dosage should be one drop of CBD oil for cats or for dogs with a concentration of 3.5 %. This way, the body can slowly get used to the active ingredient and the animals tolerate CBD better if it is not dosed so high.
The oil is simply dripped into the mouth. Pets that do not tolerate this can also be lured with a piece of sausage or cheese sandwich onto which the CBD oil is dripped.
The dosage should be given twice a day. One drop in the morning and one in the afternoon. Afterwards, the dosage should be maintained for about three to four days. This way, you can see how the CBD product works and whether a higher dosage is necessary. If the desired effect does not occur, the dosage can be increased by one drop every three to four days. As soon as the desired side effect occurs, the dosage can be maintained.
It is no problem to administer CBD permanently. So far, no side effects are known to occur with CBD oil in the long term.

What are the side effects of CBD?

CBD has no side effects worth mentioning. However, it can happen that the pet completely turns on after the administration of the oil and flits through the flat like a HB male. In this case, another drop should be added. CBD not only has a calming effect, but can also paradoxically bring energy. So if this happens, it is not a problem if a drop is added.
In addition, nausea or diarrhoea and tiredness may occur. However, this is usually only the case if the dosage is too high.
Pregnant bitches should not take CBD oil, as it is not yet clear how the drops affect the puppies. Breastfeeding bitches should also avoid the product.
Furthermore, if the pet is already taking medication, it is important to ensure that there are no interactions. Therefore, the intake of CBD oil should always be clarified with the vet in order to exclude interactions.
CBD oil is an important aid for arthritis and can partially replace painkillers. However, should an attack occur, it is not advisable to increase the dosage much, as a lot does not help much. It might be better to reduce the dosage for one or two days and then increase it again. This usually brings more success, as you can read in various animal forums. However, the experience reports also show that CBD oil has had a positive effect on many animals with osteoarthritis.
The animals are clearly more agile again, jump and romp and thus the quality of life can also be significantly increased again. Anyone who has a pet with osteoarthritis should therefore always have a bottle of CBD oil for dogs or cats in the house. Cannabidiol not only reduces pain, but also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Sources:

[1] Gamble LJ, Boesch JM, Frye CW, Schwark WS, Mann S, Wolfe L, et al. Pharmacokinetics, safety, and clinical efficacy of cannabidiol treatment in osteoarthritic dogs. Front Vet Sci. (2018) 5:165. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00165 ↩

[2] 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. ↩