According to a recent study, dogs who are given daily CBD doses experience “significant reductions” of stress and anxiety when traveling by car.
Researchers at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute, in the United Kingdom, compared the behavioral response and physiological stress of dogs that received THC-free marijuana with a control group before, during, and after drives.
The 20 dogs in this study, which was published in the Journal of Animal Science exhibited stress and anxiety while riding in a vehicle. However, the canines who were treated with CBD for two hours prior to the trip, showed significant improvements after a review period of 24 weeks.
The study states that CBD administration “significantly influenced” certain measures of stress, such as whining or levels of cortisol hormone in the blood. “This suggests daily dosing of 4mg/kg could have a mild anxiety-reducing effect on dogs traveling in a vehicle.”
By the end of the research, the stress levels in the placebo group also decreased. This suggests that the dogs had become accustomed to driving. The CBD group, however, had sustained lower cortisol levels from the start of treatment.
“Daily cannabidiol dosing (CBD), demonstrates a beneficial effect on stress measures in dogs when exposed to repeated car travel.”
The authors noted that CBD did not seem to eliminate stress completely because cortisol remained in the blood. They therefore suggested that CBD should be used “in combination with other interventions such as behavioral therapy to alleviate canine anxiety.”
The researchers said that “these results, in combination with the established pharmokinetics (the ability of CBD oil to reach its peak levels within 1.5 to 2 hours with a 50% life of between 1 and 4 hours) suggest CBD could be used as an effective single dose treatment before acute stressors.”
The study was conducted by Mars Petcare scientists and pet food company.
Other studies have also shown that CBD can be beneficial to pets, such as the reduction in seizures for dogs receiving the cannabinoid. A study published in 2018 showed that dogs suffering from arthritis saw improvements when CBD was administered.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture found in August that cattle that are fed hempseed cakes retain very low levels of THC and CBD. This means that meat from these cows is safe to consume.
A 2022 federally-funded study found that giving cows hemp reduced their stress. Researchers have also studied and how CBD effects pain and stress in horses.
In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration warned a number of companies that were marketing CBD products for animal use. They said that “there is a lack of data about what levels of residues can be safely consumed by humans who consume food that comes from animals that have been treated with CBD.”
The governor of New York, in late 2012, vetoed two bills that would have permitted hemp seeds to be added to animal feed for horses, pets and camelids , such as llamas, alpacas, and camels . She cited a lack information about safety, and demanded the state study the issue in a “rapid manner.”
State Agriculture Departments Push Congress to Triple the THC Limit for Hemp as a Priority
Photo by Pexels.
The post Canine CBD Users Experience Significant Reductions In Anxiety And Stress Related To Driving In Cars, According to a Study first appeared on Marijuana Minute.
