Safety: Administering CBD Did Not Affect Canine Daily Voluntary Activity

Feeding Cannabidiol (CBD)-Containing Treats Did Not Affect Canine Daily Voluntary Activity

M. Morris, S. E. Kitts-Morgan, D. M. Spangler, J. Gebert, E. S. Vanzant, K. R. McLeod, D. L. Harmon

2021

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Oral CBD administration didn’t alter the overall activity in adult dogs
• Contrary to reports on possible sedative and hypnotic effects of CBD, this study didn’t confirm any of these claims
• Administration of CBD reduced scratching duration, highlighting a benefit in its use to treat skin diseases and pruritic disorders
• No adverse events were observed in any dogs following CBD administration 

OBJECTIVES & HYPOTHESIS → Due to the increased interest in the use of CBD in companion animals, there is a critical need to elucidate its potential impacts and effects on canine activity. Thus, the objective of the current study was to determine the impact of CBD on the daily activity of healthy adult dogs with the underlying hypothesis that CBD would reduce the overall daily activity of dogs compared with the control.

METHODS → 24 dogs enrolled in this study. Data were collected using an activity sensor that continuously gathers activity variables (activity points and duration, duration of no activity, resting, running, walking, scratching, head shaking and sleep quality). This activity monitoring was compiled over a 14-day baseline period to establish the activity patterns and block dogs by activity level (high or low) before randomly assigning dogs within each block to treatments. After 7 days of treatment acclimation, activity data were collected for 14 days. Treatments were arranged in a randomized design and consisted of  placebo (control), 34.0 (low), or 75.6 (high) mg of CBD/day. The mean doses of CBD were 1.8 and 4.5 mg/kg/day for the low and high treatments, respectively. Evidence of any adverse event—defined as any symptom occurrence that would not be expected in normal dogs—was also monitored. 

RESULTS → CBD did not alter the total activity points, activity duration, no activity, resting, running, walking, head shaking, or sleep quality compared to the control group. This implies that oral CBD administration doesn’t alter the overall daily activity of dogs, contrary to previous reports of sedative and hypnotic effects of CBD. However, CBD tended to reduce scratching compared with the control. This is the first report of a potential antipruritic effect of CBD in dogs, suggesting that CBD could be beneficial in the treatment of skin conditions and pruritic behaviors. The level of CBD inclusion (low vs. high) did not affect any variables measured. Neither CBD treatment nor inclusion level affected any variables measured during the exercise periods. No adverse events were observed in any dogs following the administration of CBD treats during this study.