Should You Give Your Dog CBD?: What Little We Know About the Effect of CBD on Behavior Issues
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound found in the cannabis plant. It is one of the many active ingredients in cannabis, but it does not produce the psychoactive effects associated with the plant. In recent years, CBD has become increasingly popular as a natural remedy for a variety of human health conditions including pain, inflammation, anxiety, and much more.
Understandably, there is also growing interest in the use of CBD for dogs. Many pet owners feel uncomfortable with the prescription of anti-anxiolytic behavior medications such as fluoxetine (Prozac) and alprazolam (Xanax) for their dogs, due to inherent bias, social stigma, or the perception of undesirable side effects. It’s not uncommon to hear a dog guardian say they would rather try natural alternatives before prescription behavior medication. Some pet owners believe that CBD can help to relieve a variety of canine health problems, including anxiety and pain, however, there is limited scientific research on the use of CBD in dogs.
Due to the legality of cannabis in certain states and countries, research examining the potential benefits or detriments of CBD for dogs has been delayed. Despite its widespread usage, CBD is a largely unresearched treatment for addressing canine behavior and medical concerns.
Let’s examine three recent studies investigating the effects of CBD on canine anxiety and aggression to find out what scientists have learned so far…
An important note before reading through our summaries of the journal articles: many research teams take measures of blood cortisol, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV) to determine the impact of a procedure on canine stress levels. As stress increases we expect blood cortisol to increase, HR to increase, and HRV to decrease.
The Impact of Feeding Cannabidiol (CBD) Containing Treats on Canine Response to a Noise-Induced Fear Response Test
Noise-sensitive dogs were placed into four treatment groups. They either received a placebo, CBD (1.4 mg/kg), Trazadone, or combined CBD and Trazadone treatment
The dogs were exposed to the sound of fireworks over a loudspeaker at a high volume level for a few minutes at a time.
Heart rate variability and blood cortisol levels were used to determine the effects of the treatment group on a dog’s fear response.
Of all the treatments, Trazadone had the largest effect on dogs in limiting their stress during sound exposure.
The CBD appeared to limit the effect of Trazadone on lowering dog stress levels.
Takeaways:
At this level of CBD administration, there was not a prominent stress-limiting effect and there are concerns that CBD could interfere with the benefits of Trazadone when used together.
Cannabis Sativa L. May Reduce Aggressive Behavior Towards Humans in Shelter Dogs
Shelter dogs were split into two groups, one received CBD treatment the other received a placebo.
Behavior observations were conducted before treatment, 15 days into treatment, 45 days into treatment, and 15 days after treatment ended.
In dogs treated with CBD, they showed a significant decrease in aggressive behaviors post-treatment.
There was no significant difference in aggressive displays between dogs treated with CBD and the placebo.
There was no significant difference in stress-related behaviors such as displacement behaviors and stereotypies between CBD and placebo dogs.
Takeaways:
Dogs receiving CBD did not show significantly less aggression than those not taking CBD. The dogs within the CBD group did show a promising decrease in aggression overall.
A Single Dose of Cannabidiol (CBD) Positively Influences Measures of Stress in Dogs during Separation and Car Travel
This study examined the potential for CBD (4 mg/kg) to mitigate stress when dogs are left in a room alone or during car travel. They compared this with dogs who received a placebo during car travel and separation from their handler.
Several measures including blood cortisol levels, heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), behavior observations, and facial temperature were used to determine the dog’s stress and anxiety levels.
There was some evidence that CBD can limit stress during separation and car rides but overall the results were not conclusive and varied between treatment groups
CBD dogs had lower blood cortisol levels than placebo dogs
There were no significant differences in HR or HRV between CBD and placebo groups
CBD dogs in separation and car settings were rated less “sad” on the behavior analysis questionnaire
Takeaways:
This study differed from the others in that the dogs were given the largest concentration of CBD and showed decreased stress measures in dogs taking CBD as compared to placebo dogs. The authors measured many variables which led to promising results suggesting that CBD may have the potential to reduce stress for dogs in stress-inducing situations.
The results are in - don’t go running to the store to buy CBD treats just yet!
Our stance is that we won’t be recommending CBD (at least not yet!) until there’s more research regarding the effects of CBD on canine biology and behavior. In particular, we’re concerned about the potential for CBD to interact negatively with other medications, as seen above. Also of note, a recent review of CBD research in companion animals highlighted some concerns that CBD might not be tolerated well by all dogs and could lead to liver problems (Yu & Rupasinghe, 2021).
If you are interested in using CBD to address your dogs’ behavior issues we always recommend speaking to your veterinarian or veterinary behaviorist before adding it to your dog’s regimen!
References
Corsetti, S., Borruso, S., Malandrucco, L., Spallucci, V., Maragliano, L., Perino, R., D’Agostino, P., & Natoli, E. (2021). Cannabis sativa L. may reduce aggressive behaviour towards humans in shelter dogs. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82439-2
Hunt, A. B. G., Flint, H. E., Logan, D. W., & King, T. (2023). A single dose of cannabidiol (CBD) positively influences measures of stress in dogs during separation and car travel. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2023.1112604
Morris, E. M., Kitts-Morgan, S. E., Spangler, D. M., McLeod, K. R., Costa, J. H. C., & Harmon, D. L. (2020). The impact of feeding cannabidiol (CBD) containing treats on canine response to a noise-induced fear response test. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.569565
Yu, C. H. J., & Rupasinghe, H. P. V. (2021). Cannabidiol-based natural health products for companion animals: Recent advances in the management of anxiety, pain, and inflammation. Research in Veterinary Science, 140, 38–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.08.001
