Study reveals CBD is Safe for dogs for long term daily use

Published on Sep 28, 2022 12:00 AM

Mars Petcare has released the findings of a six-month CBD safety study involving 40 dogs. It revealed that long-term daily cannabidiol (CBD) use in healthy dogs appears to be "well tolerated."

The study's findings showed that a group of clinically healthy adult dogs “well tolerated” a daily oral dose of cannabidiol (CBD) at the studied concentration and duration. It has published the findings of a six-month, placebo-controlled, blinded study that looked into the safety of daily CBD use in dogs.

The Waltham Petcare Science Institute, a part of Mars Petcare, conducted the research and published it in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. This study adds to the growing evidence indicating that CBD is safe for dogs.

The study was two-fold and they reported it involved:

Determining if healthy adult dogs tolerated a once-daily oral dose (4 mg/kg body weight) of well-characterized, broad-spectrum THC-free CBD distillate over six months.
Measuring CBD levels in the dogs' fasted plasma, urine, and feces over the same period.

Participants in the study included 40 healthy dogs: 17 Labrador Retrievers, 8 Beagles, and 15 Norfolk Terriers. The study was randomized and balanced between two parallel treatment groups, CBD and placebo.

Monthly veterinary examinations, twice-daily wellbeing observations, and a daily quality-of-life survey were all conducted. Furthermore, researchers evaluated various health indicators, such as biochemistry, hematology, and urinalysis. These measurements were taken before and after two, four, ten, eighteen, and twenty-six weeks of CBD feeding, followed by four weeks of washout. CBD concentrations in plasma, feces, and urine were measured simultaneously.

Dr. Jennifer Welser, Chief Medical Officer of Mars Veterinary Health, said “I’m heartened to see this study on the safety of CBD for dog health. We continue to receive questions from pet owners on whether it’s safe to give their pets CBD. We hope, with continued research, to be able to provide science-based guidance our clients expect and rely on.”

Mars Petcare's long-standing commitment to investing in science, technology, and innovation is reflected in this CBD safety study. The Waltham Petcare Science Institute, which has focused on pet health for over 50 years, and Mars Veterinary Health, a network of 2,500 veterinary clinics and Antech diagnostic labs across more than 20 countries, have a long history of driving transformative pet health innovation.