Consumer trends indicate that pet owners are increasingly turning to supplements for their pets’ overall health, including cannabidiol (CBD) products. The National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) shared positive results from a recently completed study demonstrating the tolerability of broad-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD with cannabigerol (CBG), and broad-spectrum CBD with cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in healthy dogs when given a daily dose for 90 consecutive days.

The randomised, non-blinded, negative-controlled, parallel-design, repeat-dose study randomly assigned healthy male and female dogs at least 6 months of age to four groups. The control group received medium chain triglyceride oil, while the other groups received broad-spectrum cannabidiol, broad-spectrum cannabidiol with cannabigerol, or broad-spectrum cannabidiol with cannabidiolic acid at 5 mg total cannabinoids/kg body weight/day for 90 consecutive days. The study included daily observations, weekly detailed clinical examinations, body weights, food consumption, and clinical pathology evaluations.

Nutrasource Director of Preclinical and Companion Animal Services, Dr Margitta Dziwenka, DVM, DABT said, “This research is a game-changer for pet health, offering an expanded horizon for veterinarians, industry, and pet owners alike. These findings grant us a renewed sense of confidence in exploring CBD product development for use in companion animals so that the industry can confidently answer the call and growing demand for natural and alternative products.”

The study is unique in that it uses data from the NASC’s Adverse Event Reporting System, the most advanced system of post-market surveillance in the world, which allows for the analysis of adverse events, both serious and non-serious, per million administrations.

The study showed that the cannabinoids were well-tolerated and that no serious adverse events were reported. Post-market surveillance data for hemp-derived supplement products sold for use in dogs from 2010 to April 2023 shows that the rate per 1 million administrations sold is 2.19 and 0.01 for adverse events and serious adverse events, respectively. Based on the available data, the authors concluded that these substances do not pose a significant risk to dogs in the long-term.