Cannabidiol (CBD) for Pets

Con 1: CBD pet products are unregulated.

The lack of regulation means pet owners could be buying CBD with unlisted ingredients that are potentially toxic to their pets, such as THC. Experts say these products are in need of testing for the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, and THC. “It’s really the Wild West out there,” says S. David Moche, CEO of a veterinary medicine company that sells CBD products. [14][15][16]

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that 70% of the CBD products they analyzed didn’t match the concentration listed on the label, and 21% of their samples contained THC, despite it not being on the label. [17]

“We want to stress that FDA has not approved cannabis for any use in animals, and the agency cannot ensure the safety or effectiveness of these products,” warns the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). According to the FDA, animals who ingest cannabis could suffer negative side effects such as “lethargy, depression, heavy drooling, vomiting, agitation, tremors, and convulsions.” [18]

Con 2: There isn’t enough scientific evidence to support giving CBD to pets.

Research in this area is so new that no one knows the long-term impacts of CBD use in companion animals or what an effective and safe dose would be. [23]

“We just don’t have enough information at this point to draw any legitimate conclusions.…there is no assurance the CBD oil they purchase is safe or effective,” argues Sue Lowum, a veterinarian and associate professor at the University of Minnesota who says she wouldn’t recommend CBD for pets. Veterinarians’ knowledge about CBD use in pets is purely anecdotal at the moment because of the limited scientific evidence available. [16][24]

Further, researchers found that some seller’s websites contain “blatant lies” about CBD. [16]

The American Veterinary Medical Association states, “While both marijuana and industrial hemp products are available, no studies, doses, or uses in veterinary medicine have been determined.…AVMA cautions pet owners against the use of such products.” [25]

Con 3: Using CBD instead of traditional medicine may harm animals.

A phenomenon called the “caregiver placebo effect” may cause pet owners to misread their animals’ response to CBD. This might lead to suffering in animals that could have been helped by veterinarian-prescribed medications with scientifically proven effectiveness.[29]

“Because we are so invested in our pet, we really want to see them improve and likely believe the treatment will work.…There is a real risk we will see improvement even when it is not there,” says Alex Avery, veterinary surgeon and founder of Our Pets Health. [30]

Much of what we know about therapeutic CBD is specific to humans, and its effects on companion animals could be quite different because they don’t metabolize it the same way. CBD could also cause dangerous interactions with pharmaceutical drugs prescribed by a vet. [28][31][32]