TDK conference 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of chronic arthritis that is a common condition in veterinary medicine, especially in elderly and overweight dogs. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major non-psychotropic cannabinoid compound derived from hemp (Cannabis sativa). Due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective therapeutic effects, CBD has a promising future in pain management in both human and veterinary medicine, especially for the treatment of joint pain.

Aim of this study was to demonstrate therapeutic analgesic effects of CBD in dogs suffering from osteoarthritis and to expand indications for the therapeutic use of CBD in veterinary practice. The study took eight weeks of 4% CBD oil usage, specifically licensed for dog treatment. The experiment was a placebo controlled double-blind trial involving 200 dogs with musculoskeletal problems, which were randomly divided into two groups (CBD and placebo group). Dogs received a single daily dose of CBD or placebo oil at a dose of 5 drops / 10 bwkg. The experiment included a questionnaire in which owners documented their observations of the condition of their dog each week during the eight-weeks long therapy. The questionnaire was based on a previously validated scoring system (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs - LOAD) in which we assigned a number between zero and four for the answers to each question. By the end of each week, animals received an overall score that objectively reflected the degree of lameness divided into four categories (mild, moderate, severe, extreme). At the time of writing, in total the results of 46 dogs were returned.

The results so far show that CBD has significantly reduced lameness and increased mobility. Individuals in the CBD group showed a significant (p<0.001) decrease in lameness in the last week compared to results of the first week, and the lameness classification category also changed from severe to moderate. In case of the control group, there was also a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the development of scores between first and last week, however, the lameness category did not change, therefore the animals still had severe lameness on average. Based on the data available so far, the present study supports therapeutic efficacy of the use of CBD in the alleviation of lameness caused by arthritis.