CBD for pets: nothing but smoke and mirrors?

In Quebec, these are products that we hear more and more about, but that are often confusing: CBD cookies and oil for pets. I took the time not only to research the subject, but also to test them on anxious dogs a few years ago.

A big mistake that is often made is to assume that it is the same CBD as the one found at the SQDC. This is not the case. In Quebec, only the government has control over this market. The CBD we find in our pet stores comes from hemp, which is a plant that contains less than 0.2% THC. Anything above that is called cannabis. It is therefore cannabis CBD that is sold at the SQDC and that we tend to think of when we hear the term “CBD”.

So far, it is difficult to evaluate the level of effectiveness of hemp CBD, which some say is very helpful in treating the behaviour of anxious pets and would support the body on different levels (e.g., arthritis problems). From what I’ve seen, for a heavy behavioural case, it doesn’t do miracles compared to therapy with a veterinary behaviourist, who provides a plan and medication tailored to the animal’s problems. While I think hemp CBD can indeed have a calming effect, I wouldn’t rely on it alone to solve the problem.

I don’t think it could replace medication for major anxiety or health issues. It could be used as a supplement, certainly, but I think further studies are needed to prove its effectiveness. I don’t mean to discredit these products, but I think social media tend to overestimate their effects by proposing them as a miracle solution to all sorts of problems, when in the end it really isn’t.

By Megane Bigot de La Touanne