Can medical marijuana help to treat osteoarthritis pain in pets?

As the regulations related to medical marijuana continue to loosen, the research on the potential health benefits of the different extracts from the Cannabis Sativa plant continues to grow. Most of the research is however focused on the positive effects of medical marijuana on human beings. But recent reports suggest that Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the compounds that can be extracted from Marijuana, has shown signs of medical benefits if your pets have osteoarthritis.

What is medical marijuana?

Medical marijuana is basically recreational marijuana but taken for medical purposes. The Marijuana plant is known to have more than 100 compounds within it. Two of the most prominent ones are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC produces the “high” factor that marijuana is usually popular for. CBD, on the other hand, is used in several health-related operations such as treating people suffering from anxiety, depression, acne, and heart diseases just to name a few.

Unlike THC, CBD is non-intoxicating. In fact, CBD can prevent THC from creating an intoxicating effect by binding with the cannabinoid receptors. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has so far approved one product derived from cannabis and three others that are related to the cannabis plant.

What is Osteoarthritis and how can it affect your pet?

Osteoarthritis is a type of arthritis where the protective cartilage between the bones break down, causing pain in the joints and making it hard to move. It is one of the most common forms of arthritis affecting millions of people throughout the globe. This chronic joint-condition is not just common in humans but also in animals. Our dogs are highly prone to this as well.

If you find your dogs showing unusual behavior such as unwillingness to run, play, or jump around, there are high chances that they have osteoarthritis. Canine Osteoarthritis can cause joint pains. A study has indicated that osteoarthritis is unfortunately very common in dogs. The study suggests that “20% of all dogs over 1 year of age based on data collected from 200 veterinarians in North America” had the disease.

What are the factors that can cause osteoarthritis in your pets?

Taking dogs as an example for your pet, the following factors can severely make them vulnerable to the disease:

• Obesity or rapid weight gain can be one of the primary reasons for osteoarthritis.
• Injuries leading to ligament tears or fractures.
• Age can play a role as well, especially the middle-to-older-aged dogs are susceptible.
• Improper nutrition because of bad food habits can increase the chance of injuries.
• Genetics, although not prominent, can still be a reason.

What are the drawbacks of traditional treatment for arthritis in dogs?

The most commonly prescribed medications for dogs suffering from osteoarthritis or any other pain from inflammation are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These drugs are known to have some fatal side-effects.

In a study, it was published that NSAIDs targeting Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are expected to have adverse renal effects on dogs, especially the ones having chronic kidney diseases. The same study pointed out the renal reactions to be the second most reported adverse drug events related to NSAIDs usage.

The FDA warned the owners and veterinarians to understand the benefits and risks that come with the use of NSAIDs. Researchers are hence looking for better alternatives that can help pets such as dogs overcome their arthritic pains.

Can CBD help to treat Osteoarthritis in canines?

With the rise in the number of studies depicting the health benefits of Cannabidiol (CBD), now new research shows that it may just be capable of treating osteoarthritis in dogs as well. In recent research, CBD was assessed for its capability to regulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines in murine models and in vitro. The researchers also studied the therapeutic potential of both the non-liposomal and liposomal encapsulated CBD. The research concluded that CBD has the therapeutic ability for relieving pains caused by arthritis. It was also found that 20 mg/day of liposomal CBD was as effective as 50 mg/day of the non-liposomal counterpart.

Philpott, O’Brien, and McDougall published a research report to identify if CBD is anti-nociceptive in osteoarthritis and if CBD can prevent the development of arthritic pain and joint neuropathy. The leukocyte trafficking and joint hyperemia reduced when treated with CBD. The initial inflammatory response when weakened using CBD, the end-stage osteoarthritis pain was nullified. This 2018 study showed that 2 mg/kg of CBD twice daily can increase comfort by alleviating the arthritic pain in dogs with osteoarthritis.

CBD through its anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive actions may be an effective alternative to NSAIDs for the treatment of osteoarthritis pain.

Conclusion

After the Farm Bill passed in 2018, cultivating, refining, and selling hemp became legal in the US. But there is still the need for a license from the state or federal agency. The Bill made it easy for pet boutiques to offer legal CBD oil for pet owners. Nielsen reported that pet products alone have registered over $9.4 million in sales between 2018 and 2019 at cannabis retailers in California, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington. The same report also states that 74% of CBD buyers have pets and 24% of all US adults who have pets buy hemp-oil either for themselves, their pets or for both.

People are becoming increasingly aware of the health benefits that CBD has and they are willing to cash in on the various medical marijuana products.

About the Author: William is a medical marijuana enthusiast who loves to read and write about CBD and other MMJ products. He has been actively working with Quickmedcards.com, a platform that helps people find excellent doctors and healthcare providers to talk with about getting certified for legal marijuana use within their state. William is also involved with InstacraftCBD.com that caters to the CBD market.