Vets cannot green-light cannabinoid use for dogs

I wanted to pick your brain about using CBD for my middle-aged dog that weighs 65 pounds and is starting to have some problems with arthritis and getting up and down the stairs.

When I go online, I read lots of testimonials about how much comfort dogs have from taking CBD. What would be the right dosage to give him and do you have a preferred brand? I did ask my vet but she did not want to discuss the issue, saying that her hands were tied but that whatever I chose to do was up to me.

I was hoping it might help on days with lots of noise as well as cold days in the winter when he has more trouble getting around. I want to keep my dog comfortable and it seems that CBD is helping lots of dogs and people alike.

Your veterinarian was correct in not wanting to prescribe, recommend, dispense or administer CBD products because veterinarians — and the sentiment from the American Veterinary Medical Association — believe in being science-based in our approaches to treating our patients and will not do so based on current anecdotal information, especially where legal issues are still potentially at hand.

Whether for treating anxiety or pain, CBD could be a promising treatment option, but there needs to be more research on data regarding safety, efficacy, dosing, side effects and more. It has not been approved by the FDA and yet despite that, companies are starting to produce these products without regulatory oversight.

There is increasing popularity of CBD use so hopefully the important research needed to make this an FDA-approved drug will become a reality. After all, we want our patients to be comfortable.

A legal substance as mandated by law is not a legal drug or medication. Any therapeutic claims about a CBD product are merely claims and should not be used legally in marketing. There is only one cannabisderived drug that is used in people called Epidiolex, which veterinarians can use as an extralabel drug, but very little is known of its effects on dogs.

So for now, I agree with what you were told by your veterinarian in that what you choose to do is on you and that I cannot make any recommendations regarding CBD for your dog. There are plenty of currently approved and used medications to calm down your dog and treat discomfort and pain, so I would ask your veterinarian about those. Good luck.