Scientists in the UK have gathered further evidence that CBD can ease stress in dogs, particularly anxiety triggered by car travel or being left alone by their owners.
A randomised, placebo-controlled, blinded trial conducted by the team at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute determined that a single oral dose of broad-spectrum CBD at four milligrams per kilogram of body weight was capable of calming stressed dogs.
The study aimed to assess how separation events and car travel affect canine stress levels, and to evaluate whether broad-spectrum CBD could reduce that stress. The research built on the team's prior work, which had established that the same dose was safe for healthy adult dogs over a six-month period.
Across 20 dogs, researchers gathered a range of physiological and behavioural data at various points throughout the study. Several stress-related indicators shifted considerably, with car travel producing a more intense stress response than the separation event.
Each dog then received either a CBD capsule or a placebo before being exposed to one of the two stressors two hours later.
The results showed improvement across multiple stress measures in dogs that received CBD.
Compared to those given a placebo, CBD-treated dogs scored as significantly less 'sad', showed lower cortisol levels, whined less, and displayed a more relaxed emotional state overall.
Mars Veterinary Health chief medical officer Dr Jennifer Welser told Vet Practice: "We know pet owners try various approaches – from training to medications and supplements – to help their dogs cope with stressful situations often with mixed results.
"We're focused on scientific inquiry that generates knowledge that can inform pet professionals' and pet owners' decisions. So, this study is important because it gives us new evidence that CBD at the dose studied can be beneficial for dogs in specific circumstances."
The so-called 'dogxiety' market has been viewed as an untapped opportunity for cannabis companies ever since Covid lockdowns kept owners at home for extended periods, allowing pets to become accustomed to constant human company.
When restrictions lifted and people returned to their workplaces, widespread separation anxiety emerged among dogs, with CBD put forward as a potential remedy.