HomeNewsCannabidiol Clinical Trial With Dogs At Penn Vet

Cannabidiol Clinical Trial With Dogs At Penn Vet

Dixie Brands Inc. announced yesterday its Therabis “Mobility” canine supplement will form the basis of a clinical trial by Penn Vet researchers.

The trial will evaluate the effectiveness of Mobility, a hemp-based supplement containing cannabidiol, in relieving joint symptoms in dogs.

The Veterinary Clinical Investigations Center at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine trial will be led by Dr. Kimberly Agnello. It will involve dogs suffering inflammation secondary to osteoarthritis that will be placed into one of three groups. One group will be receiving Therabis, another administered just cannabidiol and the control group a placebo. There will be up to 20 dogs in each group.

“Our experience in my clinic has shown that cannabidiol (CBD) is an effective treatment in reducing inflammatory response,” said Therabis co-founder Dr. Stephen M. Katz.

U.S. headquartered Dixie Brands says results of the trial, which is to commence shortly, are anticipated within a year and are expected to be published in a veterinary medicine journal.

While the cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) shouldn’t be given to dogs as it can have a detrimental effect, cannabidiol appears to be quite well-tolerated in canines and there’s growing interest in its applications for pet health. However, a vet should be consulted before giving a dog CBD.

Therabis’s commercially available products are generally administered by sprinkling a full sachet of the supplement onto a dog’s food once daily. None of the Therabis products available in Australia appear to specifically mention cannabidiol, with the hemp element being protein powder (made from hemp seed). This includes Therabis’s current joint mobility supplement, Up And Moving. The U.S. version of the same product contains hemp oil, which has “naturally-occurring CBD” according to Therabis. If the hemp oil used is actually hemp seed oil, then the CBD levels would be very low.

Mobility is a new product yet to be released that the company plans to offer  through veterinary clinics exclusively, and whether that will be available here in Australia isn’t clear at this point in time.

Arthritis is a very common problem among older dogs. Dixie Brands says more than half of dogs older than seven years suffer from the condition. As well as the relief that could be offered, given the number of dogs affected and the willingness of pet owners to spend significant sums on their valued companions, Mobility could prove to be a real money-spinner for the company if it is proven effective.

In other recent related news, a small trial assessing the effect of cannabidiol on dogs with epilepsy (in addition to conventional antiepileptic treatment) found a significant reduction in seizure frequency. More on that here.

Related: Cannabidiol And Pets.

Steven Gothrinet
Steven Gothrinet has been part of the Hemp Gazette in-house reporting team since 2015. Steven's broad interest in cannabis was initially fueled by the realisation of industrial hemp's versatility across multiple sectors. You can contact Steve here.
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