Politics
Hundreds Of Pet Owners Tell FDA That CBD Is Helping Their Furry Companions
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked for public input on the safety and efficacy of CBD—and more than 100 people used that opportunity to tell the agency that their pets benefit from the cannabis compound.
The volume of pet-related comment submissions stood out to the analysis firm PARC, which sifted through the thousands of submissions FDA received during the three months that the comment period for CBD regulations was open and shared its takeaways with Marijuana Moment.
Though FDA didn’t request anecdotal accounts about personal experiences with CBD—let alone comments about people’s pets—it sure received a whole lot.
More than four percent of the 4,269 comments whose text has been posted online by FDA mention dogs.
In general, the posts describe dramatic improvement in conditions such as epilepsy, arthritis, chronic pain and anxiety among pets—primarily dogs—after starting CBD treatment. Similar to stories about humans who start consuming the compound, these comments often note that CBD worked in ways that pharmaceuticals didn’t, and it didn’t carry serious side effects.
Judy Hoover said that she administers CBD to her 20-year-old dog who previously “could not go up and down the stairs.” The dog “now runs up and down the stairs,” she said. “So it does work.”
“I use CBD oil for my dog who is 13 and has autoimmune disease and hip problems,” Nikki Gurule wrote. “She stopped going on her daily walks and wouldn’t jump into the car or up on the couch anymore as she had her whole life. She was on prednisone for the autoimmune issues.”
“Since I started giving her CBD oil orally daily, she is now walking 30 min on a treadmill daily, jumping up onto the couch by herself and into the car without aid,” she continued. “She no longer limps or yelps when touched. She is off of her prednisone now and is showing improvement in all her thyroid levels and immune issues are gone.”
“Dogs don’t lie, she is feeling better and out of pain. I will continue to use CBD oil for her for the rest of her life.”
“I first became familiar with CBD oils when my dog developed arthritis in her hips and spine,” Deb McClellan, a teacher, wrote. “I honestly believe we got her an additional 2 years of comfortable, content life with the CBD oil.”
An anonymous commenter said that “CBD has been very useful for the treatment of both my dog’s and mine own anxiety.”
“My dog used to destroy many of my belongings in the house if we left him alone for too long,” the person wrote. “After beginning treatment with a low dose of CBD my dog has ceased to have that behavior and overall seems more relaxed.”
Pets also seem to indirectly benefit from CBD, according to certain posts, with owners reporting that their own use of the compound makes it easier to take dogs on walks. One person wrote that CBD allowed him to get “enough reduction from inflammation to walk the dog and play golf five days a week.”
Though the anecdotal reports are not especially scientific in and of themselves, the comments are bolstered by recent research. A study published in April, for example, showed marked improvement in dogs suffering from seizures who received CBD. A separate study from last year found that CBD oil reduced symptoms of arthritis.
It’s not clear what, if any, bearing these pet-centric comments will have on FDA’s rulemaking process for CBD, but collectively they serve as another example of the intense interest that consumers have in ensuring that the agency develops regulations that emphasize safe access to CBD products—for humans and pets alike.
Thousands Of Comments Urge FDA To Allow CBD In Foods And Supplements
Photo courtesy of Chris Yarzab.
