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CBD

for cats

What studies have been done on CBD use in cats?

 

  • There is a significant gap in the literature on the therapeutic use of CBD in cats, with no feline data on anxiety, pain (acute and chronic), and inflammation management. 

 

  • There are limited studies on the safety profile of CBD in cats.

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  • Only HEALTHY cats have been studied, but the studies report overall good tolerances of CBD oil in cats, with only mild and rare adverse effects:

    • such as hypersalivation, emesis, excessive licking and headshaking during administration and normal liver markers in the majority of the healthy cats studied.

 

  • The pharmacokinetics of CBD are different in dogs and cats.

    • Deabold et al, 2019- cats appear to absorb or eliminate CBD differently than dogs, showing lower serum concentrations.

    • i.e. may need a higher dose

 

  • Wide tolerated dose range

    • Deabold et al, 2019 - CBD oil, dose titrated from 2.8 – 30.5 mg/kg CBD + 0.1 – 1.1 mg/kg THC.  Well tolerated and only mild adverse effects

LITERATURE REVIEW

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Yu CHJ, Rupasinghe HPV 2021, ‘Cannabidiol-based natural health products for companion animals: Recent advances in the management of anxiety, pain, and inflammation’, Research in Veterinary Science, vol. 140, pp.38-46

  

Cats vs dogs

  • The pharmacokinetics of CBD are different in dogs vs cats.

  • There is a significant gap in the literature on the therapeutic use of CBD in cats, with no feline data on anxiety, pain, and inflammation management.  Insufficient information on the safety profile of CBD in cats.

  • To date, only two studies have reported CBD pharmacokinetics in healthy cats

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  • (1) Deabold, KA, Schwark, WS, Wolf, L & Wakshlag, JJ 2019, ‘Single-dose pharmacokinetics and preliminary safety assessment with use of CBD-rich hemp nutraceutical in healthy dogs and cats’, Animals, vol. 9, pp 832 (SEE SUMMARY BELOW)

    • dose of CBD oil of 2 mg/kg twice daily

  • (2) Kulpa, JE, Paulionis, LJ, Eglit, GM & Vaughn, DM 2021, ‘Safety and tolerability of escalating cannabinoid doses in healthy cats’, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, vol. 23, no. 12, pp. 1162-1175. (SEE SUMMARY BELOW)

    • escalating dose study (2.8 mg/kg – 30.5 mg/kg)

 

  • Both studies reported overall good tolerances of CBD oil in cats, with only mild and rare adverse effects such as hypersalivation, emesis, excessive licking and headshaking during administration and normal liver markers in the majority of the healthy cats studied.

 

RESEARCH SUMMARIES

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Deabold, KA, Schwark, WS, Wolf, L & Wakshlag, JJ 2019, ‘Single-Dose Pharmacokinetics and Preliminary Safety Assessment with Use of CBD-Rich Hemp Nutraceutical in Healthy Dogs and Cats, Animals, vol. 9, pp. 832

 

Aim: 12 week dose of full spectrum CBD to show short pharmacokinetic half-lives in dogs and cats

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Method:

  • Animals: 8 Beagle dogs + 8 DSH cats

  • Dosed with 2 mg/kg of full spectrum CBD orally BID for 12 weeks

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Findings:

  • Serum chemistry and CBC results showed no clinically significant alterations (no values exceeded the reference ranges)

    • EXCEPT one cat showed a persistent rise in ALT above the reference range for the duration of the trial.

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CATS

  • Cats do appear to absorb or eliminate CBD differently than dogs, showing lower serum concentrations.

  • ADVERSE EVENTS - main adverse effects noted included licking (35.4%) and head shaking (25.2%), respectively. Other adverse events noted were pacing (11.1%), chomping/chewing (6.5%), gagging (2.1%), vomiting food, bile, or hairballs (1.1%), salivating, drooling, or foaming (1.2%), jumping (0.45%), being uncooperative (0.4%), and grimacing (0.4%).  Loose stool was not observed in any of the cats during the study.

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Kulpa, JE, Paulionis, LJ, Eglit, GM & Vaughn, DM 2021, ‘Safety and tolerability of escalating cannabinoid doses in healthy cats’, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, vol. 23, no. 12, pp. 1162-1175.

 

Method

  • placebo-controlled, blinded study

  • 20 healthy adult cats were randomized to one of five treatment groups (n = 4 per group):

    • (1) placebo group (sunflower oil [SF])

    • (2) placebo group (medium-chain triglyceride oil [MCT])

    • (3) CBD in MCT oil

    • (4) THC in MCT oil

    • (5) CBD/THC [1.5:1] in sunflower oil.

  • Doses titrated over 6 to 7 week period

  • Safety and tolerability were determined from: clinical observations, complete blood counts (CBCs) and clinical chemistry. Plasma cannabinoids (CBD, THC) and metabolites (7-COOH-CBD, 11-OH-THC) were assessed.

 

Findings

  • Titration to maximum doses of all products were generally well tolerated by healthy cats, leading only to mild adverse effects.

  • Titration used:

    • CBD-predominant oil (2.8 – 30.5 mg/kg CBD + 0.1 – 1.1 mg/kg THC)

    • THC-predominant oil (3.8 – 41.5 mg/kg THC)

    • CBD/THC-predominant oil (1.2 – 13 mg/kg CBD + 0.88.4 mg/kg THC)

 

  • All observed adverse events were mild, transient and resolved without medical intervention.

    • Gastrointestinal AEs were more common with formulations containing MCT. Constitutional (lethargy, hypothermia), neurologic (ataxia) and ocular (protrusion membrana nictitans) AEs were more common with oils containing THC (CBD/THC and THC oils).

  • There were no clinically significant changes in CBC or clinical chemistry across treatment groups.

  • There were higher plasma levels of the cannabinoids and their metabolites following administration of the CBD/THC combination

 

Future feline medicine: areas of potential interest re CBD use

 

(1) cats with chronic gingivostomatitis

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Polidoro G, Galiazzo G, Giancola F, Papadimitriou S, Kouki M, Sabattini S, Rigillo A, Chiocchetti R 2021, “Expression of cannabinoid and cannabinoid-related receptors in the oral mucosa of healthy cats and cats with chronic gingivostomatitis”, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, vol. 23, no. 8, pp. 679-691. doi: 10.1177/1098612X20970510.

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Aim: to characterise the expression pattern of the cannabinoid receptors (CB1R and CB2R), and three cannabinoid-related receptors (GPR55; TRPA1; 5-HT1aR) in the caudal oral mucosa of healthy cats and cats with Feline chronic gingivostomatitis (FCGS) in order to assess the usefulness of non-psychotropic cannabinoid molecules as a possible alternative therapeutic approach.

 

Method:

  • Samples of caudal oral mucosa were collected from 8 control cats + 8 cats with FCGS. 

  • Tissue samples processed using an immunofluorescence assay

 

Findings:

  • CB1 receptor is distributed in the healthy oral mucosa epithelium of cats

  • FCGS cats - marked upregulation of CB1 receptors throughout the mucosal epithelium + numerous CB1 receptors immunoreactive inflammatory cells.

  • CB2 receptors were generally not found

  • FCGS cats - a substantial change in the degree of expression and distribution of CB2 receptor immunoreactive cells which was distributed through all the epithelial layers.

  • Healthy cats - cannabinoid-related receptor (5-HT1a receptor) immunoreactivity was observed in the mucosal epithelial cells and immunocytes.

  • FCGS cats - upregulation of cannabinoid-related receptor (5-HT1a receptor) immunoreactivity.

2) for treatment of cats with hypersensitivity dermatitis

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Miragliotta V, Ricci PL, Albanese F, et al. 2018, “Cannabinoid receptor types 1 and 2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α: distribution in the skin of clinically healthy cats and cats with hypersensitivity dermatitis”, Veterinary Dermatology, vol. 29, pp. 316–e111.

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Method:

  • Skin samples obtained from 5 healthy cats with no skin lesions + 7  cats clinically diagnosed with hypersensitivity dermatitis.

  • examined for histopathological changes.

 

Findings:

  • Skin samples from cats with hypersensitivity dermatitis were all histopathologically diagnosed with eosinophilic dermatitis.

  • CB receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPAR-α) were distributed throughout the skin in both healthy and allergic cats.

  • In normal feline skin, these receptors were mainly distributed in the epithelial compartment.

  • Abnormal skin - increased expression of cannabinoid receptors in the skin of cats with hypersensitivity dermatitis.  The main distribution changes were suprabasal for CBR1, dermal for CBR2 and marked expression of PPAR-α in hyperplastic epidermis and perivascular infiltrate.

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