CBD Oil For Dogs In The UK: Potential Benefits And Uses
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CBD Oil For Dogs In The UK: Potential Benefits And Uses

Anyone who’s had to deal with the government won’t be surprised to learn that laws governing the use of CBD oil for dogs and other pets are — to put it nicely — somewhat crazy.

However, here’s the quick version of what you need to know.

  • Research has shown that CBD appears to help with canine pain management, epilepsy control, and the skin allergy known as atopy, which causes itching and chewing.
  • An enormous number of anecdotal reports say that anxiety in dogs has been dramatically reduced with CBD administration.
  • The UK’s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has declared that it’s illegal to market CBD products for animals unless they’ve gone through a lengthy and expensive licensing process, and no products have yet been approved. The Food Services Agency (FSA) hasn’t approved CBD for pets, either.
  • CBD pet products currently on the market are illegal, and they may or may not be safe.
  • CBD products designed for humans can only be given to animals if a veterinarian has prescribed them under a weird setup called the “prescribing cascade.”

In short, CBD oil may help dogs with a number of common medical conditions, but even though you can buy it and use it yourself (and those in the US can give it to their dogs), you can’t give it to your pet in Britain unless you have a valid prescription from your vet.

Confusing? Absolutely. We can help you sort through the confusion, though.

What is CBD?

The recent availability of CBD products (for humans) in the UK has caused quite a stir over the last few years, with CBD oil and tinctures, CBD capsules, CBD gummies and edibles, CBD vape juice, and CBD topicals available widely.

CBD (cannabidiol) is only approved by the government to treat several rare medical conditions, and medications containing it are only available via prescription from the NHS. However, years of research have shown great promise for CBD’s apparent medical, health, and wellness benefits, and products containing cannabidiol have recently been OK’d for sale in Britain.

But all that most people know about CBD is that it has something to do with cannabis.

Cannabis, CBD, and THC

We’ll start this discussion with cannabis — or more accurately, cannabis sativa.

Cannabis sativa is a plant species, and both the cannabis plant and the hemp plant are members of that family. The two plants are very similar, with one important difference: how much of the plant compounds known as cannabinoids they contain. There are more than 100 cannabinoids, but the two most important are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD.

Cannabis contains low levels of CBD but large amounts of psychoactive THC; that’s why marijuana is sourced from the cannabis plant. It’s just the opposite for hemp, which has low levels of THC but contains lots of CBD. For that reason, the cannabidiol used to produce CBD products is extracted from hemp plants.

Cannabidiol’s low THC levels, along with UK laws that restrict the THC content in CBD sold commercially to approximately 0.2%, are two reasons why THC-rich cannabis can get you high, but CBD products can’t. Here’s the other one.

Cannabinoids have molecular structures that are very similar to those of endocannabinoids produced naturally in the body. Endocannabinoids are chemical messengers vital to the function of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which controls an enormous range of bodily activities.

The other important components of the ECS are its receptors, which receive and send messages via the endocannabinoids.

There are two key sets of ECS receptors. One set is the CB1 receptors, mostly found in the brain and nervous system. They regulate functions like cognition and memory, balance, body temperature, appetite, and sleep. When THC enters the body, it binds to CB1 receptors and alters messages sent through the ECS to provide its well-known mental and physical effects.

However, CBD acts differently. It mostly interacts with the CB2 receptors located in other parts of the body, and not the CB1 receptors that control brain function, sleep, and balance. CB2 receptors control bodily responses like immunity and inflammation, so cannabidiol doesn’t have a major impact on the systems that THC “manipulates” to make you intoxicated.

That brings us to another major question.

What Beneficial Effects Can CBD Oil Provide?

First, two important disclaimers. As we’ve mentioned, the apparent benefits of CBD haven’t been proven to the satisfaction of medical and government authorities; all that we know comes from the results of rigorous research. Second, most of the research conclusions address human health and wellness; very few CBD studies with dogs have been completed.

As you know, cannabidiol interacts with ECS receptors that regulate immunity and inflammation. There’s no evidence that CBD can strengthen the immune system, but it does appear to act as an immunosuppressant as well as an anti-inflammatory agent. Those properties may help those with autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and multiple sclerosis.

Cannabidiol’s apparent ability to ease inflammation may also be why many people say they experience pain relief after using CBD products. Its anti-inflammatory properties may also partially explain why CBD use has been shown in studies to help those with acne and other skin conditions; it also appears to reduce the production of the oily sebum that can cause acne.

Other research has shown that cannabidiol may be effective against a wide range of other medical conditions including stress, anxiety, and serious mental health disorders; seizures and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases; digestive issues and diseases; insomnia; high blood pressure; and high cholesterol.

There are also studies suggesting that CBD may promote cardiovascular health, protect brain function, and perhaps even fight several types of cancer.

That’s the human side of things. Let’s look at the canine side.

Can CBD Oil Help My Dog?

Just as with cannabidiol’s effects on humans, CBD’s apparently beneficial effects on dogs aren’t fully accepted by medical or regulatory authorities.

Several research studies do have important implications, though.

  • One study at Cornell University found that 83% of dogs who were given CBD before experiencing a stressful incident showed fewer behaviors associated with stress and anxiety.
  • Another Cornell project administered CBD to dogs suffering from osteoarthritis, and more than four-fifths of them exhibited decreases in pain while becoming more active.
  • An Australian company gave either cannabidiol products or placebos to dogs with atopy, the skin allergy that causes pronounced chewing and itching. In 65% of those receiving CBD, the problematic behaviors declined significantly, and half of those dogs fully recovered from their atopy.
  • Studies at Colorado State University are still underway, but their preliminary reports show that CBD administered in tandem with traditional medication reduced seizures in epileptic dogs significantly.

There’s a boatload of anecdotal reports on dogs and CBD, too. In addition to seemingly helping with stress, anxiety, pain, skin allergies, and epileptic seizures, clinics and owners report beneficial effects when using cannabidiol products for inflammation, nausea, appetite stimulation, and sleep difficulties.

The head of the American Kennel Club even says CBD may be beneficial for dogs’ heart health and may provide anti-cancer benefits.

CBD appears to be well-tolerated in dogs, although there are possible minor side effects like dry mouth, tiredness, and temporary low blood pressure, and cannabidiol can have negative interactions with some canine medications. Be sure to consult your vet before deciding to give your pet CBD, particularly because dosing is very important and can be quite tricky.

As a matter of fact, if you’re in the UK you have to consult your vet.

How To Get CBD Oil for Your Dog

Readers in the US can simply head to the nearest store and pick up some CBD oil, CBD treats, CBD balms, or even CBD peanut butter created for canine use.

In the UK, we’re not so lucky.

UK Laws on CBD Oil for Dogs

CBD products are legal for human use, as long as they contain extremely low (below 0.2%) concentrations of THC; that’s the major reason why they don’t get people high. However, the government has not authorised those products for animal use in Britain, because they say there’s not enough knowledge about CBD’s effects or dosing to ensure the animals’ safety.

In fact, anyone giving human CBD products to their pet is committing a criminal offence, as are companies marketing their cannabidiol products for animal use. (For some reason, though, companies can put pictures on the labels. As we said at the start of this article, crazy.)

Don’t be fooled by supposedly legal CBD pet products you may see online. They haven’t been authorised by UK officials so they’re not legal. Even worse, they may contain THC, since many human cannabidiol products are made from full-spectrum CBD with small levels of the psychoactive cannabinoid. THC can be very dangerous for animals to consume.

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate has also said that products containing cannabidiol should be regulated as a veterinary medicine. That sounds fine, but here’s the problem: even though companies can submit CBD products to the VMD for approval and marketing authorisation, they have to meet two criteria.

  1. The products must be THC-free.
  2. The products must be submitted along with a lengthy research study proving the products’ effectiveness.

The THC-free requirement isn’t a tough one to satisfy. Human CBD products come in three forms; CBD isolate contains no THC or other plant compounds, and broad-spectrum CBD has had the THC removed (although slight traces may remain). It’s not known if broad-spectrum products would meet the requirement, but CBD isolate certainly would.

The second requirement, though, is why no companies have submitted pet CBD products for approval. The required study is extremely expensive to conduct, and their potential sales apparently can’t justify such a large expenditure.

Thankfully, there’s a workaround.

The Only Ways You Can Get CBD Oil for Your Dog in the UK

Under something called the UK Veterinary Prescribing Cascade, vets are allowed to prescribe products intended for human use if four descending options:

  1. a pet medication authorised in the UK
  2. a pet medication authorised in Northern Ireland
  3. a pet medication authorised in either the UK or NI for a different animal species
  4. a human medication authorised in the UK or NI

aren’t available.

Since cannabidiol products for animals aren’t authorised at all, and CBD isn’t generally available for humans as a medication, that gives veterinarians the green light to move to step 5 and prescribe human CBD products for pets. It sounds convoluted but it’s really simple for pet owners. They just have to ask their vets to prescribe human CBD to make it legal.

There may be another, even better solution on the horizon. The prescribing cascade also allows vets to prescribe what’s called a “veterinary specials” product if medications in steps 1-4 aren’t available. Hang on, the definition is uniquely British and confusing.

“Veterinary specials” are unauthorised products created by an “authorised veterinary specials manufacturer,” meaning the producer has been approved by the government but their products are allowed to meet lower safety standards.

The setup was originally designed to allow companies to create bespoke veterinary solutions for special situations. However, there’s nothing to prevent an authorised veterinary specials manufacturer from creating CBD products, and reportedly, one is currently working on an oral CBD liquid for pets.

Until that product becomes available, you simply have to ask your vet to prescribe human CBD oil for your dog before you administer it. In a final bit of “crazy,” you don’t need that prescription to buy the CBD product. It just covers both you and the vet legally.

Maintain your sanity — and best of luck!

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