Is CBD oil safe for dogs?

Original Question: 3-year-old Mini Schnauzer on Phenobarbital and Keppra and starting CBD oil. What is time frame before I can reduce Phenobarbital? There have been no grand mal seizures for 4 months. - Terrie

Apr 25, 2018

Hi Terrie,

Thanks for your question.

I need to address that veterinarians have no ability to offer advice or recommend the use of CBD (Cannabidiol). I am not opposed to the use of it as I will always support any product that could provide support and therapy to a patient. The problem is that we have absolutely no studies or understanding of the product. We can’t prescribe it and we can’t even obtain it. We have no research trials on dose, usage, side effects and therapeutic benefits of it. If I were to even reference the use of it, I can be held accountable for any adverse results and risk my license. Beyond that and more importantly, I simply don’t know how to use it.

Having said that, I have had clients tell me they use it. In human medicine, CBD has medical benefits without the common intoxicating effects. Some clients say it has helped their pets but I have no ability to confirm it. I tell my clients that they are solely responsible for the use, dose, handling and resulting physical effects it has on their pets. I tell them I can’t get involved but at the same time, I encourage them to do what they feel is best to improve the health and quality of life of their pet. I just have no training, understanding or legal ability to guide them in their use of it.

Here’s what I can say. I can only draw a comparison to elimination strategies of one drug while introducing another, regardless of what it is. The common advice, after reviewing responses from clinical neurologists, and it differs between them, but the reasonable and most common advice for weaning off of Phenobarbital or Keppra for dogs is to reduce the dose by 25% every 2 weeks while similarly introducing another anti-epileptic drug. This is a guideline only and every patient will differ in response so it is imperative that you monitor and record any events or seizure breakthroughs that occur and then adjust accordingly. Furthermore, you could have your veterinarian perform blood titres or levels of these drugs in your dog so you can understand whether they are at therapeutic and effective levels. This may help guide your decisions on dosage changes. These tests allow you to objectively measure their effectiveness beyond just a somewhat subjective level of monitoring physical reactions, such as ongoing epileptic attacks.

I want you to know that I support your efforts to treat your pet with a seemingly more desirable alternative to a traditional manufactured chemical compound known to have negative hepatic side effects and impending tolerance issues, but I’m disappointed I can’t address it for current lack of clinical research to understand and support its use.