Giving cannabis oil to dogs is safe but owners should be wary about giving it to their cats, according to new research.
A team of scientists in the US gave 2mg of CBD to six dogs and six cats twice daily over a period of 12 weeks and, although the dogs showed few side effects, the cats had various reactions such as shaking, vomiting, salivating, foaming, jumping and grimacing more than usual.
Lead scientist Dr Kelly Deabold, of the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, said: “Cats do appear to absorb or eliminate CBD differently than dogs…
“This information is important for feline practitioners that are considering the use of CBD products in cats for anxiety, arthritis, house soiling, seizure activity or neoplasia, which are all reported as maladies where owners are using CBD products.”
Kelly said that more research was needed but added that, despite the behavioural side effects in cats, CBD appeared safe in terms of what was going on inside the animal’s body.
