Cannabidiol’s popularity in the pet space has outpaced the scientific literature supporting it, but that literature isn’t nonexistent. A small but growing number of peer-reviewed studies have looked specifically at Holistapet CBD Dog Treats effects on dogs, and the findings so far offer a mixed, cautiously promising picture.
Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine published a study in 2018 examining CBD’s impact on dogs with osteoarthritis. Researchers found that dogs receiving 2 mg/kg of CBD twice daily showed a decrease in pain and an increase in activity based on owner and veterinarian assessments, using a validated pain-scoring tool called the Canine Brief Pain Inventory. No significant side effects were reported at that dosage during the eight-week trial period.
Seizure Research
A separate study conducted at Colorado State University and published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association looked at CBD’s effect on dogs with epilepsy. Dogs receiving CBD alongside their existing anti-seizure medication experienced a reduction in seizure frequency compared to the placebo group, though the study’s authors noted the sample size was small (16 dogs) and called for larger follow-up trials.
Here’s where things get more uncertain. Not every study has produced clean results.
A 2020 study out of Cornell looked at CBD’s effects on dogs with both osteoarthritis and epilepsy simultaneously and found more complicated outcomes, with liver enzyme elevations noted in some dogs on higher doses. This is a meaningful finding: it doesn’t mean CBD is unsafe, but it does mean dosage and monitoring matter, and it underscores why blood work is sometimes recommended for dogs on long-term CBD regimens.
What We Don’t Know Yet
- Long-term effects of daily CBD use beyond several months haven’t been studied extensively in dogs
- Interaction effects with common medications (some anti-seizure drugs, certain pain medications) are still being mapped
- Optimal dosing for different conditions (anxiety versus pain versus inflammation) hasn’t been standardized
- Breed-specific or size-specific metabolic differences remain under-researched
The research gap is a big part of why the FDA has been slow to approve CBD products for veterinary use. Clinical trials for drug approval require large sample sizes, controlled conditions, and long observation windows, and the pet CBD industry has grown faster than academic research can keep pace with.
Reading Study Results Critically
Sample sizes in canine CBD studies have generally ranged from small (under 20 dogs) to moderate (several dozen), which limits how confidently results generalize. Owners reading marketing claims that cite “clinical studies” should check whether the study in question was peer-reviewed, published in a recognized veterinary journal, and conducted with a control group.
Final Thoughts
The existing research on CBD for dogs is real, published, and cautiously encouraging in specific areas like osteoarthritis pain and seizure frequency, but it remains limited in scope, and gaps around long-term safety and standardized dosing haven’t closed yet.
