Stephanie McGrath, associate professor in neurology and neurosurgery at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, is looking into CBD treatments for dogs with chronic pain: arthritis in older dogs, anxiety and separation anxiety, epilepsy, dementia and brain cancer.
Two notable studies are those conducted by Colorado State University (CSU) and Cornell University. The study conducted by CSU involved the use of CBD to treat canine epilepsy.
"A human will know to stop after one gummy bear, but a dog will eat as much as they can, and then they come in with a range of systems from mildly impaired to unconscious and barely able to breathe. For the most part, they recover pretty well." -Dr. Tim Hackett
There’s no doubt that the veterinary profession has its share of mental challenges. Most of us feel the strain at least occasionally, if not regularly.
"Bart was exactly the perfect patient," said Bart's surgeon Lisa Bartner, a faculty neurologist at the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Herniated discs are very common in French bulldogs and other breeds with short legs and long backs.
Two Colorado State University veterinarians are seeking dogs for pilot study of a novel spinal surgery to improve the success of the procedure, minimize post-operative discomfort, and decrease complications for paralyzed dogs.
"Our work shows that CBD has the potential to provide an effective, synergistic glioblastoma therapy option and that it should continue to be vigorously studied," said Chase Gross, a student in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine/Master of Science program at CSU.
Today’s Veterinary Business spoke with two experts at the forefront of CBD knowledge in the veterinary world: Stephanie McGrath, DVM, Ph.D., CSU assistant professor of neurology and Gail Golab, DVM, Ph.D., MANZCVS, DACAW, chief veterinary officer at the American Veterinary Medical Association.
CSU researchers are evaluating the effect of CBD in the treatment of idiopathic epilepsy, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancers, and are currently enrolling dogs in a CBD-for-epilepsy clinical trial.
VIDEO: Skye had emergency surgery at Colorado State University on Wednesday. By Friday, Skye was already feeling better. "You see them start to come back to life, that’s when it’s all worth it,” said Dr. Valerie Johnson.