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Cannabidiol improves symptoms of canine arthritis, study finds
Arthritis affects one in five dogs.

Scientists measure the effect of CBD in dogs diagnosed with the condition. 

Scientists in the United States have discovered that cannabidiol (CBD) can significantly improve the lives of dogs diagnosed with arthritis.

The researchers, from the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, say their results could pave the way to studying the effects of CBD in humans.

In the study, the scientists first measured the effect of CBD on immune responses associated with arthritis, both in human and murine cells grown in the lab and mouse models. They found that that CBD treatment resulted in reduced production of both inflammatory molecules and immune cells linked to arthritis.

Next, the researchers found that in dogs diagnosed with the condition, CBD treatment significantly improved quality of life as documented by both owner and veterinary assessments. Scientists say their work, published in the journal PAIN, supports future scientific evaluation of CBD for human arthritis.

“We found encouraging results,” said Dr Matthew Halpert, research faculty in the department of pathology and immunology at Baylor. “Nine of the 10 dogs on CBD showed benefits, which remained for two weeks after the treatment stopped. We did not detect alterations in the blood markers we measured, suggesting that, under the conditions of our study, the treatment seems to be safe.”

Arthritis affects one in five dogs, and its prevalence increases as a dog ages, according to Canine Arthritis Management.

Twenty dogs from the Sunset Animal Hospital in Houston were employed for the study. The dogs' owners were given medicine bottles at random, containing either CBD, liposomal CBD, or a placebo. Neither the owner nor the vet knew which treatment each dog was receiving.

The dogs received the treatment each day for four weeks. The vet and the dogs' owners noted the condition of the dogs and whether they noticed any changes in their animal's level of pain, such as changes related to running or gait. The dogs' blood cell count, liver and kidney function were also evaluated before and after treatment.

“We studied dogs because experimental evidence shows that spontaneous models of arthritis, particularly in domesticated canine models, are more appropriate for assessing human arthritis pain treatments than other animal models," said Halpert. "The biological characteristics of arthritis in dogs closely resemble those of the human condition."

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.