Routine treatments may not provide adequate relief for dogs with arthritis and may also have unpleasant side effects. As such, recent medical interest in alternative therapies has led many pet owners to seek hemp related products rich in cannabinoids. Although the research in this area is currently limited there are some interesting studies that suggest CBD oil is good for pain relief in dogs. Lauri-Jo Gamble and colleagues tested the effect of CBD oil on dogs and compared it to a group placed on a placebo medication in a blind study. The aim was to differentiate the legitimate effects of CBD from those simply perceived as effective by their owners.  

The dogs were given a dose of CBD oil every twelve hours over four weeks with a two week ‘wash out’ period. During weeks two and four, the dogs were given standard veterinary visits, where their haematology, serum chemistry and physical conditions were measured. From this experiment, it was found that the CBD oil did produce quantifiable effects of pain relief in the dogs given CBD oil, namely a decrease in physical pain and an increase in physical activity. As well as this, there was no reported side effects either. This suggests that CBD oil can have a significant positive effect on pain relief in dogs.[1]