Industrial hemp oils and extracts have steadily grown in social visibility and general popularity of late as conscientious pet owners seek to learn more about and institute alternative forms of nutritional supplementation into their animals' diet. Given the relatively large therapeutic window intrinsic to cannabinoids, namely cannabidiol (CBD) when most people refer to hemp derivatives, the usage in larger captive species such as horses and pachyderms is seeing mainstream press! Yes we’re talking about elephants!
CNN recently reported on an ongoing trial being conducted where CBD is being orally administered to elephants in captivity at a zoo in Poland to aid in alleviating some perceivable recurrent anxiety. When the matriarch of the elephant herd had recently died at the zoo last March, handlers noticed that many in the herd were seemingly having difficulty coping with the leader of the herd's death. The handlers and zoologists are openly optimistic about the potential benefits hemp supplements can bestow towards getting these elephant’s physiological balance back on track. So far, the CBD being added into the elephant’s food or directly by mouth is still early in testing, but preliminary findings show promise, say investigators. If the trial continues with positive results investigators can see about the potential use in other species with similar symptomatic pathologies.
Establishing safe and effective dosing guidelines for large breeds or varying species of animal is mostly foreign ground for hemp products, but recently researchers in the Texas A&M University System began trialing CBD usage in horses focusing on its anxiolytic and anti-arthritic properties. More and more horse owners are interested in the potential benefits that CBD oil can possibly offer with little to no side effects. Dr. Kimberly Guay is the head of research at Tarleton State University’s Equine Center and is looking into this with a unique study evaluating the safety and efficacy of CBD and it mechanism of action (MOA) in mediating inflammation, stress, and stereotypical negative behaviors in horses by giving participant animals varying dosage forms either administered as an infused oil or in pellet form. Preliminary results are promising, but there is still a considerable amount of research left to provide a full safety profile with predictable, reproducible, dose response curves.
