Improved Quality of Life and Pain Relief in Mature Horses with Osteoarthritis After Oral Transmucosal Cannabidiol Oil Administration As Part of an Analgesic Regimen

Overview

Journal Front Vet Sci

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2024 Feb 21

PMID 38379920

Authors

Claudia Interlandi

Marco Tabbi

Simona Di Pietro

Fabiola DAngelo

Giovanna L Costa

Francesca Arfuso

Elisabetta Giudice

Patrizia Licata

Daniele Macri

Rosalia Crupi

Enrico Gugliandolo

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oral cannabidiol (CBD) administration in addition to a conventional analgesic protocol on the clinical signs of 20 horses with mild joint osteoarthritis. The horses were randomly assigned to either the control group (C group) or the cannabidiol group (CBD group). Both groups were treated with phenylbutazone for 5 days. The CBD group received 0.03 mg/kg cannabidiol in hemp oil orally once daily for 14 days in addition to phenylbutazone treatment. All subjects were monitored for clinical parameters, oxidative status and blood counts. Pain and quality of life were also assessed using the Horse Chronic Pain Scale (HCPS). The CBD group showed a significant reduction in heart rate, respiratory rate, white blood cell count and oxidative stress (malondialdehyde lipid peroxidation). A significant reduction in HCPS scores was seen in both groups. Lower scores were recorded in the CBD group (3 med; range: 2/4) than in the C group (7 med; range: 4/10). The addition of a cannabidiol-based product to an analgesic protocol was well tolerated and showed positive effects on the treated subjects, improving their quality of life and pain relief.

Citing Articles

Pharmacokinetics of a single oral administration of two cannabidiol formulations in fed and fasted horses.

Di Salvo A, Bazzano M, Rocca G, Galarini R, Marchegiani A, Paoletti F Front Vet Sci. 2025; 12:1515833.

PMID: 40046423 PMC: 11880937. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1515833.

Soybean and avocado unsaponifiables: a review of their potential use in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Sabucedo-Suarez A, Lopez-Pena M, Permuy M, Munoz F Front Vet Sci. 2025; 11:1473688.

PMID: 39881723 PMC: 11776088. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1473688.

Assessing Facial Thermal Nociceptive Response in Female Dogs After Elective Ovariohysterectomy Anesthetized with Isoflurane and Treated with Cannabidiol and Meloxicam Analgesia.

Casas-Alvarado A, Mora-Medina P, Hernandez-Avalos I, Martinez-Burnes J, Miranda-Cortes A, Dominguez-Oliva A Animals (Basel). 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 39858227 PMC: 11758305. DOI: 10.3390/ani15020227.

Analgesic efficacy of tapentadol in chronic joint disorders in horses: plasma serotonin concentration and adrenocortical response as biomarkers of pain-induced stress.

Costa G, Tabbi M, Bruschetta G, Spadola F, Leonardi F, Bruno F Front Vet Sci. 2025; 11:1505398.

PMID: 39742317 PMC: 11686550. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1505398.

Role of cannabidiolic acid or the combination of cannabigerol/cannabidiol in pain modulation and welfare improvement in horses with chronic osteoarthritis.

Aragona F, Tabbi M, Gugliandolo E, Giannetto C, DAngelo F, Fazio F Front Vet Sci. 2024; 11:1496473.

PMID: 39720409 PMC: 11668182. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1496473.

References

Carpenter J, Jr T, Rockwell K, KuKanich B . Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol in the Hispaniolan Amazon Parrot (). J Avian Med Surg. 2022; 36(2):121-127. DOI: 10.1647/20-00076. View

Galiazzo G, Silva M, Giancola F, Rinnovati R, Peli A, Chiocchetti R . Cellular distribution of cannabinoid-related receptors TRPV1, PPAR-gamma, GPR55 and GPR3 in the equine cervical dorsal root ganglia. Equine Vet J. 2021; . PMC: 9293124. DOI: 10.1111/evj.13499. View

Brioschi F, Di Cesare F, Gioeni D, Rabbogliatti V, Ferrari F, DUrso E . Oral Transmucosal Cannabidiol Oil Formulation as Part of a Multimodal Analgesic Regimen: Effects on Pain Relief and Quality of Life Improvement in Dogs Affected by Spontaneous Osteoarthritis. Animals (Basel). 2020; 10(9). PMC: 7552307. DOI: 10.3390/ani10091505. View

Taylor L, Gidal B, Blakey G, Tayo B, Morrison G . A Phase I, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Single Ascending Dose, Multiple Dose, and Food Effect Trial of the Safety, Tolerability and Pharmacokinetics of Highly Purified Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects. CNS Drugs. 2018; 32(11):1053-1067. PMC: 6223703. DOI: 10.1007/s40263-018-0578-5. View

Yocom A, OFallon E, Gustafson D, Contino E . Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Synovial Fluid Concentrations of Single- and Multiple-Dose Oral Administration of 1 and 3 mg/kg Cannabidiol in Horses. J Equine Vet Sci. 2022; 113:103933. DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.103933. View

Atalay S, Jarocka-Karpowicz I, Skrzydlewska E . Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants (Basel). 2019; 9(1). PMC: 7023045. DOI: 10.3390/antiox9010021. View

Kogan L, Hellyer P, Silcox S, Schoenfeld-Tacher R . Canadian dog owners' use and perceptions of cannabis products. Can Vet J. 2019; 60(7):749-755. PMC: 6563876. View

Zamith Cunha R, Zannoni A, Salamanca G, Silva M, Rinnovati R, Gramenzi A . Expression of cannabinoid (CB1 and CB2) and cannabinoid-related receptors (TRPV1, GPR55, and PPARα) in the synovial membrane of the horse metacarpophalangeal joint. Front Vet Sci. 2023; 10:1045030. PMC: 10020506. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1045030. View

Eichler F, Pozniak B, Machnik M, Schenk I, Wingender A, Baudisch N . Pharmacokinetic modelling of orally administered cannabidiol and implications for medication control in horses. Front Vet Sci. 2023; 10:1234551. PMC: 10445762. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1234551. View

10.

Landa L, Trojan V, Demlova R, Jurica J, Hrib R . Cannabidiol and the possibilities of its use in veterinary medicine of dogs and horses: A brief review. Vet Med (Praha). 2024; 67(9):455-462. PMC: 11071133. DOI: 10.17221/127/2021-VETMED. View

11.

Miagkoff L, Girard C, St-Jean G, Richard H, Beauchamp G, Laverty S . Cannabinoid receptors are expressed in equine synovium and upregulated with synovitis. Equine Vet J. 2022; 55(4):681-695. DOI: 10.1111/evj.13860. View

12.

Marliani G, Sprocatti I, Schiavoni G, Bellodi A, Accorsi P . Evaluation of Horses' Daytime Activity Budget in a Model of Ethological Stable: A Case Study in Italy. J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2020; 24(2):200-213. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2020.1857252. View

13.

Tsikas D . Assessment of lipid peroxidation by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) and relatives in biological samples: Analytical and biological challenges. Anal Biochem. 2016; 524:13-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2016.10.021. View

14.

Mercer M, Davis J, McKenzie H . The Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Evaluation of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Adult Horses. Animals (Basel). 2023; 13(10). PMC: 10215112. DOI: 10.3390/ani13101597. View

15.

Ryan D, McKemie D, Kass P, Puschner B, Knych H . Pharmacokinetics and effects on arachidonic acid metabolism of low doses of cannabidiol following oral administration to horses. Drug Test Anal. 2021; 13(7):1305-1317. DOI: 10.1002/dta.3028. View

16.

De Briyne N, Holmes D, Sandler I, Stiles E, Szymanski D, Moody S . Cannabis, Cannabidiol Oils and Tetrahydrocannabinol-What Do Veterinarians Need to Know?. Animals (Basel). 2021; 11(3). PMC: 8003882. DOI: 10.3390/ani11030892. View

17.

McGrath S, Bartner L, Rao S, Packer R, Gustafson D . Randomized blinded controlled clinical trial to assess the effect of oral cannabidiol administration in addition to conventional antiepileptic treatment on seizure frequency in dogs with intractable idiopathic epilepsy. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2019; 254(11):1301-1308. DOI: 10.2460/javma.254.11.1301. View

18.

Gaston T, Friedman D . Pharmacology of cannabinoids in the treatment of epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 2017; 70(Pt B):313-318. DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2016.11.016. View

19.

Placci M, Marliani G, Sabioni S, Gabai G, Mondo E, Borghetti P . Natural Horse Boarding Vs Traditional Stable: A Comparison of Hormonal, Hematological and Immunological Parameters. J Appl Anim Welf Sci. 2020; 23(3):366-377. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2019.1663737. View

20.

Soma L, Uboh C, Maylin G . The use of phenylbutazone in the horse. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2011; 35(1):1-12. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.2011.01299.x. View