The Potential of Cannabidiol for Treating Canine Atopic Dermatitis

Overview

Journal Vet Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2025 Feb 26

PMID 40005919

Authors

Ana F Bizarro

Vanessa M Schmidt

Beatriz Fernandes

Marta Pinto

Hugo Pereira

Joana Marto

Ana M Lourenco

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is prevalent in humans (hAD) and dogs (cAD) and profoundly impacts the patients' quality of life. The increasing number of new drugs in development for atopic dermatitis indicates both the need and potential for precision medicine to generate an optimised benefit-risk therapeutic plan. Cannabidiol (CBD), known for its potential anti-inflammatory and antipruritic properties, shows promise in hAD and cAD management, prompting the exploration of cannabinoids (CBs) and CBD as therapeutic tools. In fact, encouraging results on the benefits of using CBD in cAD have been published, along with safety evaluations that reveal that CBD is generally well tolerated in dogs. However, limited placebo-controlled trials and dosage variations in dogs pose barriers that hinder definitive conclusions. Challenges in product stability, inconsistent formulations, and legal ambiguities highlight the need for standardised CBD-based products for both research and commercial uses. The complex legal landscape further complicates accessibility and regulation. Despite these challenges, CBD is emerging as a potential avenue for cAD management, urging further high-quality research, standardised formulations, and legal clarity. This brief review provides valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of CBs and CBD in cAD, compared to hAD, emphasising the importance of rigorous research and unambiguous regulation for successful integration into veterinary dermatology.

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