Demographic Features, Health Status, and Behavioral Changes Associated with Cannabidiol Use in the Dog Aging Project

Kendra D. Conrow¹Richard S. Haney¹Michael H. Malek-Ahmadi²Julia D. Albright³Barbara L. F. Kaplan⁴Noah Snyder-Mackler⁵Kathleen F. Kerr⁶Yi Su²Daniel E. L. Promislow⁷Emily E Bray⁸Dog Aging Project Consortium⁹Maxwell C. K. Leung^1*

• ¹School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Arizona State University - West Campus, Glendale, United States
• ²Banner Alzheimer's Institute, Banner Health, Phoenix, United States
• ³College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States
• ⁴College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State University, United States
• ⁵School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, United States
• ⁶School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
• ⁷Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, United States
• ⁸College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
• ⁹University of Washington, Seattle, United States

In recent years, there has been an increase in access to and interest in cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp products. Using survey data from the Dog Aging Project (DAP), we characterize how human decisions around administering CBD and hemp products are informed by owner and dog demographics, the legal status of medical cannabis in their state, and the dog's health status. Furthermore, in a subset of longitudinal data, we investigate if frequent CBD use over time is associated with behavioral changes in the dogs. The patterns of canine CBD use were first categorized by sorting owner responses into frequent use, infrequent use, and no use. They were then analyzed for associations with location and general demographic features. Further cross-sectional analyses identified the association of CBD use with different medical conditions, as well as age-associated behavioral changes in dogs with consistent CBD use for at least two years as compared to dogs with no use. Cannabidiol use tended to be higher in states with legalized medical cannabis. Dogs with dementia, osteoarthritis, cancer, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, clinical sign–based gastrointestinal disorders, and chronic diarrhea were more likely to use CBD as compared to dogs without those conditions. Dogs with consistent CBD use showed a decline in the intensity of aggressive behaviors over time compared to a more steady trend among non-use dogs. The use of CBD in dogs is linked to owner perceptions of what CBD could treat or alleviate. The decline in the intensity of aggressive behaviors suggests the potential use of CBD in dog training. Further studies are needed to advance our understanding of this novel supplement at the mechanistic, clinical, and population levels. This will benefit the health of humans and dogs alike.