Role of cannabidiolic acid or the combination of cannabigerol/cannabidiol in pain modulation and welfare improvement in horses with chronic osteoarthritis.
Authors: Aragona Francesca, Tabbì Marco, Gugliandolo Enrico, Giannetto Claudia, D'Angelo Fabiola, Fazio Francesco, Interlandi Claudia
Journal: Frontiers in veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Cannabinoid treatments for equine osteoarthritis pain Chronic osteoarthritis remains a significant welfare concern in aging horses, and conventional pain management strategies don't always provide adequate relief without side effects. Aragona and colleagues investigated whether cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) or a cannabigerol/cannabidiol (CBG/CBD) combination could reduce pain in 24 horses aged 11–18 years with chronic OA, administering 0.07 mg/kg daily for 14 days whilst monitoring pain scores using the Horse Chronic Pain Scale and measuring physiological parameters and immune markers throughout. Both cannabinoid treatments significantly reduced pain scale scores and lowered circulating white blood cell counts, monocytes, neutrophils and CD8+ lymphocytes, without altering heart rate, respiratory rate or blood pressure, and crucially, no horses required rescue analgesia or experienced adverse effects. These findings suggest that oral cannabinoid administration may represent a safe adjunctive or alternative pain-modulation strategy for geriatric horses with OA, though the mechanisms underlying the immunological changes warrant further investigation and practitioners should note that efficacy was demonstrated over only a 14-day period. Given the absence of adverse effects and the apparent immune-modulating properties, both formulations merit consideration in evidence-based pain management protocols, though larger, longer-term studies comparing efficacy to conventional analgesics and examining optimal dosing strategies would strengthen clinical recommendations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •CBDA and CBG/CBD oils show promise as oral pain management options for older horses with chronic osteoarthritis, with measurable improvement on standardized pain scales over 2 weeks
- •These cannabinoid treatments appear well-tolerated with no adverse effects or need for additional pain medication in this trial, though larger controlled studies are needed before routine clinical use
- •The immune modulation observed (reduced WBC, monocytes, neutrophils, CD8) suggests potential anti-inflammatory mechanisms, but clinical significance and long-term safety require further investigation
Key Findings
- •Both CBDA 15% and CBG/CBD (20%/10%) oils reduced Horse Chronic Pain Scale scores over 14 days of treatment at 0.07 mg/kg dosing
- •Treatment reduced white blood cell count, monocytes, neutrophils, and CD8+ lymphocytes with no changes in physiological parameters (HR, RR, blood pressure)
- •No horses required rescue analgesia and no adverse effects were observed during the 14-day treatment period