Cannabidiol (CBD) has garnered significant interest in veterinary therapeutics, yet the pharmacokinetic and safety profiles of its various formulations remain incompletely characterized. This study compared the pharmacokinetics (PK) and health effects of CBD administered as oil (OG, 5 mg/kg) and treats (TG, 50 mg) in 16 healthy mixed-breed dogs over 30 days. Plasma CBD concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and the PK parameters were analyzed using non-compartmental methods. The CBD-infused rice bran oil formulation (OG) achieved a significantly higher dose-normalized maximum plasma concentration (C_max, 58.40 vs. 21.29 kg·ng/mL/mg) and area under the curve (AUC_0-inf, 305.85 vs. 141.75 h·kg·ng/mL/mg) compared to the treats (TG). The treat formulation exhibited relative reductions in bioavailability, with AUC and Cmax values approximately 2.2- and 2.7-fold lower than the oil group. The terminal half-life (~9.66 h OG vs. 8.52 h TG) and time to peak (2.38 h OG vs. 3.63 h TG) did not differ significantly. CBD accumulation occurred with repeated dosing but declined rapidly post-cessation. The hematological and biochemical analyses revealed no clinically adverse effects, though minor erythrocyte and eosinophil fluctuations were noted. The oil formulation demonstrated superior absorption, while both forms were well-tolerated. These findings highlight the impact of formulation on CBD absorption and support further research into optimized delivery methods for veterinary applications.

Canine epilepsy often resists conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), which affects their quality of life. Cannabidiol (CBD) has anticonvulsant properties; however, evidence of its use in canine epilepsy is limited and contradictory. This prospective pilot study aimed to investigate the potential advantages, safety profile, and effects of CBD on quality of life when used as an adjunctive therapy in cases of drug-resistant epilepsy in canines. Thirteen dogs with refractory epilepsy, all on 2–6 concurrent AEDs, were enrolled. A single-arm pretest–post-test design was used. CBD was titrated from 0.5 mg/kg BID 2.5 mg/kg q12h. The primary outcome was the change in seizure frequency. Secondary outcomes included changes in seizure severity, seizure cluster, hematological and biochemical parameters, and owner-reported quality of life (QoL). Significant overall seizure frequency reduction (p = 0.02) with the median decreased from 11 (IQR 9–22) during the pre-intervention period to 5 (IQR 2–13) at the post-intervention follow-up. Notably, 61.5% of the dogs achieved a ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency. The number of seizure clusters was significantly decreased (p = 0.001). Most hematological/renal parameters remained stable; however, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) levels significantly increased (p < 0.001). The owners reported positive CBD perceptions and an improved quality of life. CBD shows the potential for refractory canine epilepsy, especially in clusters. Increased hepatic enzyme levels necessitate rigorous monitoring, particularly with the concurrent use of AEDs. This groundbreaking study explored the application of CBD in managing canine epilepsy, utilizing a “start-low, go-slow” strategy to minimize adverse effects while effectively controlling seizures. Our findings underscore the necessity of customizing CBD dosages for individual needs and highlight the critical importance of monitoring liver function. This study challenged the traditional one-size-fits-all dosing approach. It provides the first evidence and practical framework for the use of CBD to treat canine epilepsy in Asia, detailing the pioneering approach and the initial findings from this cohort.

The chemotaxonomic classification of Cannabis sativa L. has historically relied on the Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) ratio, yielding canonical chemotypes I, II, and III. However, this binary framework overlooks the chemical diversity contributed by the minor cannabinoids. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) following the AOAC Official Method 2018.10 was employed to quantify nine cannabinoids (THCA, THC, CBDA, CBD, CBGA, CBG, CBC, CBDV, and CBN) across 36 commercially and medicinally relevant cannabis varieties. Quantitative profiling revealed substantial phytochemical heterogeneity, with total THC ranging from 0.41% to 15.64% and total CBD ranging from 0.09% to 12.32% (w/w). Unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that the first two principal components explained 62.7% of the total variance. PC1 (37.6%) captured the THCA–CBDA polarity axis, while PC2 (25.1%) was dominated by minor cannabinoids (CBC; loading 0.417), CBGA (0.314), and CBG (0.258). Supervised partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) using only the nine cannabinoid variables achieved 94.2% cross-validated accuracy and 100% test-set accuracy in predicting the chemotype class, with CBC identified as the third most discriminatory variable (variable importance in projection, VIP = 1.34). Hierarchical clustering resolved three principal clades and further subdivided THC-dominant accessions into CBC-enriched (Sour Diesel, Cinderella Jack) and CBGA-enriched (Mother Gorilla, Auto Lemon Kix) subclusters. A multivariate “metabolic coordinate” system based on PC1/PC2 scores is proposed as a quantitative and reproducible alternative to the traditional Type I/II/III and sativa/indica nomenclatures. This study introduces an empirically grounded framework for variety authentication, quality control, and enhanced precision breeding in the rapidly growing medicinal cannabis sector, for both human and veterinary applications.

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) derivatives are emerging as functional ingredients in companion animal nutrition; however, their long-term effects on the canine gut microbiome remain unclear. This exploratory study investigated the impact of dietary supplementation with two hempseed-based formulations (fiber-rich by-product vs. fat-rich oil coating) on the fecal microbiota of healthy adult dogs over 90 days. Twenty-four dogs were randomly assigned to control, hempseed by-product (11% inclusion), or hempseed oil (2% coating) diet groups. Fecal samples collected on days 0, 30, and 90 were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess microbial composition and diversity. The hempseed oil group showed a distinguishable increase in species richness. Both hempseed-based diets were associated with compositional shifts in formulation-specific ways: the oil coating with a higher relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae (notably Ligilactobacillus), and the by-product with a higher relative abundance of Actinobacteriota (particularly Collinsella). Both treatments preserved several microbiota genera. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant temporal restructuring, with convergence toward a stabilized ecosystem by day 90. These findings demonstrate that hempseed fractions modulate the canine microbiome in a formulation-specific manner without disrupting ecological stability, supporting beneficial health effects in canine nutrition.