Dogs often experience stress during car travel, which can manifest in both behavioral and physiological responses such as whining, lip licking, yawning, elevated cortisol, and changes in heart rate. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Animal Science investigated whether tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-free cannabidiol (CBD) distillate could help mitigate these stress reactions when administered daily.
Hannah E. Flint and colleagues conducted a six-month blinded, parallel design trial with 19 dogs. The dogs underwent repeated short car journeys while researchers measured stress indicators before, during, and after travel. As expected, the car rides elicited significant stress responses across multiple measures.
The study found that CBD treatment had a measurable positive effect, though the impact varied depending on the stress marker assessed. Specifically, serum cortisol, whining, lip licking, and qualitative behavioral ratings showed significant reductions in stress in CBD-treated dogs compared with the placebo group at certain time points. Other measures, including heart rate and heart rate variability, were less consistently influenced.
These results suggest that CBD may be a beneficial supplement for dogs experiencing travel-related stress, providing improvements in both behavioral and physiological well-being. However, the authors caution that more research across different dog populations and stress-inducing contexts is needed to fully understand CBD’s potential role in canine emotional health.
Source: Flint, H. E., Hunt, A. B. G., Logan, D. W., & King, T. (2024). Daily dosing of cannabidiol (CBD) demonstrates a positive effect on measures of stress in dogs during repeated exposure to car travel. Journal of Animal Science, 102. Authors: Hannah E. Flint, A. B. G. Hunt, D. W. Logan, T. King. Publication Date: 2024-01-20. Journal: Journal of Animal Science.
