CBD could be useful in the medical treatment of elephants under human care
The results of the medical treatment of this Asian elephant are a milestone in the research on the use of CBD drugs in elephants.
Medical cannabis can be used in many animals because all vertebrates possess an Endocannabinoid System. Despite its usefulness, it is important that it be prescribed by a veterinarian so that the treatment is tailored to the patient. Surely you have heard that medical cannabis can be used for pets, but it could also be useful for animals in captivity. In the following text, we share with you some results observed after the use of CBD as a medical treatment for an elephant in a conservation park in Mexico.
Background: Use of CBD as a treatment in elephants.
As of this writing, there are no published scientific reports with results on the use of CBD in elephants. To date, the scientific community only has one research project, led by Agnieszka Czujkowska. In it, the veterinarian proposed to evaluate the effects of CBD on the mood of animals. Likewise, in August 2020, a news item was published about the Warsaw Zoo and its intention to use CBD in its elephants, but the veterinarian and her team finally did not carry out the test.
Mexican elephant case report:
Preliminary Notions: In 2020, a wildlife conservation park in Mexico collaborated with ICAN Vets to conduct pioneering research on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) in one of their Asian elephants. This work would not have been possible without the collaboration of the park's management and veterinary medical staff.
Description:
We will call the patient in question Nidia for data privacy reasons. Nidia is a female Asian elephant(Elephas maximus). After living in a circus and a zoo, she arrived at the park in 2009. She is estimated to be over 55 years old, but her exact age is unknown.
The elephant had wounds on her nails and feet. These lesions are known as abscesses; they are "balls" that -when inflamed and opened- caused pain. They could take months to heal. It is necessary to clean this type of wounds on a daily basis. To control and eradicate the infection, antiseptic should be applied daily. Given her case, Nidia moved very little inside her shelter; moving around caused her a lot of discomfort.
In addition to the lesions, the patient showed lack of appetite. Generally, she consumed little more than half of her rations. If she did not feel like eating, she would play with her food.
ICAN Vets' proposal: Administration of cannabinoid medication
ICAN Vets collaborated with the park's veterinary team to administer Nidia's treatment with a master medication of orally isolated CBD oil. As a result of her training, the elephant allowed the oil to be placed inside her mouth. Subsequently, she was given a piece of watermelon or other fruit as a reward. The fruit was swallowed along with the CBD oil.
Promising results and the reasons for encouraging this type of study:
For eight weeks, Nidia received CBD once a day. The results were extremely optimistic.
Since the CBD oil was administered, the abscesses became smaller and began to heal faster. It should be noted that the treatment was parallel to the cleansing routines. Nidia began to walk longer distances. This suggests that the elephant was less uncomfortable or sore.
Another effect was an improvement in her appetite. From the third day of CBD drug administration, he ate in larger quantities. He gained 250 kilos in the first five weeks of treatment, and during the study he consumed about 90 % of the food he was given daily!
In conclusion
Nidia's preliminary results suggest that CBD could be useful for treating various ailments and diseases in elephants and other wild animals under human care. Of course, more research is needed.
From the ICAN Vets team, we express our desire to continue working hand in hand with this and other parks and conservation organizations in the treatment of their specimens. Likewise, we establish our commitment to carry out these investigations and disseminate the results to continue advancing the scientific support of the use of cannabinoid medicine in other animals besides dogs and cats.
All of the above was carried out in accordance with the ethical provisions of the medical-scientific community, as well as the regulatory frameworks in Mexico.
