Animal Stress During Travel: Understand How Cannabis Can Help

Along with the joy and euphoria before embarking on a long-awaited trip, many pet owners also have to deal with the question: "Should I take my pet with me?" The search for pet-friendly hotels has grown significantly in recent years. In 2021, research by Decode, a data analysis company, indicated a 238% increase in searches for such accommodations. Hotels.com revealed that 82% of Brazilians plan to travel with their pets in the post-pandemic period (M&E | Mercado e Eventos) (Vet Quality).

The trend remained high. In 2022, a Booking survey revealed that 43% of Brazilian travelers prefer to book accommodations that accept their pets. Airbnb also reported an increase of over 100% in pet-friendly listings published in Diário do Turismo. 

To clarify the doubts of pet owners, often generated by concerns about their animal's behavior during long car, bus, or plane trips, veterinarian Emanuela Leite explains that cannabis can be an ally in relaxation, reducing anxiety and fear in animals.

“Cannabidiol has anxiolytic properties, acting on the central nervous system and the endocannabinoid system, producing a calming effect on the animal,” explains the veterinarian, who also points out the high safety of plant-based products, as they have few or no adverse effects.

At the beginning of the year, Valéria Izaias left her city, Irati - PR, to move to Foz do Iguaçu - PR, about 600 km away. A few days before, the psychologist decided to take her cat, Betina, along on the bus trip, which lasted about nine hours.

“I was quite apprehensive, anxious to know how she would react; it was something new for Betina. We had traveled before, but only short distances,” comments Izaias, a researcher in a cannabis group, who was already familiar with the therapeutic effects of the plant.

After consulting her veterinarian, Valéria started using cannabis a day before the trip to acclimate her cat to the treatment. One hour before the trip and during the journey, the owner gave three drops of Full Spectrum oil to her six-year-old cat, and the result was better than expected.

“It was enough; she was calm, didn’t meow, didn’t vocalize, nor was anxious or stressed. Additionally, she wasn’t sedated; she was awake, sometimes sleeping, but aware throughout the trip,” she comments. According to her, this same trip has been made three other times; in all instances, cannabis oil was used, and the result was always the same: a calm and aware cat throughout the journey.

Unnatural Environment

According to Emanuela, traveling by car, bus, plane, or train is not a natural experience for animals. Besides the environment, factors such as high speed and temperature also affect the animal's well-being, potentially causing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, or neurological effects, such as loss of locomotion sense.

Therefore, it is always recommended to gradually familiarize the animal with the environment, starting about two weeks before the trip. “Show the environment, the carrier where it will be transported, create a pleasant environment with toys and other familiar objects; all of this will help the pet during the trip,” explains the veterinarian.

Regarding the use of cannabis-based medications, according to Emanuela, due to their long therapeutic window and high safety, they can be used for short, medium, and long trips, always under the supervision of a veterinarian. In countries where cannabis is regulated, gummies or biscuits are already used by owners to calm their animals during travel.

Scientific Support

According to a study published in the Journal of Animal Science, car trips can be a stressful event for dogs, even when done multiple times. Furthermore, researchers state that a dose of CBD at 4 mg/kg of body weight, two hours before exposure to such events, mitigates some indicators of canine stress.

Over six months, 19 dogs underwent a series of short car trips, where a range of physiological and behavioral measures was collected before, during, and after the test. The results showed that CBD significantly reduced some of these markers, especially cortisol and behaviors such as whining and lip licking.

“There are studies showing a single dose having an effect on animals. Other animals may require a dose progression of up to 11 times to have an effect, a large window to start,” explains Emanuela when discussing the timing of medication ingestion. “It can indeed be used on an as-needed basis, before the trip, starting one or two days prior, but continuous use of the oil can also be done. It is important to analyze each case individually, always with the guidance of a veterinarian,” she concludes.