Utilização de Cannabis para o controle da dor e outras condições na Medicina Veterinária: revisão de literatura

Abstract

Pain is a difficult to understand and multifactorial condition that causes major disruptions to the animal's health, as it causes, in addition to the unpleasant sensory and emotional experience, the activation of neuroendocrine responses, which will disrupt the organism's homeostatic balance. The stress generated by permanent pain can result in self-mutilation, immune incompetence and even death, making its control a challenging task for veterinarians. Among the pharmacological alternatives for treating pain in animals, we can mention the use of Cannabis sativa. This plant, originally from Central Asia, has shown promise for the treatment of this condition that so greatly affects the quality of life of animals. The objective of this study was to review the use of Cannabis sativa for the treatment of pain and other conditions in veterinary medicine. To carry out this review study, a systematic search was conducted in the following electronic databases: Scielo, Bireme, Pub Med, Google Scholar, Lilacs. Scientific books and articles published between 1990 and 2025 were used as sources of information. It was found that the molecular mechanisms by which Cannabis sativa exerts its anti-inflammatory effect are complex and probably multifactorial. There is growing evidence that cannabinoids, particularly the cannabidiol (CBD), interact with a wide variety of endocannabinoids receptors, such as CB1 and CB2, and are capable of blocking or inhibiting the transmission of nerve impulses at various levels and exerting an analgesic effect. Clinical trials conducted with dogs have shown positive results regarding the efficacy of cannabidiol as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis. In view of the above, it is concluded that cannabinoids have promising action for the treatment of pain in animals, contributing to the improvement of patients' quality of life.