A new study found that adding hemp oil or hempseed byproduct to dog food can improve digestive health without negatively impacting the overall microbial system.
The study, published in the journal Veterinary Sciences, suggests that certain types of hemp derivatives could be safely incorporated into canine food as ingredients. However, the effects appear to be partly dependent on whether the cannabis is added as an oil or fiber supplement.
For the study, researchers at Kasetsart University in Thailand put 24 mixed-breed dogs into three groups: One had food containing an 11 percent concentration of a fiber-rich hempseed byproduct, another received food with 2 percent hempseed oil and a third got a control diet with no hemp.
The dogs were fed the diets for 90 days. Researchers compared fecal samples from before the experiment with those from after 30 and 90 days. Genetic sequencing was used to track changes in the composition and diversity of intestinal bacteria.
Dogs that were fed a diet with hempseed oil-infused food showed a larger increase in microbial species richness.
The diet was also associated with increased levels of “beneficial” bacteria from the Lactobacillaceae family, whereas the fiber-rich hempseed byproduct was linked with Actinobacteriota.
“Hempseed derivatives altered microbial composition by promoting certain beneficial bacteria, supporting canine gut health in a formulation-dependent manner,” the authors wrote, adding that the results “provide evidence for their safe inclusion as functional ingredients in dog food.”
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