If you own or have owned a pet dog, then you know firsthand how much joy and fulfillment they can add to your life. The benefits of owning a pet dog are not just anecdotal, either. Several scientific studies have found that owning a pet dog is associated with improved mental health, increased physical activity, and boosted social interactions (among other benefits).

Dogs are the most popular pet across the globe. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have one or more pet dogs, and in the United States alone, more than 42.5 million households have at least one dog. If you own a beloved pet dog, you naturally want to make sure they are healthy, including proper digestive health.

A team of researchers affiliated with Kasetsart University in Thailand recently conducted a study examining the addition of hemp to dog food and its impact on the gut health of the study’s canine participants. The study’s findings were published in the journal Veterinary Sciences and reported by Marijuana Moment.

“This study explored the effects of two different hempseed-based ingredients, hempseed oil and a hempseed by-product, on the gut health of healthy adult dogs over a 90-day period.” the researchers wrote. “All dogs, including the controls, showed a natural increase in bacterial diversity over time. However, dogs fed hempseed oil showed a distinctly larger increase in bacterial species richness.”

“The diet containing the hempseed by-product, on the other hand, specifically promoted the growth of certain beneficial bacteria. Importantly, neither treatment disrupted the microbial community essential for gut stability.” the researchers found.

“These results suggest that hempseed derivatives altered microbial composition by promoting certain beneficial bacteria, supporting canine gut health in a formulation-dependent manner, and provide evidence for their safe inclusion as functional ingredients in dog food.” the study’s authors concluded.

According to Grand View Research, “the global pet food market size was valued at USD 128.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 135.0 billion in 2026 to USD 191.2 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2026 to 2033.”

This latest Thailand study builds on a growing body of research focusing on the wellness benefits that cannabis and hemp may provide to dogs. A team of researchers affiliated with various health and academic institutions based in Chile previously found that cannabis is an effective treatment for dogs experiencing osteoarthritis pain.

A team of scientific investigators affiliated with the University of Antioquia in Colombia previously conducted a study examining the effectiveness and safety of cannabidiol (CBD) for dogs, finding that CBD therapies “demonstrated improvements in pain, behaviour, and seizures, with no serious adverse events.”