CBD and Tigers? Clovis Zoo tests out new treatment for arthritis
CLOVIS, N.M. (KRQE) – He's the first of his kind in the United States to receive an unusual treatment for arthritis pain. Meet the Clovis Zoo residents, experiencing positive results.
'He's very friendly as much as a tiger can be friendly,' said Stephanie Chavez, Clovis Zoo Director. Sooner is the 13-and-a-half-year-old tiger who calls the Clovis Zoo home and has been suffering from arthritis.
'He would wake up, especially during wintertime, he was very limpy, he would like whine, he would hold his feet up and put his paw up, and he would lick them a lot,' said Chavez.
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To treat the disease, Sooner was put on Tramadol and Gabapentin. But to try and avoid liver and kidney strains, which often accompany those medications, caretakers thought outside of the box.
'And then our vet, who works at Clovis Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Scott, she said she had read about a case study where CBD was used on lions,' said Chavez. And that's when Sooner became the first tiger in the country to use CBD.
'He gets one mil in the morning and one mil at night with his big chunk of meat, and it was just, like I said, it was a big game changer for us,' said Chavez.
The zoo received its CBD product from Enchanted Desert Farms in Portales and is seeing positive results. 'He's doing amazing things that, you know, a younger tiger would be able to do,' said Chavez.
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From chuffing to rubbing against fences, and overall greater movement capabilities, zookeepers report the treatment has completely changed Sooner's quality of life for the better.
'How do you tell a tiger is happy? You can just tell, you can just tell,' said Chavez.
'There's so many benefits that have come from CBD, and I think a lot of zoos in the world would benefit from it, especially when it comes to our older animals,' said Chavez.
The Clovis Zoo hopes other zoos across the country will learn from Sooner's experience and that they're able to use the same treatment with other animals.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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