Although in traditional medical circles using marijuana to treat people remains a controversial topic, why can’t this popular weed help alleviate the constant suffering and intractable pain that is endured by companion animals who are terminally ill?
Colorado and Washington State have already legalized the recreational use of marijuana. Thousands of people are taking advantage of the herb to alleviate pain, to deal with devastating illnesses and to counter the miserable side effects of chemotherapy. Additionally, many other patients claim numerous benefits with the judicious use of marijuana.
Since it appears that medical marijuana has been helping people deal more effectively with a wide variety of medical problems; as of January 2015 twenty three states and the District of Columbia have already legalized the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of many chronic conditions in spite of the fact that the mainstream veterinary profession remains skeptical and extremely concerned about whether the use of medical marijuana in the treatment of pets is warranted.
But according to HuffingtonPost.com, California resident Laura Bugni-Daniel loudly sang its praises. After watching her aging bulldog vomiting and suffering for two years, she was able to help relieve his pain considerably with the small, measured amount of cannabis she put in what she called her “magic cheese.”
Dubbed the “Vet Guru”, veterinarian, Dr. Doug Kramer 38, also speaks out in favor of the use of marijuana to manage pain in terminally ill pets. Kramer said,
“I grew tired of euthanizing pets when I wasn’t doing everything I could to make their lives better. I felt like I was letting them down.”
But is it a good idea to use this mode of treatment? Kramer thinks the answer is that it depends on whether your pet could be classified as a medical marijuana patient.
Years ago, Kramer treated his own dog, a Husky named Nikita. When she had cancer, his homemade pot tinctures helped her regain her appetite and alleviated her pain. He said “I do think there are therapeutic benefits to it.”
But Kramer is one of the very few veterinarians who are willing to even talk about using medical marijuana in the treatment of pets. Kramer claims that since rats and dogs have been used in many medical studies on the effects of marijuana in place of humans, with results that suggested that “mammals have the same cannabinoid receptors as humans do”, doesn’t it stand to reason that pets “would benefit in the same ways?”
Kramer has been doing extensive research on the use of marijuana for pets and has accumulated over 500 case studies. In his research he has used surveys distributed at marijuana dispensaries and other positive feedback. Most of the people who are treating their dogs and cats with marijuana are using it to ameliorate their pet’s pain and inflammation caused by arthritis. Kramer has also received many phone calls from other veterinarians who are curious about medical marijuana treatment for pets.
While the use of medical marijuana in pets may hold some promise, there remain many veterinarians who not keen about the use of medical marijuana treatment for pets citing that with the concomitant rise of humans using the drug there has been an increase in cases of accidental marijuana overdoses in companion animals.
Barry Kellogg, senior veterinary advisor to the Humane Society of the United States said,
“Sometimes public sentiment and activity gets ahead of the scientific background and that can be dangerous.”
At the same time, managers of marijuana clinics claim that bad reactions can be prevented with proper dosage, and there are a growing number of veterinary practitioners who feel the drug has great merit.
Even though there is a growing interest in the use of medical marijuana for pets who are appropriate, the jury is still out until sufficient research can back up the claims of its worth. But advocates are highly concerned that it may be a decade or more before researchers can scientifically attest to its efficacy and safety.
In spite of the plethora of positive anecdotal reports from pet owners and the handful of veterinarians who are using medical marijuana in their practice at this time, according to Critterology cannabis is considered to be highly toxic to cats, dogs and other animals. So before pet guardians think that it is okay to share their medical marijuana with their pets, since presently it is not considered to be safe for pets, great care must be taken not to expose them to this substance.
What are your thoughts about the use of medical marijuana for pets? Tell us in a comment.
I know the effects of weed on people and it is not positive in the long run. I would be very cautious about using it with my fur children
Agree. Wish it was easier to know these things, but until it is, I wouldn’t want to risk doing harm. 😉
You sum up the problem with using cannabis in last paragraph. Too many unknowns and therefore too much risk. You can take risks with cat health unless the cat is desperate but how do you know?
My family members on both sides, for the most part, did not believe in allopathic (Western, symptom-treating) medicine and avoided it, which may be the a reason most of them enjoyed good health. I follow their example, both for myself and for my loved ones, who get the best diet I can afford for them and a good life, all things considered. As for giving cannabis to cats, I believe we simply cannot ever deduce levels of discomfort in cats, nor should we administer a substance which may be harmful to them simply to assuage our own feelings, as I have read in the past.
Sandra do you believe the biggest cause of her constipation is hair in the intestine?
Serbella,
I am so sorry to read about Angel. I agree with you that euthanazia is sometimes the kindest gift we can give our cats- the decision can be so hard- but we must always first think about our cats and not let them suffer when there is no hope.
As I mentioned above we are giving Hush Puppy Traumeel which our holistic veterinarian recommended. It works really well and is very safe. We do not want him to be in pain ever.
Elderly cats can develop some pretty painful conditions which I believe can be helped with hemp- or other holistic remedies that also are safe and that work. It’s so good to see you here.