Legalizing Cannabis Leads to More Pet Owners Giving it to Their Cats and Dogs
Cannabis is almost legal even when it isn’t legal because law enforcement ignore its use. In America a number of states have legalized it. It is legal for recreational and medical use in Washington, Washington D.C., Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Maine.
New Zealand cat steals bag of weed
One dog owner used cannabis to treat his dog’s arthritis. There is a specially produced version for pets. You add it to food.
She said that her dog was livelier and happier after eating the cannabis. Her dog appears to be in less pain. It sounds very promising.
However, it also sounds potentially dangerous. Do we know what the effects are on cats and dogs? Veterinarians say that there is not enough data on cannabis treatment of pets to tell us that it is safe and effective.
And, in the USA, vets are not allowed to prescribe it because it is illegal under federal law.
It seems that pet owners are doing their own informal studies when scientists should be doing them. And as more states legalize the drug it is likely that more pet owners will try it out on their pets when conventional pain killers prove to be unsatisfactory partly because of the side effects.
Lynne Fasman runs a pet adoption and animal shelter. She recommends cannabis as a treatment for older dogs with behavior and health issues. She plans to try it out on cats. She is clearly a concerned cat rescuer but I am not sure it is wise to “try it out” on cats. It sounds experimental.
A business called Treatwell Health sell cannabis tinctures to treat a wide range of ailments. They say the pet does not get high. How do they know for sure?
“What we find is a lot of the animals are coming to us when there are no other options and pharmaceuticals haven’t worked for that animal,” said Allison Ettel, Treatwell Health co-founder. “And so they’re at that last resort, and cannabis is really good for those types of situations.”
But I can see the appeal of using cannabis as a last resort treatment. There is nothing to lose under these circumstances.
A retailer of the product believes it has a tremendous potential but would like to see more research on their efficacy and whether there are side effects.
It is time for the scientists to step up to the mark and do some research.
Source: Pet owners treat sick animals with cannabis – KPTV – FOX 12
There is a difference between cannabis with THC (the psychoactive property) and CBD hemp products, although they do work better together for health issues, with the largest percentage CBD and a small amount of THC.
Pet guardians need to rely on those who are experienced with this plant medicine, as they should when giving any medicine to their pets. Most times this won’t come from their vet, since most vets use pharmaceutical drugs, just like medical doctors.
I wouldn’t hesitate to use CBD medicine for my cat, and even stock it in her first aid kit. I also keep a small amount of homemade “THC canna butter” in my freezer. A tiny bit can help with appetite or calm a nervous cat.
Consider that many of us have been feeding our pets, food/feed that has been FDA “approved” euthanized pets treated with phenobarbital, etc. in the food, and many animals have been affected with sickness and death. I don’t need their approval, because I don’t trust them to look out for the best interests of pets. It’s all about their bottom dollar. For a reliable source of first hand information, see Susan Thixton’s site- TruthAboutPetFood.
I don’t think she’s on board with CBD for pets, because she doesn’t know enough, and is very busy defending and standing up for our pet’s welfare.
Treating pets with CBD will become mainstream, and I forsee more online workshops to educate pet guardians about the various uses. The information is available if people really want to know.
I always turn to “Mother Nature” first if I have a health issue, which is actually rare in my 74 years. I do have arthritis, and have tried CBD creams, but haven’t found much
relief. But just today I heard from someone how he made a tincture with CBD leaves in organic grape alcohol, and after soaking them for 72 hours, got immediate relief from the arthritis pain in his hands. So, I’m going to experiment with that very soon, when I can get some CBD leaves.
If we weren’t so fearful of the unknown, we’d have more success in general.
personally i dont see a problem with it. the fact is that unless they can benefit from it the majority of the people that would DO those sorts of studies wont. they just fall back on their bread n butter i.e. big pharma(which is worldwide). so it IS left up to individuals to see if it works. these people r the ones that will find out IF it works & how well it does cuz like i said most wont & out of those that r INTERESTED many will b deterred by the stigma of cannabis as being “a stoner or druggie thing” which in MANY cases nowadays it isnt(& the TRUTH is it was those very “stoners” that showed the rest of the world how beneficial cannabis really is as well as ways to grow it so it has MORE beneficial properties with LESS of a “high” so as to treat a myriad of issues from pain management to cancer treatment). i dont use, nor would i give it to my pets, but thats more due to a prejudicial police force that would assume that i,as a black man, MUST b selling it(of which i was accused eventho i hadnt even been around anyone that did THAT in decades). of course if prevailing attitudes changed i might. cannabis has the potential to become the next aspirin(for man & beast) if those attitudes ever changed. granted, THAT is just MY opinion.
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I fully agree with your last point, “It is time for the scientists to step up to the mark and do some research.”