Pets and Cannabis

Cannabis users spoil their pets, just like everybody else. We love them like family, because that’s what they are. As cannabis becomes more accepted as medicine for humans, it only makes sense that it might help our pets, too.

This possibility has become big news of late. Even the Huffington Post recently published an article about using cannabis to treat our dogs’ ailments. My friend, Madeline Martinez, has used cannabis to stop her dog’s seizures. As a medical cannabis activist, she knew it helped people with seizure disorders. She was thrilled to find out that it helped her sweet Pomeranian with her occasional seizures, too.

My medical cannabis doctor also talks of using cannabis to improve the quality of life for her little Shih Tzu, at the end of her long and happy life. My doctor added a little tincture to the dog’s food every day. Not only did her appetite improve, as expected, but her mobility and “youthfulness” returned also. I even have a friend who is using it on a hamster. The poor little critter has tumors that cause her to scratch herself raw. According to the last report I got, the hamster’s skin is healing, and it is not scratching all the time. Two of the three tumors are gone, and the last one is shrinking. Needless to say, Mama is thrilled.

Stories like this are quickly becoming the norm, even though the ASPCA still lists cannabis as a toxic plant. Similar to medical cannabis for humans, there are those who argue that introducing our pets to cannabis constitutes mistreatment and that cannabis has no medical value. Laws about mistreatment and abuse of animals vary from state to state, and the definition of what can be considered mistreatment is equally varied.

One piece that remains very clear, is that veterinarians do not have the same protection as a doctor who can recommend cannabis to humans in a state that allows it. They are forced to follow federal guidelines where cannabis is still a Schedule I Controlled Substance. That is a battle for another story; I digress. My point is this:  if you have a pet that is suffering in some way, it seems only logical to try a natural healing plant over anything made by a pharmacy. I feed it to my two naughty little dogs every day as preventative maintenance.

Wally’s all grown up

I have noticed that my older dog has become more playful, thinner and more flexible. She had a run of urinary tract infections that have stopped since I started feeding her cannabis daily. My puppy is as playful as ever. He is the more hardcore stoner of the two. He loves to chew on stems, and he is my prime suspect in the case of the missing shatter. I just found a little vial that contained some special cannabis oil buried in his chair – empty. He remains un-phased.

He comes from a family that is prone to skin issues. He will be two years old in February, and he has had no problems thus far. Granted, I make sure that they both have a good diet, and I keep them well-groomed.

But, I feel like part that is a no brainer to a weedist. It’s part of the love! Pets can get their cannabis in the same ways that people do. Madeline blows smoke into her dog’s face to stop the seizures; my doctor added tincture to her dog’s food; my friend with the hamster is using it topically and feeding her oil from an eye dropper.

In talking with other friends who are trying cannabis on their pets, I hear a lot of concerns about dosage, and I believe they are valid. I think it is important to start with very low dosages and work up. Some pets don’t like it, and you will know it. We need to remember that we are making choices that they can’t make and proceed with caution, with whatever method we choose to try.

I make treats for my dogs, and that’s where they get their daily dose. As I do with my own food, I just substituted cannabis infused oil in a recipe for pumpkin doggie treats that I found online. I am going to try one myself one of these days; they smell delicious!

I need to impress upon anyone reading this that I have no medical or veterinary training. These are anecdotal reports that should not be substituted for proper medical care. I am sure I don’t even need to say this, but if your pet is sick, take it to the vet!