As legislation for medical and recreational marijuana sweeps the country, the application of cannabis for dogs and cats has become a point of focus for animal guardians and the veterinary community. This article, will cover more detailed information about cannabis and it’s medicinal use in dogs and cats. For a more basic understanding of cannabis for pets, check out my videos on CBD oil benefits for chronic conditions and why using cbd oil why prevention is better than cure

Endocannabinoid System

As a scientuitive I know the value of understanding the what and the how.

There is a whole system in both human and animal bodies known as the endocannabinoid system. This system is located in the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and nerves) and is made up of receptors. These receptors bind THC and CBD among other components of the cannabis plant. This system influences many processes related to pain, mood, immune function and much more. As this system is studied we will be able to understand why cannabis works so well for certain conditions. We may also expand the scope of what cannabis may treat.

There is still much to learn about the endocannabinoid system in people and pets. However, we do know that dogs have many more THC receptors (CB-1) in their brains compared with people. This is why they are more sensitive to effects of THC compared with their human counterpart. In other words, the amount needed for a person to become comfortably euphoric (high) can cause extreme high with negative effects of the nervous system in dogs.

As cannabis is bred to have more and more THC, veterinarians see more and more toxicity in dogs. Some of these cases can be deadly and cause much suffering for patients. If your veterinarian is not open to discuss cannabis (even without THC), this is most likely the reason. We all took an oath to first do no harm. As cannabis becomes legal across the US, veterinarians will have more opportunities to learn about the difference between hemp and marijuana.

Entourage

You may have heard of the ‘entourage effect’ when it comes to medicinal marijuana. This simply refers to the synergistic effect of THC on CBD. In other words, the presence of THC is thought to increase the medicinal effect of CBD. Many experts in the field recommend only products with THC due to this concept.

While this synergy may be beneficial for people, it is important that we consider our animal’s comfort when using cannabis. When a person consumes cannabis, they can report how they feel and titrate the dose independently. Our animal companions don’t have this ability. THC can cause paranoia, hallucinations and anxiety in people. This most likely occurs in dogs as well.

While most focus lies on THC and CBD, cannabis contains other medicinal constituents like terpenes and flavanoids. Terpenes are the aromatic oils in the plant. These enhance the medicinal effects of both CBD and THC. Flavenoids are chemical compounds found in plants. These compounds also have medicinal effects such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-anxiety.

Conditions Benefited from CBD

The list of conditions that are improved by cannabis grows daily in my practice. Often I recommend cannabis to treat one ailment, only to find it has improved other symptoms. These are the best side effects! These are the conditions I have seen improved with cannabis:

  • Anxiety
  • Arthritis/Pain
  • Aggression
  • Seizures
  • Asthma
  • Allergies
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Increased Immune Function
  • Appetite Stimulation

I also use cannabis for patients with cancer. Depending on the type of cancer, CBD may slow the progression and offer the pet an increased sense of well being. Each type of cancer has different properties and behavior and will respond differently to CBD.

Dosing

Good news! Colorado State University is currently conducting clinical trials for the use of CBD in seizures and arthritis. As more research gets funded, we may begin to have a more information for the best dosing regimen. As it stands currently I use a wide dosing range of 0.1-3 mg/kg twice daily. My recommendations depend on the animal and the disease being treated.

CANNA OIL DL ANIMAL BROCHURE final

Product Selection

As products flood the market, it is important that consumers make an educated purchases for themselves and their pet. My inbox is full of people asking about products they have purchased or considering purchasing. When I vet these products, I am looking for the following criteria.

  1. Farming practices. Has the plant been grown with the use of pesticides? Green health plants are grown with love and respect under natural sunlight and
  2. Extraction method. Watch out for methods that use chemicals as these residues will be present in the final product. Greenhealth uses only pure extraction no heavy metals or toxins.
  3. Concentration. Some products contain too little CBD to be effective.
  4. Guaranteed analysis. Does the company test their product for the constituents beyond THC and CBD? Does it look at the terpenes and flavonoids? Check out the Greenhealth guaranteed analysis here.
  5. Other ingredients. Make sure you know what other ingredients are present. I prefer HempRx because it only contains hemp. For my very sensitive patients introducing one ingredient at a time is beneficial.
  6. Terpene/Flavanoid. As discussed earlier, CBD and THC are not the only medicinal components of cannabis. I only use products that have the terpene and flavanoid profile analyzed as well.

My absolute favorite product line is Green pet by Greenhealth. This line is specifically made for cats, dogs and horses and we are constantly tweaking and improving as the data and feedback from my clients pours in. It comes in a virgin olive oil base and a raw high strength CBD form for chronic conditions inside of my prescription based Cancer protocols. My suggested dosing is to start low and slow and each bottle comes with guidelines per weight. This 10ml bottle will last approximately 2-3 months. For horses and larger animals the 20ml bottle is most economical. Not sure if it is a fit for your animal companion or yourself, book a Holistic animal care consultation and healing session with me now and let me help you eliminate the guess work and get the results you want.

Sending love to you and your beloved animal companions

and as always trust you are enough for your animals

 

Sarah-Jane