HIGH Times in Veterinary Medicine

GUEST AUTHOR!!

**Dr. Churchill recently had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Conference earlier this month and brought back a TON of interesting information! One topic that was covered is the coming legalization of marijuana and what that means for veterinary medicine. This is a conversation we have regularly with clients and having the most up to date information is critical. **

​So Doc, can’t we use pot for Fido?
While this is a frequently asked question, Veterinarians were excluded from legislation allowing the prescription of medical marijuana. So…. the current answer is no, we can’t prescribe or recommend Cannabinoids in Fido because it is illegal.

During the recent Canadian Veterinary Medical Association Conference, the National Issues Forum centered on Cannabinoids and their use in Veterinary Medicine.  The biggest take home message for me was that while legalization is happening as of October 17, 2018, there are still more questions than answers on what that will look like! ​

​Currently, there are no legally approved products for our beloved pets. Veterinarians are scientists, by nature we want to know the answers to our questions before we prescribe anything! I was impressed with the amount of research that is currently going on surrounding medical uses for marijuana. However, in dogs treated with purified CBD, it appears not to be strong enough on it’s on own to control pain (unpublished data, but coming soon!). A study based out of Colorado State looking at dogs with seizures also has not shown that it will prevent or even necessarily reduce the medications used in epileptic dogs, although it appears early treatment with in dogs with uncomplicated epilepsy may benefit. Stay tuned as more research is coming! 

​There are over 400 chemicals in marijuana, not just CBD or THC! We really have no idea what chemicals or what ratios are needed for medical benefits. While research is on-going, it is hard to make good recommendations based on science, when the science is just being studied. Don’t worry, we are watching for all the new studies and waiting for any approved products to come our way.

​However, a real problem that increases with legalization is marijuana toxicity. According to data from the ASPCA-Pet Poison Control, there was a 1268% increase in calls regarding toxicity from 2002-2017 (legalization began in 2012). While it is rare to have seizures and there have only been a couple of reported deaths, most animals require hospitalization, fluid therapy, and supportive care for several days. 

Dogs love food, so with all those new edibles coming to the market, over 40% of those toxicity calls were from dogs chowing down on those “special treats”! Take home message, keep those treats away from your pets (even those that the pet stores and dispensaries are currently selling!) and keep the plant material away from your curious cats. 

Smoke is never good for your pets, so if you smoke or vape, please send your pets to another area to keep them safe.

- Dr. Vanessa Churchill, DVM