Pot for pets? Some dog lovers say cannabis eases pain

DENVER — Just like millions of Americans use marijuana to ease their chronic pain and cancer-treatment side effects, some animal owners are giving pot to their pets.

Advocates say cannabis doggie treats can be a safe and effective complement to traditional veterinary medicine, especially when animals are nauseous, unwilling to eat and struggling with constant pain.

Most of the treats are made with hemp, which contains low levels of THC, the compound in marijuana that gives a "high." The treats are sold under names like Hemp For Hounds and Treatibles.

"I wish I had found it sooner," said Deanna Poirier, a veterinary technician from Massachusetts who gave cannabis extract to her dying German shepherd, Kendra. "There comes a point where our traditional medicines, … they don't work to the very end on every pet, all of the time."

While the idea might conjure images of pet owners blowing pot smoke into their dogs' faces, Dr. Lisa Parshley of the Olympia Veterinary Cancer Center in Olympia, Wash., said people usually give the marijuana inside a biscuit or treat.

Parshley, a veterinary oncologist with a doctorate in biochemistry, said she's not quite ready to prescribe marijuana to dying animals but understands why some owners would try it.

"I like to encourage an open dialogue about it, but I can't in good conscience recommend it yet," she said. "If it's a useful drug, I want that. And if it's not useful, I want to know that."

Residents of 23 states and the District of Columbia are allowed to use marijuana for medical reasons, generally to address the side effects of chemotherapy, chronic pain, glaucoma and seizures. While animals aren't exactly the same as humans, marijuana may be able to provide some relief, Parshley said.

As with people, Parshley said not enough research is available to prove marijuana can help pets.

The hemp treats aren't regulated like pharmaceuticals, which means they have not undergone clinical trials and been checked for potential interactions. However, they're widely available across the country, sitting on the same shelves as more traditional pet supplements.

Poirier said the cannabis products she gave Kendra contained hemp, which has low levels of THC but high levels of another compound, CBD. If derived from hemp plants, hemp oil is legal across the USA.

Dr. Tim Hackett, a professor of veterinary emergency medicine at Colorado State University's Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Fort Collins, Colo., said he welcomes more research on the topic. Modern veterinary medicine doesn't have all the answers, and scientists should be open to new data.

But without that data, he echoes Parshley.

"Some people say, 'Just give it a try,'" Hackett said. "I don't know the safety. I don't know the efficacy. Therefore, I can't recommend it."

Hackett recently dealt with a woman who drove to Colorado from Utah under the mistaken belief she could buy medical marijuana specifically for her dog, he said. Colorado allows adults to buy recreational marijuana and edibles products, but veterinarians are not permitted to recommend it for animals.

Hackett said some pet owners believe that since marijuana won't hurt humans, it probably won't harm their sick animals, either. Like Parshley, Hackett said pet owners are increasingly asking about giving hemp products to their pets, which he welcomes.

Asking creates an opportunity to discuss a serious concern: marijuana poisoning, he said.

Four years ago Hackett collaborated on a study tracking the rise of marijuana "intoxication" in dogs and found a strong correlation between pot availability and animal overdoses in Colorado after the state legalized medical marijuana in 2000. The study didn't examine hemp-based products.

Veterinarians say dogs often will eat an entire plate of pot cookies or a tray of pot brownies, rather than a one bite. Because dogs metabolize marijuana differently than people and are usually much smaller, the lethargy and confusion can be significant.

Stoned dogs can't breathe well and can die if they vomit while immobile, Hackett said.

In a recent survey of U.S. veterinarians that Pets Best Pet Insurance conducted, the third-most common toxin for which veterinarians treated dogs was marijuana, behind chocolate and rat poison. That data should give pet owners pause when it comes to giving their animals marijuana, said Chris Middleton, Pets Best president.

He said his company doesn't offer coverage for any marijuana products, including hemp oil treats, because no research proves they work — or are safe.

"There's just all sorts of examples out there, all sorts of substances that are good for people but not pets," said Middleton, including grapes, avocados and garlic.

Marijuana enthusiasts often point out that the drug doesn't really have any side effects, especially if pets are being given products made without THC, Hackett said.

Poirier said she's convinced that the pot treats made a difference for Kendra and her other animals. She said it's important that people thinking about giving their pet a pot treat discuss it first with their veterinarian.

"Do I believe there are benefits for it in a medical situation? Absolutely," she said. But 'I don't think that owners … should ever dose it themselves. You just can't. It needs to be done under a doctor's supervision."