Hillside Animal Hospital’s Veterinarians Weigh In
With medical marijuana and CBD products booming in human medicine, there has been a lot of talk and curiosity about the benefits that this magical plant can do for our pets. However, before you run to your nearest dispensary to get your pup some doggie edibles, it’s important to understand the research limits and scientific unknowns involved in turning CBD into a safe prescription medicine for our pets.
Now that medicinal marijuana is legal in a number of states across the country, research to further its medical benefits for humans and animals can happen and will significantly advance our understanding of the drug. There is still a lot of information that needs to be gathered before CBD can become a prescription medicine for our pets. There are studies ongoing at CSU and UC Davis that are digging into safe dosing, side effects in long and short-term uses, and species-specific strain necessities and benefits and uses.
Hillside Animal Hospital Associate Veterinarian Nicola Council notes that one important thing to understand is that in the state of Arizona (like most states in the US) veterinarians can’t legally recommend CBD or discuss its use for dogs due to lack of scientific evidence. Because of the THC, marijuana is still toxic to pets, and marijuana toxicity is a very real health concern today. Pets exposed to marijuana can experience excessive salivation, dilated pupils, vomiting, urination, and even severe symptoms such as seizures and rapid breathing or heart-rate.
The veterinary world is constantly evolving. In the future, there may be enough scientific evidence to support the legalization of vet-prescribed CBD products, but for now, our Hillside Animal Hospital Veterinarians legally cannot recommend or discuss the topic of using CBD on pets. We will continue to advance our practice as the veterinary world advances to ensure the highest quality care for each and every pet that comes into our clinic.
If you’d like more information, please give us a call at 480-391-7297.
By Daphne Graf, Client Service Representative
