For those of us who share our homes and hearts with furry companions, we’d do anything to make sure they’re safe and healthy. No matter if you’ve got a dog or a cat, your pet has an endocannabinoid system just like us, so they can also experience all of the medical benefits cannabis has to offer. Many people have seen non-psychoactive cannabidiol (CBD) products help their pets with everything from arthritis to anxiety to cancer.
We’ve compiled the most popular questions from our Answers page about how marijuana can help your pets. We hope that this information helps you decide if cannabis is right for your dog or cat—or rabbit or horse or whatever kind of fur baby you’ve got.
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Q: My cat lost her hind leg, my concern is joint pain.
Answer: @pamelahadfield I have used pet CBD for my pet’s severe joint and arthritic pain. My dog who died recently (Desmond) would not have walked well the last two years of his life without it. Basically, there is very little clinical research in this area, but CBD in humans has no harmful effects and in pets, anecdotally, it seems to across the board to help. I am a big fan of Treatibles as Desmond would have had to be on pharma drugs that made him a dog zombie but on Treatibles he seemed happy and in far less pain. I hope this helps you!
RELATED: CAN CANNABIS HELP YOUR PET?
Q: Use of CBD with pets
I’m looking to get more information on using cannabis for our young dog’s cancer. I don’t know if it’s metastasized, but the mass was aggressive—her second in a year—and rated “high” at Grade III on the biopsy that just came back. We’re looking for more of an anti-oxidant/anti-inflammation/general health product than something for nausea/anorexia/etc. because she’s otherwise healthy. Aside from her massive sutures and “haircut,” you’d never know she has cancer. There’s CBD oil and hemp oil, but I don’t know the differences except the hemp’s obtainable online, which leads me to believe it’s not strong enough. If anybody has information on the differences or, even better, experience, I’d appreciate it.
Answer: @benson Hi—hopefully I can help clear up some differences in the products you mentioned.
There are two main varieties of CBD oil: those derived from industrial hemp, and oils derived from regular medical cannabis.
The CBD hemp oil that you see available online is derived from industrial hemp and doesn’t contain any of the other active compounds usually associated with medical cannabis. Your hunch that hemp oil may be less effective is probably correct—the vast majority of evidence suggests whole plant extracts are more effective due to the entourage effect of many different medicinal compounds from the plant working together.
CBD oil made from regular medical cannabis, on the other hand, typically does retain a broader spectrum of the beneficial molecules, so you are getting the maximum benefit of the whole plant. If you’re able to acquire this type of oil, that’s what I would recommend.
Unfortunately, I can’t speak specifically to the effectiveness/safety of using these products for pets, so be sure to discuss with your veterinarian first.
Best wishes to you and your four-legged companion!
Q: Our dog has lymphoma. Does anyone know a good cancer treatment for dogs?
Answer: @nixie Yes! My precious 12-year-old pit-bull Mary Jane was diagnosed last October 2016 with Beta-Cell Lymphoma and given three months or less to live. Immediate and aggressive chemotherapy was recommended. I refused chemotherapy and started giving her my raw cannabis juice and CBD in her food. I then formulated a raw cannabis, turmeric, and ginger combination to fight tumors, illness, fatigue and cancer cells. She is now going on 13 years old and she runs, jumps, pounces, plays, and loves life.
She also has arthritis and sore hips from her age. The turmeric and ginger really help with those, as well as the anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis.
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Photo credit: Wyatt Ryan
If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s easy, private and 100% online.