Pet owners increasingly using medical marijuana to help their pets feel better

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*zarathustra*

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As the social stigmas and taboos about marijuana that largely emerged during the "Reefer Madness" generation continue to be stripped away from the public consciousness, an increasing number of people are beginning to look at this all natural herb with fresh eyes, recognizing its incredible potential for healing. [...]

CBS New York reports that veterinary cannabis use is on the rise across all segments of society, and particularly among pet owners whose pets have severe or even terminal illnesses that do not respond to conventional treatment. Major conditions like cancer, many pet owners are finding, respond quite well to cannabis use when nothing else does. [...]

One such success story is "Luna" Capers, the beloved dog of Rowyn Capers [...] "Her lymph nodes were like golf balls and she was coughing constantly and she couldn't breathe, and I just thought it's time to say goodbye," said Rowyn to CBS News about Luna's condition before the cannabis. "The first time I dosed her [with cannabis] I was so scared. We were looking at her all night. [But the] more I increased her cannabis dose the less side effects that she had. The vomiting stopped, the diarrhea stopped." [...]

Al Byrne's three dogs, who range in age from three to 13, have also responded positively to marijuana. Besides noticeable increases in energy among all the dogs, Al says each of his furry family members now has a shinier coat and a "shine in their eyes" that was not there before.
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Not sure what to think about this.
I hate the idea of dosing animals with drugs for anything other than essential medical reasons.
But these are essential medical reasons.
Yet the owners really don't know what will happen, and if it makes sense to give the pets cannabis, or how the pets feel when they are dosed.
Or, then again, maybe they can see how the pets feel.
I wouldn't condemn them all, but I would be very worried about giving my own pet cannabis, and would only do so if it had cancer or something similarly nasty.
Not for a "shine in their eyes", or "low energy", certainly.
 
First thought was wtf total bullshit but then after reading the article and thinking about it I'm all for it. If my dog had a terminal condition and responded well to an oral marijuana preparation I would be much happier giving that than god knows what type of pharmaceutical medications.

It would really depend on the scenario though.
 
A dog with a painful terminal condition should be euthanized. No point in having it suffer. Humans can find meaning and wisdom and spiritual fulfillment in suffering, but animals can only merely suffer.
 
Yeah, but in the meantime while waiting for the appointment date to roll around I don't see much harm.
 
My dogs have had cannabis before. Quite a few times. In cookies. In small amounts it's actually really good to stop them stressing out at things like major storms with thunder or fireworks. Once one of my dogs went thru our friends handbag (the dog will eat any food it can get a hold of and he has amazing sense of smell and hearing, so it didnt surprise me he found it) when she was here and got her cookie out of her bag when it was unattended and removed the plastic glad wrap and ate the whole cookie. The dog was stoned for ages, very stoned. Couldn't walk straight, and just wanted to sleep. No big drama tho, but we were much more careful after that.

But yeah I have given them smaller amounts on purpose a couple of times to relieve their anxiety when we have had major thunder storms, it works better than the pills the vet gave me for the same thing, the pills will make them much more groggy for alot longer and they seem drunk and stuff. So I prefer the herb, but in very small amounts. It takes the edge off their anxiety, they really think the world is ending when there is huge thunder storms, so it's good they can relax a bit at least.
 
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A dog with a painful terminal condition should be euthanized. No point in having it suffer. Humans can find meaning and wisdom and spiritual fulfillment in suffering, but animals can only merely suffer.
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Humans should be put down too if they wont to be I think, and they are in massive amounts of constant pain. I'm not sure if you have known anyone dying of cancer but the ones I have known certainly didnt seem to be spiritually fulfilled in anyway, they wonted to die. But they had to go through months and months of suffering and agonising pain (for what?), because euthanasia isn't legal, which I think is stupid, if someone has a terminal illness and massive amounts of constant pain and wonts to die, then why not let them. We value human life too much, when the harsh reality is that humans are ruining the earth more than any animals are.
 
poledriver said:
Humans should be put down too if they wont to be I think, and they are in massive amounts of constant pain. I'm not sure if you have known anyone dying of cancer but the ones I have known certainly didnt seem to be spiritually fulfilled in anyway, they wonted to die. But they had to go through months and months of suffering and agonising pain (for what?), because euthanasia isn't legal, which I think is stupid, if someone has a terminal illness and massive amounts of constant pain and wonts to die, then why not let them. We value human life too much, when the harsh reality is that humans are ruining the earth more than any animals are.
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No argument here. I'm just concerned about the people who keep their suffering pets alive because they're attached to them.

Although, I wonder what the dog would choose if the dog could choose. Death is possibly forever, and that creature will never get to experience anything again. I've never known a suicidal animal.
 
No argument here. I'm just concerned about the people who keep their suffering pets alive because they're attached to them.
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Yeah, it can be really hard. I have a 23 yr old cat that has some issues but is generally in good health. He had an abscess so I took him to the vet and he got a shot and some antibiotic tabs. We discussed if it was time to put him down (as he has got alot skinnier even tho he eats alot, she said he probably has major thyroid issues), and since he isn't in any major pain and is eating and drinking well still I decided against it for now, but no doubt the time will come. 23 pretty damn old for a cat. But i just looked up the worlds oldest cat and cream puff from texas lived to 38! Damnn.

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-1000/oldest-cat-ever/
 
If nothing else works, terminal illness in pets should be treated with marijuana. Why not try it? I don't really object to animals having pain killing medication although I do understand the other side. Since they can't communicate their thoughts or feelings, who really knows what the animal would want. Pet owners should be able to tell, though.

I'm with you poledriver on euthanasia, it should be legalized - who has the right to tell someone they can't die if all they have to look forward to is pain? I remember one particular YouTube video from an Australian euthenasia advocate Angelique Flowers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdxd_EFDd4s - She gives the story from a patients point of view. It was very eye opening for me. Unfortunately, she died a horrible death, she briefly touches on what death she was going to face in the video.
 
I gave my dog 1 mg Xanax this one time I came home and she had gotten into some dark chocolate. Typically dogs can handle regular chocolate but the dark stuff she got into had a lot of caffeine, theobromine, & phenylethylamine which dogs do not metabolize as well as their human counter-parts.

Basically once I realized that basically it's the equivalent of a stimulant overdose in humans, I realized I had some xanax on hand and after some googling I found typical dosages for dogs mg/kg and dosed accordingly. wrapped it in some cheese and she ate it. For a little while she got wired and tense and her heart started racing I guess from the chocolate but after like 30 minutes she started to calm down a bit. She didn't sleep for like 6 hours later and had a bugeyed look the whole time but at least she was ok. pretty scary not sure what would have happened if I didn't have any xanax on hand at the time. I didn't have money for a vet.

lesson: hide dark chocolate better from your pets, and in case of emergency xanax may be a cheap easy fix.
 
23536 said:
No argument here. I'm just concerned about the people who keep their suffering pets alive because they're attached to them.

Although, I wonder what the dog would choose if the dog could choose. Death is possibly forever, and that creature will never get to experience anything again. I've never known a suicidal animal.
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I agree that the owner's emotions should take second seat to a concern with what is best for the pet.
When my dogs have aged, I have always judged whether to put them down or not based on quality of life.
I had a lab that would go for long hikes in the woods with me until she was 15, so there was never a concern about whether to euthanize her.
My mom's mutt was deaf and nearly blind by 15, and would spend hours apparently staring at a wall from 6 in. away, however, and so it was much more of an issue. She didn't euthanize him, because he still seemed to enjoy his meals and being petted.
As you said, animals are not typically suicidal, so it is hard to judge. When my sister's dog was 15, he was in a lot of pain and shaking continuously, so she decided to euthanize him. Unfortunately, the vet did a bad job giving him the final shot, and hurt him with the needle. :( His wince was the last thing he did.
It is never an easy decision, but I tend to think that my sister made the right one. If there is a right one.
 
23536 said:
Humans can find meaning and wisdom and spiritual fulfillment in suffering.
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WTF? 8o You must be seriously high on something to say something like that.

There is NO wisdom, or meaning, or spiritual fulfillment of ANY kind for me and I'm suffering all the time...if not from crippling irritability and agitation, then panic attacks and anxiety, insomnia and nightmares. Yep, that suffering made me a better person indeed :\ 8)
 
^ Everyone is different, and the thing with human being is, they can communicate. Animals cannot, which makes it a different kettle of fish altogether.
 
I have to agree that suffering can be enlightening, though it certainly doesn't always feel that way when you are in the thick of it.
Nobody is saying that it is fun, Flynnal. But without suffering, we would be weak, spineless cowards.
Only through suffering can we build strength and endurance, which we need in order to live live fully.
Without suffering, we would be so weak and fearful that life would seem terrible.
 
^ I thought that there was a different thread about this somewhere, thanks. My dogs are so precious to my family and nobody wants to see their pets in pain. We've had many over the years and only one time did one of my dogs die in his sleep. The others all had to be euthanized. I would like to think marijuana could have a place in conditions when the pet is medically stable and other medications are ineffective. Hope I never have to find out.
 
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