Top 5 Things You Need To Know About Dogs and Marijuana
Our dogs are a part of our families and we want to give them the best life possible, but it’s not always fun tricks and games. Just as with people, dogs can get a lack of appetite, cancer, anxiety, chronic pain, and many other things that can make their life harder. They can’t tell us when they’re hurting or how much they’re hurting, so it’s our responsibility to try and estimate it for them while doing everything in our power to lessen their troubles.
As the availability of medical and recreational cannabis is increasing, more and more products can be found in forms of pills, foods, oils, and other forms. Some of the new hybrids can be also getting stronger with more THC than the past ones. This makes it more likely for dogs to find cannabis products in their homes and consume them.
That being said, more and more veterinarians out there recommend using CBD products to help treat many illnesses and conditions in our dogs and cats. Even though these claims are not backed up with scientific studies yet, many owners decide to go ahead and try to soothe their loved doggos.
If you are curious about this subject, the following things will inform you better:
1. Too much marijuana can be poisonous to dogs in rare cases
Whatever your decision is about using CBD products when it comes to your pets, you have to keep in mind that too much marijuana can be poisonous to dogs. If a dog comes in touch with a big quantity of cannabis, it can be dangerous. According to Pet Poison Helpline, overall the risk of poisoning is mild. If a dog accidentally eats marijuana you should immediately contact a vet, and look out for the following symptoms:
- Lethargy
- Balance issues
- Severe depression
- Coma
- Low blood pressure
- Low heart rate
- Respiratory problems
- Dilated pupils
- Hyperactivity
- Seizures
2. Some products can help dogs
If administered properly, CBD products can be helpful to dogs that are suffering. The products can alleviate pain, lessen nausea, increase appetite, lessen anxiety and stress, lessen seizures, help with arthritis, etc. Moreover, these types of products can be helpful with day-to-day life with elderly dogs to live better lessening their joint discomfort and mobility issues. Also, some of the products with cannabis are good for behavioral issues in pups. However, if you are deciding to give your dog a cannabis product, you need to do thorough research as to what types and dosages of the product are the best for dogs. Not all types of products are suitable for canines too.
3. You won’t need a prescription
Although cannabis is legal in 23 states by now, that is only for human consumption. It is illegal for veterinarians to prescribe any products that have cannabis in them. Even besides the fact that cannabis can be very beneficial to pets, there are only a few veterinarians out there that speak out about these things publicly. Even more so, veterinarians from all over the U.S are barred from counseling you on this subject. That is why the advice that they can give is usually very carefully thought of since nobody wants to have potential problems with the law. For these reasons, it is of great importance that you take a bigger responsibility in researching valid sources about dosages and forms that would best suit your four-legged friend.
4. Cannabis for canines is available in different forms
Doggies have different characters, shapes, sizes, etc., and they too can be picky eaters just like humans. That is why there are different products from cannabis that can be used in their diet. They can come in a form of pills, edibles like doggie biscuits, and oils. The safest way to have the positive effects with the least risk is using CBD oil. This oil is extracted from the cannabis Sativa plant, and it’s not similar to THC. That means that the positive benefits are there, but the “high” feeling is not there.
5. Your dog can get high from second-hand smoke
If you are personally using cannabis in the form of smoking, you should be aware of how this influences your furry buddy. As it is possible for humans to get high from secondhand smoke, the same applies to dogs. If you are smoking in a closed area, with a lot of smoke around you might be putting your pup at risk! This is especially applicable for dogs that have respiratory problems already, or older dogs. If you want to smoke in the presence of your dog, make sure that you have proper ventilation and you don’t blow directly into the dog’s face.
Mary Walton is a professional editor, content strategist and a part of MarijuanaDetox team. Apart from writing, Mary is passionate about hiking and gaming. Feel free to contact her via Facebook.
This blog was contributed by Mary Walton. If you would like to submit a blog please email cynthia@newyorkdognanny.com
