translated from Spanish: Pet marijuana: is it recommended for medicinal use in dogs and cats?

An interesting debate was generated on Thursday, October 10th in the Veterinary Day on Medicinal Cannabis Use, organized by the Daya Foundation and the School of Veterinary Medicine of the U. Major, in which to participate n different specialists who presented their vision and experience around the application of pet therapies.
One of the exhibitors was Dr. Sylvia Arrau, academic of the U. Mayor, who cleared some doubts about this trend about marijuana use that has expanded in Chile and the world in recent years.
What scientific evidence exists in the use of cannabis in dogs and cats?
The scientific evidence in animals is not very abundant, most of them are focused on the safety of use, i.e. toxicity. However, there are a lot of studies of the therapeutic indication of cannabis, which are now in development and which are likely to be published in the short term, so it will greatly increase the documentation. But there is no doubt that the results that have been obtained in humans are quite replicable in animals.
For the treatment of which diseases can be beneficial?
Great success has been made in treating pain and seizures, especially refractory seizures in dogs, which are those seizures that are difficult to treat”
What side effects can use have in animals?
The effects can be quite intense. For example, when oils have high concentrations of active substances such as THC – which has psychoactive effects and toxicity at the neuronal level – death by decompensation can occur.
In the receptor mapping that has been made of the Central Nervous System of the dog, it has been shown that the number of receptors that there is is very high, compared to man. In this sense, it should be emphasized that there are very high risks of poisoning.
If a pet has a condition or pain, can I be given cannabis oil?
No, because the dose and composition of the treatment should be appropriate to the specific characteristics of the patient and their disease. Therefore, all treatment should be indicated by a veterinary doctor. Even products sold with a retained prescription (in Chile there is only one) may not be recommended for animals. In general, these products intended for man have higher concentrations than the dog or cat needs, so they must be analyzed from a chemical point of view.
If a person smokes near their pet, can smoke affect them?
Absolutely. Animals become passive smokers just like people and receive the same or more amount than they are consuming in an enclosed place, but as the dog is more sensitive, the likelihood of poisoning is very high. In fact, the most cases are accidental poisonings, either by the smoke or by consumption of queques that people make, where the amount or concentration they have is not controlled.

Original source in Spanish