IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW

There are several things that are important for pet owners to be aware of if they are considering using cannabis for their animals. 

• First and foremost, there are currently no cannabis products that are approved by Health Canada for use in animals.

• Veterinarians are unable to prescribe, dispense, or administer cannabis products to our patients.

• Excessive consumption of products containing THC can be dangerous for your pet. 

• There are potential drug interactions when using cannabis, so it is very important to discuss its use with your veterinarian. ​

CHOOSING A PRODUCT

Choosing a product for your pet can be challenging.  Products marketed for animals are not in compliance with Canadian legislation and therefore are not regulated by any agency like legal products for human consumption are.  However, those products sold under the Cannabis Act are not intended for animal use and may contain an inappropriate ratio of THC:CBD for your pet.
Nonetheless, if you still choose to use cannabis products for your pet, we have put together a list of things you should be looking for and things to avoid.

TALKING TO YOUR VETERINARIAN

For many veterinarians, discussions about cannabis use in pets can be uncomfortable. 
Not only may there still be a stigma attached to its use, but there is still a lot of confusion within the profession about what we can legally discuss, and what we can't.  To avoid that, some veterinarians may choose to avoid the topic altogether. 
Compounding these issues is the fact that most veterinarians have had no training about the Endocannabinoid System and how cannabis works as a medicine, and their experience may be limited to seeing and treating animals that have presented with intoxication following over-ingestion of THC. 
If you would like some tips on starting the conversation with your veterinarian, take a look at our handout, "How To Talk to Your Veterinarian About Cananbis".

TREATMENT DOSING & MONITORING

While we cannot provide specific dosing recommendations for your pet, we would encourage you to speak to your veterinarian to help you develop a safer treatment plan.  When in doubt, "START LOW, GO SLOW". 
We also encourage you to keep a log book of what you are giving, and the response that you are seeing, and share this information with your veterinary team.
Click the link to find a sample log-book that you can print and use.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

If you would like to learn more, we have put together a list of resource links that you may find helpful:

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http://www.veterinarycannabis.org/

https://www.projectcbd.org/

https://www.green-flower.com/

https://www.leafly.ca/news/science-tech

http://profofpot.com/

https://lift.co/cannabis-101

http://norml.org/library/item/introduction-to-the-endocannabinoid-system

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