As the potential benefits of medical marijuana for people is a currently hot topic, some cutting edge pet health care experts have been exploring how pharmaceutical pot may also help dogs.
And as is the case with people, there is a lot of controversy regarding medical marijuana for pooches.
Los Angeles veterinarian Doug Kramer is among the leading proponents of the use of medical marijuana to alleviate such ailments in dogs as age-related aches and pains, appetite loss and insomnia.
However, there are those in the pet health community who oppose the use of medical pot for pets. Two veterinary hospitals in Colorado reported exponential increases in deaths in dogs from what they determined were pot overdoses in correlation with the increase in the issuance of medical marijuana licenses for humans.
Meanwhile, proponents of pot for pooches claim that, in proper doses, marijuana can be highly therapeutic for dogs. But much more research should be conducted to determine the best ways to administer cannabis to canines – which could take years.
Otherwise, a number of dog owners who have administered pot to their pets in the form of oils, homemade treats or spread on such foods as cheese have reported miraculous results, and dramatic enhancements to their older dogs’ qualities of life.
What do you think? As always, feel free to share your insights in the comments section below.
Photo from Creative Commons
Critter Corner with Alissa Wolf 