With medical marijuana becoming more common in society and recognized as a viable treatment option for certain illnesses in humans, inevitably certain pet parents will consider using it for their dogs as well. Particularly in later stages of life when a dog has reached the maximum number of oral medications or pills, Veterinarians sometimes don’t have additional tools to keep our dogs comfortable. It’s natural to think about what other measures we humans can take to help our canine companions. With that in mind, we think it’s important to discuss the topic of dogs and THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana and start a dialogue about medicinal marijuana and our pets.
There is minimal scientific research on dogs and THC. Few official publications have occurred outside America due to its federal status as a controlled substance. The setup of a lab and certain guidelines has also limited research to oral ingestion. Scientists aren’t smoking THC themselves and blowing it near a dog’s nasal cavity like some people are likely doing at home. Additionally, your Veterinarian may not be able to provide or officially recommend THC products by law regardless of their opinion. This seems likely to change at some point in the future at least in some states but it’s anyone’s guess how long. For now, we can offer our opinion on certain aspects of THC and dogs based on anecdotal experience, a few studies about dogs and THC, related scientific findings for humans and conversations with others who have experience with its use. This includes regular dog owners and professionals alike.
Based on this collection of feedback we believe there are clear “do’s + don’ts” to consider if you choose to provide your dog cannabis products that contain THC.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive component in cannabis and is a phytocannabinoid. While hemp and CBD oils are only allowed to have up to 0.3% THC component, this is not a concentrated enough amount of THC to see psychoactive effects in your pets.
Before we get into the categories it’s important to remember a couple of basic facts about THC and dogs. THC can be toxic to dogs, mainly when ingested in high levels. It must be provided with care and awareness to have positive effects. It should only be provided to attempt to help a dog with a medical condition. There is no reason to get a young, healthy dog “high”. When provided with proper love and care they simply don’t need it. It could cause immediate behavioral problems and have negative long-term health effects. THC should only be considered to help treat a dog who is suffering from a medical condition.
The benefits of THC range from pain and inflammation alleviation to anti-cancerous properties to psychological benefits for conditions like anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Its medicinal properties are enhanced when combined with CBD. This is known as the entourage effect. However, CBD also can act as a “substrate” to THC, meaning it blocks THC from binding to its receptor. It’s a strange, healthy relationship where CBD amplifies the effects of THC yet also creates a ceiling for its absorption in our molecules. Thus, in high CBD to THC ratios like 20:1, psychoactive effects remain very minimal compared to a 1:1 or 0:1 ratio. Combining oral administration of CBD via tincture (which is not toxic and can be given in high doses) with inhalation of THC is the safest and most effective way to provide cannabis products in our opinion. Our current view is extremely novel since a lot of research needs to be done to explore the topic. Eventually, oral ingestion might be the way to go but it’s clear a precise dosage is needed for safe, effective administration and we currently don’t know what that is. Inhalation hasn’t shown the same level of risk for negative effects as ingestion, like the need for emergency care. The “negativity” of psychoactive effects in dogs for therapeutic THC doses is subjective, but we believe erring on the side of “less is better” is a sensible approach that leads to the best result. Assuming a dog has never used THC before starting a therapeutic regiment, their tolerance will be incredibly low and only a small amount is needed to produce intended effects.
So, IF you choose to use THC for your dog, we recommend doing extra research. We have our main thoughts listed below about safe and unsafe ways to do so.
DON’TS:
- Don’t administer THC orally. In humans, once a baseline dose is established it’s estimated THC is metabolized in six hours when ingested and two hours when inhaled. In dogs, it seems that the pattern is the same and the timeframe may be longer. Off the record statements from Veterinarians we know have consistently stated that almost all the emergency room situations they see regarding marijuana have to do with a dog eating it in some form. In these instances, a dog may need to spend 24 hours in an emergency room attached to IVs providing fluid to rebalance their system. Not fun or therapeutic for dogs and expensive for us. In lab tests scientists are obtaining results from small doses of CBD:THC ratios testing as low as 1:20 ratios. All of this indicates a sensitivity to orally administered THC with potential highly negative outcomes and our lack of knowledge about correct dosage. Contrary to CBD, providing your dog tinctures, edibles, or other forms of THC can be harmful
- Don’t administer THC then leave your dog alone. Especially when first exposing your pooch to the drug it’s important to stay near to monitor their response and provide aid or emotional comfort if needed. Outside of surgeries or x-rays and medications administered for those, this effect will be a new experience for them. You are your dog’s most trusted thing in the world, staying close will increase the likelihood of positive outcomes. It also allows you to respond appropriately to negative reactions.
- Don’t try to get your dog “stoned”. Due to their size and lack of tolerance a small amount will likely have a psychoactive effect on a dog. Over administering the drug will likely overwhelm them producing an intense, potentially unpleasant experience. That’s not an appropriate or necessary use. Carrying out this practice in anything other than a senior dog will increase the likelihood of developing other problems. The most recent studies on THC and cognition have shown significant negative impacts on the developing brain in teenage humans but not much after the body has matured.
- Don’t blow smoke directly up their nostrils. Dog’s noses are much more sensitive than ours with far more olfactory receptors. This aroma is likely to be temporarily overwhelming and will make them uncomfortable them. Create a little distance between yourself and your dog when administering via inhalation.
DO’S
- Introduce the drug to your dog in very low doses. Only increase dosage after you have a firm grasp of the effects on your dog. Some dogs like THC and are immediately attracted to receiving it while others aren’t. Take this into consideration for future use and treatment planning.
- Exhale one cloud of smoke around your dog’s face. Increasing would be doing that twice. It’s hard to imagine our dogs needing anymore for therapeutic purposes
- Consider which strain you expose your dog to in relation to its health issues. Most, if not all strains can be researched and have different properties that are better suited to different conditions.
- Consider what type of THC product you provide to your dog. Extracts have higher potency, thus requiring less smoke to receive a desired effect, and often have some or all hydrocarbons removed. Hydrocarbons are cancerous and harmful in a multitude of ways. Using a cleaner product free of the negative chemicals when a marijuana plant is burnt and creates smoke can minimize the potential for respiratory irritation or illness.
- Combine CBD in a tincture form with THC to maximize positive effects. If it appears your dog is reacting negatively to THC provide an abundance of CBD. This should help alleviate some problems.
- Consider when you administer THC to your dog. It’s probably best to only do so at night especially in the beginning because it can have a sedating effect. We don’t want to rob our dogs of the vitality and energy they have during the day.
