Pubdate: Mon, 12 Aug 2013
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Thandi Fletcher

PET OWNERS TURN TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA

Vancouver Veterinarian Says There Are Overdose Risks When Treating 
Animals Who Are in Pain

Before his owners started dosing him with a daily drop of marijuana, 
Garfield the cat's nine lives were rapidly running out.

The 18-year-old feline - whose name has been changed to protect 
patient confidentiality - suffered from a host of painful conditions.

These included thyroid and heart disease, severe arthritis, renal 
failure and chronic pancreatitis, a condition that caused him to lose 
his appetite and experience pain in his abdomen, said veterinarian 
Dr. Kathy Kramer of the Vancouver Animal Wellness Hospital.

But when his owners started giving Garfield a daily drop of medical 
marijuana in the form of a tincture, the cat seemed to take a 
near-miraculous turn for the better.

Now the ailing feline, who had previously lost the desire to eat, 
demands his food and seems to have less pain, Kramer added.

"He's still got a lot of health issues, but for now he is stable and 
he eats like a champ," she said.

Garfield's owners are part of a growing movement of animal lovers 
looking at pot to treat pain in their sick and aging pets.

Some are medical marijuana users themselves, and think that if the 
drug helped them, then maybe it could free Fido from his health problems, too.

But while many think the drug is a safe and natural alternative to 
other painkillers, some veterinarians caution that more research is 
needed before they can start recommending it to pet owners.

'A fine balance'

Kramer said she is asked by clients several times a week about trying 
medical marijuana as a treatment option for pets.

When Garfield's owners told her they were trying it on their aging 
pet, Kramer said she couldn't recommend the drug, as there are no 
veterinary guidelines on prescribing it for animals.

But realizing the owners were going to try it regardless, Kramer said 
she needed to ensure they were doing it safely.

"This is something that the owners were going to do with or without 
me," she said. "I just helped adjust the dose for them."

Through trial and error, Kramer said the owners eventually found the 
appropriate amount to give Garfield.

"We're running a fine balance of keeping him comfortable without 
keeping him sedated," she said.

But the treatment doesn't come without risks, said Kramer, the 
biggest one being the possibility of overdose.

In Vancouver, where marijuana is more commonplace than in many other 
cities, Kramer said accidental marijuana toxicity in pets is a 
serious problem. Symptoms of overdose could include difficulty 
walking, dribbly urine and an irregular heartbeat.

"Typically, they're super stoned," Kramer said. "If we get to them 
fast enough and make them vomit, the number of animals that actually 
die from it are quite low."

Seeing how well the drug has helped Garfield, however, Kramer said 
she hopes medical marijuana will eventually be a recognized treatment 
for pets, especially as pain medications for animals are limited 
compared to those available to humans.

The pain drugs that do exist for animals often come with a host of 
side effects, she said, adding that they can also be incredibly 
costly, with some clients paying upwards of $200 a month for their 
pet's pain pills.

Pain management for animals has come far in the past decade, she 
said, "but it needs to continue to evolve."

As well, Kramer said, veterinary guidelines need to be established 
before she would feel comfortable recommending the drug.

"If we can find something that works with fewer side-effects ... I 
think, why not?" she said. "As far as us trying to actually prescribe 
it, I imagine there's going to be some red tape."

Fear of backlash

Some other veterinarians contacted by The Province agreed with 
Kramer's views but refused to speak publicly, mostly for fear of 
public and professional backlash, and the possibility of being 
investigated by the College of Veterinarians of B.C. Requests for 
comment from the college were not immediately returned.

Although courts have ruled that Canadians have a constitutional right 
to use marijuana for medical reasons, Kramer said she is unsure how 
the legal framework would work for allowing veterinarians to 
prescribe the drug for pets.

Where pet owners would get medical marijuana is another possible 
hurdle, but dispensaries - such as the one where Garfield's owners 
got his pot - could be an option, she said.

Some Vancouver dispensaries already report seeing clients ask about 
treating their pets with the drug. At the Medical Cannabis Dispensary 
in Vancouver's West End, one of its members was a dog who had terminal cancer.

Before the dog's death, manager Dori Dempster said, its owners were 
relieved to see their pet get relief in its final days. "They were 
absolutely pleased with how their pet responded and we were able to 
bring a lot of comfort," Dempster said.

Seeing sick pets rebound after being given medical marijuana also 
pushed Massachusetts-based animal behaviour consultant Darlene Arden 
to join the fight advocating on behalf of animals "who have no voice 
of their own."

Arden said she wishes a treatment option like medical marijuana had 
been available to ease the pain and suffering of her Yorkshire 
terrier when he fell ill 15 years ago with chronic pancreatitis.

"If an animal is sick and looks to its owner for help, why can't we 
help them?" she asked.

'You feel helpless'

That's the question often asked by Los Angeles veterinarian Dr. Doug 
Kramer, who took on the role of advocating for pot-for-pets in the 
United States after using it on his Siberian husky Nikita, who died of cancer.

In her final days, Nikita was in significant pain and didn't respond 
well to pain medication, the side effects of which made her groggy. 
Kramer said he faced a tough choice between euthanasia or trying 
something radically different.

"She was just lying down, staring off into space," he said. 
"Honestly, you feel helpless and at that point, you're willing to try 
anything to make your family member feel better."

After clients told him about using medical marijuana on their own 
pets, Kramer decided to research the drug. After Nikita was given a 
small dose, she stopped whimpering and was able to greet him at the 
door again when he came home.

Her appetite also quickly returned, and she started to regain the 
weight she had lost, he said.

"Within the first dose, she was up and looking through the trash bins 
for food," he said.

Although it wasn't a cure, Kramer credits medical marijuana for 
giving him an extra six weeks with Nikita, as well as improving her 
quality of life.

Now, the holistic veterinarian said he often gets emails from all 
over, including Canada, from pet owners looking for vets who would be 
open minded about trying medical marijuana for their pets.

'A taboo subject'

In the U.S., marijuana is still classified as an illicit drug under 
federal law and is not approved for prescription as medicine, 
although 20 states as well as the District of Columbia approve and 
regulate its medical use.

Kramer said he does not prescribe or recommend medical marijuana to 
his clients, but is just "trying to provide information and guidance 
because there is no framework in place for veterinarians."

Many owners are already using it to treat their pets, but without a 
vet's supervision they run the risk of overdosing, he said.

"They're well-intentioned but they have no guidance whatsoever 
because it's a taboo subject just to talk about it," he said.

Although Vancouver's Kramer is offering advice to Garfield's owners 
while they treat him, she said she is concerned about putting her 
veterinary licence in jeopardy.

Seeing how well medical marijuana worked for him, however, pushed her 
to speak out about the need for more research.

While Kramer has seen cats make remarkable recoveries, for the feline 
to be faring so well at such an advanced stage of illness left her "amazed."

"It's got to be more than a coincidence," she said. "I don't think 
it's hurting him and that I can say 100 per cent."
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