Pubdate: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN) Copyright: 2013 The Leader-Post Ltd. Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361 Author: Thandi Fletcher Page: G3 MEDICAL MARIJUANA USED TO TREAT AILING PETS Animals find pain relief in illicit drug VANCOUVER - 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 said. "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, 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. 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 marijuana. 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 Kramer warned accidental marijuana toxicity in pets is a serious concern. 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." Considering how well the drug has helped Garfield, Kramer said she hopes medical marijuana will eventually be a recognized treatment for pets, especially as pain medications for animals are limited. The pain drugs that do exist for animals often come with side-effects, she said, adding they can also be expensive, with some clients paying upward of $200 a month for their pet's pain pills. Some other veterinarians contacted agreed with Kramer's views but refused to speak publicly, mostly for fear of public and professional backlash. Requests for comment from the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia were not immediately returned. 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. 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 had 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. 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, approved and regulate its medical use. Vancouver's Kathy Kramer said more research is needed. While she has seen cats make remarkable recoveries, for Garfield 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 added. "I don't think it's hurting him and that I can say 100 per cent." - --- MAP posted-by: Matt