First and foremost, clarification on what forms of cannabis is safe for your pets needs to be made. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that has shown promise in helping pets with a wide variety of ailments, as it has with humans, with absolutely zero negative side effects. Giving your pets pure CBD, however, is much different than if they accidentally get into your weed stash or ingest edibles. Until more research is conducted, it is recommended you do not give your pets any form of THC.
Studies as far back as 2004 have shown that THC poisoning was possible in dogs based on a milligram per kilogram, or weight proportionate dosage. From 1998 to 2002, there were 213 recorded instances of dogs developing clinical signs after ingesting raw marijuana flowers, with 99% showing neurologic signs, such as depression, tremors, seizures, disorientation, hyperactivity and stupor, and 30% showing gastrointestinal signs, such as vomiting. Another study done in 2013 concluded that although cannabis has a high margin for safety in dogs, they directly observed canine deaths in Denver from ingesting medical-grade THC butter.
At the time of writing, only four studies have been done involving cannabinoid-based medicine on dogs and cats. In July of 2018, the first clinical study looking at the effects of hemp-based CBD on arthritic dogs was published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, led by Dr. Joseph Wakshlag of Cornell University. They measured the effects of a specific CBD product - ElleVet Science’s
hemp oil blend - on pain and arthritis in sixteen dogs, using a dose ratio of 2 mg of CBD per kg of the canine’s body weight. More than 80% of the dogs in the study saw a significant decrease in pain and improved mobility.
For cats, even less is known. Only one study has been done on cannabinoids affecting cats, and although appeared generally beneficial, it showed clear indicators that cats react to CBD much differently than dogs. For the treatment of anxiety, cats responded better to cannabinoid medicine than dogs, and also saw increased pain relief from arthritis and other issues.
Furthermore, the legality of veterinarians prescribing cannabis products for pets is convoluted and confusing. A new bill has been passed by California lawmakers on September 29th, 2018. Described as a Compassionate Care law, it went into effect January 1st, 2019, and allows veterinarians to recommend medical cannabis products for their client’s pets. For other states, however, it remains entirely illegal.
If your pet happens to ingest a large amount of THC, there’s a few steps you need to take. First and foremost, what cannabis product did your pet ingest? Raw cannabis flower is the least severe since no decarboxylation has occurred, so THC has yet to become active. Vaped or burnt cannabis flower is slightly more severe, as some of this decarboxylation occurred. Non-chocolate edibles and cannabutter vary in severity depending on the potency of the edible, and chocolate edibles are even worse as chocolate on its own is very toxic to both dogs and cats. Concentrates are by far the most dangerous, as they’re inherently incredibly potent. Identify what they’ve consumed, the potency of THC in the product and the amount present. A 10 mg edible is very different from a 100 mg one.
Once you’ve determined the approximate amount, make an important call. If the THC amount is very severe, over 100 mg in an edible or any amount of concentrated THC such as wax or kief, seek medical help immediately at your nearest 24/7 vet. Give them as much information as possible and be honest in how it happened. Try to remember the product type, potency, brand, when they ingested it, how much they ingested and any symptoms they’ve been displaying on the way.
If not, begin looking for symptoms. Mild toxicity will result in sluggishness, lethargy, excessive saliva production and wobbling, with more extreme cases showing a loss of bodily control, urinary incontinence, low blood pressure, a slow heart rate, seizures and passing out.
To hopefully help your pet, try giving them activated charcoal tabs to ingest, which can be bought at most drug stores. The charcoal soaks up the toxins in your pet’s stomach, including any remaining THC that’s yet to be absorbed. If the symptoms aren’t changing, you need to induce vomiting. Have your pet ingest hydrogen peroxide, also available at drug stores, using one teaspoon per 10 lbs (4.5 kg) on your pet every 15 minutes, but don’t induce vomiting more than three times. It’s unfortunate, your pet will feel helpless and not understand what’s happening, but it’s necessary for your pet’s well-being. Try to push through it for them.
The chances of your pet dying from consuming too much THC is slim, though technically still possible. A study conducted in 1983 injected 130 mg of THC per kg of weight in small dogs and found that roughly half of them would die. For smaller-sized dogs, they typically need to eat over a pound of potent edibles to risk death, which typically comes from passing out and asphyxiation on their own vomit.
