MEDICAL CANNABINOIDS: A REVIEW STEPHEN CITAL RVT, SRA, RLAT, VCC, CVPP, VTS-LAM Director of Education and Development, ElleVet Sciences, Portland ME
In the VETgirl Real-Life Rounds webinar, “Medical Cannabinoids: A Review,” Stephen Cital RVT, reviewed the use of cannabinoids in veterinary medicine. What do practitioners need to know?
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been evolving since the beginning of vertebrate species, but why did veterinary practitioners never learn about it in school? Just like our human counterparts’, veterinary practitioners have no or only a cursory understanding of the ECS and cannabis therapy. Veterinary practitioners have also been echoing that there “is no evidence” in animals. To the contrary, we have numerous studies utilizing cannabinoids and other cannabis molecules for therapeutic relief and translational studies that could be considered for any vertebrate creature. We have hundreds, if not thousands, of articles in laboratory animal species, which technically includes dogs and cats, verifying the safety of cannabinoids at extremely high doses and therapeutic potential for numerous conditions. Here we review the current and pertinent literature in utilizing cannabis derivatives in animals and discuss the future forecast of cannabis in veterinary medicine. 1 THC TOXICITY The use and demand for cannabis products in veterinary medicine is growing rapidly, mainly by pet owner demand. Unfortunately, it is growing faster than most practitioners have the time to educate themselves about it. Another confounding factor feeding a negative bias in veterinary medicine is the all too often tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) toxicity in companion animals. Since the legalization of medical marijuana in the United States began,
include lethargy, central nervous system depression, ataxia, vomiting, urinary incontinence or dribbling, increased sensitivity to motion or sound, dilated pupils, hypersalivation, and bradycardia. Less common symptoms include aggression, agitation, low blood pressure, low respiratory rates, elevated heart rates, and nystagmus (continuous abnormal movements of the eyes). Rare signs include seizures or comatose conditions. A 2018 study investigating the susceptibility of cannabis-induced convulsions in rats and dogs, reported no seizures in dogs. (continued)
Animal Poison Control Centers have seen a 330% increase in THC toxicities. It should be noted there are no reported deaths that can be definitively attributed to THC or other phytocannabinoids without other factoring chemicals also present in the system. The suspected lethal dose of THC in dogs is >9 g/kg, a nearly impossible dose to achieve. The most common route of exposure to THC in companion animals is via ingestion. Approximately 66% of exposures involve pets ingesting homemade or commercial edible goods. The second most common source of cannabis exposures involves ingestion of plant material, followed by cannabis oils or tinctures. Symptoms of THC toxicity
17
vetgirlontherun.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker