Fur Babies & Cannabis

We all love our fur babies and would do pretty much anything to ease any of their suffering. All animals have an endocannabinoid system, just as we do, but the difference is that our pets break down and distribute cannabinoids differently.

Dogs and cats don’t do great with consuming THC. Whether they are given this intoxicating compound intentionally, or they got into your stash, it can put your pooch in a bad way. They are prone to “static ataxia,” which is defined by the medical dictionary as “a loss of deep sensibility, causing the inability to preserve equilibrium in standing.”(1)

In English, this means they will stumble around, or may even be unable to get themselves up on their own four paws, much like a drunken sailor, with doses of THC as low as 0.5mgs.131 Yet studies are showing that your pets can safely tolerate much higher levels of CBD. These studies also bring attention to the oils that these cannabinoids are offered in, as they are often the culprit for any stomach distress. (2)

If you believe that Fido has gotten into your edibles, the following signs may

be used to confirm whether you should get him to the vet ASAP.

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32118071/

2. De Briyne N, Holmes D, Sandler I, Stiles E, Szymanski D, Moody S, Neumann S, Anadón A. Cannabis, Cannabidiol Oils and Tetrahydrocannabinol-What Do Veterinarians Need to Know? Animals (Basel). 2021 Mar 20;11(3):892. doi: 10.3390/ani11030892. PMID: 33804793; PMCID: PMC8003882

Written by: Angie Roullier