There is further research to be done when treating sick animals with cannabis oil, but for Lou and Gaby of Nymous animal shelter in Quebec, CBD oil is proving very effective in curing their ailments.
For 3 months now, the shelter has been nursing 36 animals back to health, with the oil being used in most cases. Most of the animals at the shelter have suffered intense bodily trauma after having been hit by a car and the CBD treatment seems to be valuable addition to their care. Animals include a fox, a coyote, a groundhog, a possum and a deer.
Treating Sick Animals with Cannabis Oil
Gaby is a skunk whose mobility has been compromised due to brain atrophy. Since her unorthodox treatment, her hind legs have regained mobility and she is showing continual improvements;
"The results were almost immediate for Gaby. She's stopped trembling. It seems to have helped her have better coordination, better balance, and hasn't stupefied her." said shelter co-founder Jacques Lessard.
Then there is Lou. A raccoon suffering from body spasms after a developing hypothermia. Cannabis oil is now her medication of choice as it has greatly "lowered the intensity of her spasms".
Nymous shelter is provided with free cannabis oil from a medical marijuana dispensary; Clinique le Croix Verte in Montreal. The drug is administered to the animals orally - either through a syringe or mixed into their food.
More Studies to Be Done
Cannabis for animals is an expanding business and already is a billion-dollar industry in the US, but some experts remain cautious.
"There are a few studies that have been conducted on the therapeutic properties of cannabis that contains both THC and CBD, but they haven't come to any firm conclusions and weren't carried out on all species," explained Caroline Kilsdonk, president of the Quebec Order of Veterinarians.
Positives of THC though is that it has shown to stimulate appetites, reduce pain, epilepsy and anxiety. However, "The data is incomplete. We don't recommend that veterinarians resort [to cannabis] at this time."
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At Nymous shelter the animals are only given CBD based products with no THC, and only at lower levels of 10 miligrams per kilo — so far that seems to be working well.
There is more study to be done, but medical marijuana is definitely becoming a popular discussion across Canada and various US states.
Featured Image: DepositPhotos/hlavkom
