VANCOUVER 鈥� Before his owners started dosing him with a daily drop of marijuana, Garfield the cat鈥檚 nine lives were rapidly running out.
The 18-year-old feline 鈥� whose name has been changed to protect patient confidentiality 鈥� 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 Kathy Kramer of the 91原创 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 experience less pain, Kramer said.
鈥淗e鈥檚 still got a lot of health issues, but for now he is stable and he eats like a champ,鈥� she said.
Garfield鈥檚 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, then 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鈥檚 owners told her they were trying it on their aging pet, Kramer said she couldn鈥檛 recommend the drug, as there are no veterinary guidelines on prescribing it for animals.
But realizing the owners were going to try it regardless, Kramer said she needed to ensure they were doing it safely.
鈥淭his is something that the owners were going to do with or without me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 just helped adjust the dose for them.鈥�
Through trial and error, Kramer said the owners eventually found the appropriate amount to give Garfield.
鈥淲e鈥檙e running a fine balance of keeping him comfortable without keeping him sedated,鈥� she said.
But the treatment doesn鈥檛 come without risks, said Kramer 鈥� the biggest being the possibility of overdose.
In 91原创, where marijuana is more commonplace than in many other cities, Kramer said accidental marijuana toxicity in pets is a serious problem. Symptoms of overdose could include difficulty walking, dribbly urine and an irregular heartbeat.
鈥淭ypically, they鈥檙e super stoned,鈥� said Kramer. 鈥淚f we get to them fast enough and make them vomit, the number of animals that actually die from it are quite low.鈥�
Seeing how well the drug has helped Garfield, however, Kramer said she hopes medical marijuana will eventually be a recognized treatment for pets, especially as pain medications for animals are limited compared to those available to humans.
The pain drugs that do exist for animals often come with a host of side-effects, she said, adding that they can also be incredibly costly, with some clients paying upward of $200 a month for their pet鈥檚 pain pills.
Pain management for animals has come far in the past decade, she said, 鈥渂ut it needs to continue to evolve.鈥�
As well, Kramer said, veterinary guidelines need to be established before she would feel comfortable recommending the drug.
鈥淚f we can find something that works with fewer side effects ... I think, why not?鈥� she said. 鈥淎s far as us trying to actually prescribe it, I imagine there鈥檚 going to be some red tape.鈥�
Some other veterinarians contacted by The Province agreed with Kramer鈥檚 views but refused to speak publicly, mostly for fear of public and professional backlash, and the possibility of being investigated by the College of Veterinarians of B.C.
Requests for comment from the college were not immediately returned.
Although courts have ruled that 91原创s have a constitutional right to use marijuana for medical reasons, Kramer said she is unsure how the legal framework would work for allowing veterinarians to prescribe the drug for pets.
Where pet owners would get medical marijuana is another possible hurdle, but dispensaries 鈥� such as the one where Garfield鈥檚 owners got his pot 鈥� could be an option, she said.
Some 91原创 dispensaries already report seeing clients ask about treating their pets with the drug. At the Medical Cannabis Dispensary in 91原创鈥檚 West End, one of its members was a dog that had terminal cancer.
Before the dog鈥檚 death, manager Dori Dempster said, its owners were relieved to see their pet get relief in its final days.
鈥淭hey were absolutely pleased with how their pet responded and we were able to bring a lot of comfort,鈥� said Dempster.
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 鈥渨ho have no voice of their own.鈥�
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.
鈥淚f an animal is sick and looks to its owner for help, why can鈥檛 we help them?鈥� she asked.
That鈥檚 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 died of cancer.
In her final days, Nikita was in significant pain and didn鈥檛 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.
鈥淪he was just lying down, staring off into space,鈥� he said. 鈥淗onestly, you feel helpless and at that point, you鈥檙e willing to try anything to make your family member feel better.鈥�
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.
鈥淲ithin the first dose, she was up and looking through the trash bins for food,鈥� he said.
Although it wasn鈥檛 a cure, Kramer credits medical marijuana for giving him an extra six weeks with Nikita, as well as improving her quality of life.
Now, the holistic veterinarian said he often gets emails from all over, including Canada, from pet owners looking for vets who would be open-minded about trying medical marijuana for their pets.
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 approve and regulate its medical use.
Kramer said he does not prescribe or recommend medical marijuana to his clients, but is just 鈥渢rying to provide information and guidance because there is no framework in place for veterinarians.鈥�
Many owners are already using it to treat their pets, but without a vet鈥檚 supervision they run the risk of overdosing, he said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e well-intentioned but they have no guidance whatsoever because it鈥檚 a taboo subject just to talk about it,鈥� he said.
Although 91原创鈥檚 Kramer is offering advice to Garfield鈥檚 owners while they treat him, she said she is concerned about putting her veterinary licence in jeopardy.
Seeing how well medical marijuana worked for him, however, pushed her to speak out about the need for more research.
While Kramer has seen cats make remarkable recoveries, for the feline to be faring so well at such an advanced stage of illness left her 鈥渁mazed.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 got to be more than a coincidence,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 hurting him, and that I can say 100 per cent.鈥�
