ABSTRACT
Pets may ingest cannabis edibles that contain Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis, but human urine drug tests are not an effective way to screen a pet for cannabis toxicity. Intoxication in pets is similar to that in humans and starts 30–60 minutes after ingestion. While pet parents and the veterinary community wait for research to determine dosing and quality standards for cannabis use in animals, the market is exploding. Hemp products are currently available for cats, dogs, and horses. A cannabis-based cannabis constituent cannabidiol (CBD) study of 30 healthy Beagle dogs hypothesized that CBD would be tolerated. The dogs were randomly assigned to receive CBD in the form of microencapsulated oil beads, CBD-infused oil, or CBD-infused transdermal cream at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks. The CBD appeared to be well tolerated but more extensive safety data is necessary to determine if there are any long-term effects of CBD on the liver and an association with diarrhea.
