Veterinarian Doug Kramer is tired of seeing pets in pain and is pushing to legalize medical marijuana for our furry friends. He said the active ingredient in pot, THC , can help pets feel a lot healthier and happier.
“I grew tired of euthanizing pets when I wasn’t doing everything I could to make their lives better,” he said. “I felt like I was letting them down.”
Kramer even gave his own dog, a Siberian husky, marijuana when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The drug didn’t cure his dog, but it at least made her final days more bearable.
Although Kramer hasn’t lost any customers for his views, he was requested not to return to some of the clinics where volunteered because of concerns over the negative image his activism creates.
Not all veterinarians agree with Kramer and pointed to a study conducted by two animals hospitals in Colorado that suggested more accidental marijuana overdoses will occur if more marijuana licenses are issued.
“Sometimes public sentiment and activity gets ahead of the scientific background and that can be dangerous,” said Barry Kellogg, senior veterinary adviser to the Humane Society of the United States.
Pot clinic managers argued that the right dose of the drug will prevent bad reactions.
Laura Bugni-Daniel supports Kramer’s push for medical marijuana for sick pets. She watched her elderly bulldog suffer in pain for two years until she put drops of marijuana in his cheese. The dog is now 12 years old but plays like a puppy during the day and sleeps like a baby at night.
“It’s really nice to see your sick pet, for his last moments or weeks or months, be happy and not real sick and dealing with needles and surgery,” Bugni-Daniel said.
Do you support Kramer’s push for medical marijuana for suffering pets ? Would you give your pet marijuana if he was sick?
[Image via Shuttershock ]