Medical Cannabis in Veterinary Medicine: From Small Domestic Animals to Wildlife

One-Sentence Summary

This educational course presents comprehensive evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis in veterinary medicine, covering the endocannabinoid system in animals, safety profiles, clinical applications in domestic and wild animals, and current regulatory access in Brazil.

Key Takeaways

• [0:33] The course addresses therapeutic cannabis use in veterinary medicine across two lectures: the first covering the endocannabinoid system in small animals with Dr. Magda Medeiros, and the second on cannabis applications in wildlife with Dr. Aline Gular.

• [4:13] Cannabis represents an important therapeutic strategy for veterinary practice because the Brazilian pet market encompasses approximately 160 million animals with annual revenues exceeding 75 billion reais, and animal health is inseparable from human and environmental health under the "One Health" concept.

• [7:22] The endocannabinoid system is a regulatory mechanism activated by various stimuli that maintains organismal balance through both short-term survival responses (fight-or-flight) and long-term homeostatic mechanisms involving comfort and repair, with cannabis mediating the latter through multiple receptor systems.

• [28:18] Dogs demonstrate excellent tolerance to high CBD doses (2-62 mg/kg) with only mild side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy, with safety demonstrated even in long-term studies spanning 36 weeks, though alkaline phosphatase elevation should be monitored.

• [36:13] The strongest clinical evidence for cannabis in dogs supports its use for pain management (particularly osteoarthritis), epilepsy (with CBD reducing seizure frequency by 50% or more in refractory cases), and behavioral disorders including anxiety and aggression.

• [1:38:10] A pioneering clinical study on Mustelidae family animals (otters, ferrets, and coatis) using 10:1 CBD:THC oil demonstrated significant reduction in stereotypic behaviors with minimal adverse effects, establishing individualized dosing protocols where each animal required specific dose titration with a "start slow, go slow" approach.

• [1:59:27] Cannabis provides therapeutic benefits across all animal categories—domestic pets, production animals, and wildlife—demonstrating that cannabis can offer comfort and well-being regardless of species or whether the animal has a human guardian.

Suggested Category Tags

• Veterinary Medicine
• Cannabis Therapeutics
• Endocannabinoid System
• Animal Welfare
• Clinical Evidence