Help & Support
Find answers to common questions and understand the various support services available to veterinarians, vet nurses and pet owners.
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Are you using medicinal cannabis for your animal without a veterinary prescription?
Do you know what you are really giving your furry friend or what dose you are using?
If you want to start using a properly regulated product and to get in contact with some vets already using medicinal cannabis, we can help you.
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Is medicinal cannabis legal for my pet?
Medicinal cannabis is a highly regulated medication in Australia. Australian veterinarians are able to prescribe some products under Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard when they deem a therapeutic need exists.
Is medicinal cannabis safe?
Medicinal cannabis formulations are safe medications when used at the prescribed dose and supported by a veterinarian. The main side effects, dizziness or drowsiness, or others like diarrhoea or vomiting, are easily controlled by slow titration, reducing the dose or stopping the medication.
CBD is not addictive and can be completely stopped at any time.
I already use medicinal cannabis for my pet, why should I get it from my vet?
First of all, possession of a Schedule 4 medicine, or any form of medicinal cannabis, without a valid prescription is an offence. If you are giving your pet CBD oil purchased online you may be committing an offence under the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996.
In Australia, S4 medicinal cannabis products contain at least 98% of CBD (cannabidiol). Any product containing over 2% of other cannabinoids is prohibited for use in animals (Schedule 9).
In many cases, the products you can legally purchase online will have little or no CBD. The benefits of these products would be minimal compared with S4 CBD oils, whereas the cost would be similar.
What is medicinal cannabis effective for?
Medicinal cannabis contains over a hundred different cannabinoids, the active ingredient. These cannabinoids interact with specific parts of our cells called receptors that are part of the endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system is within the body of animals and humans and is involved in the regulation of sleep, pain, temperature, metabolism, appetite, digestion, inflammation, cardiovascular and immune function, emotions, stress response, memory, cognition, neuroprotection and neural development.
Endocannabinoid system health impacts sleep disturbances, stress and anxiety, pain and inflammation, neurological issues, immunity problems and oncology.
What does it cost?
Depending on the size of the animal, the problem it is used for, and therefore the dose and times used per day, medicinal cannabis formulations can cost between $100 to $300 each month.
How should it be used?
Your vet will assess your pet and decide what medication and what dose is appropriate.
Often the medication is given twice a day. After a titration period where the dose is increased slowly over time, you will use a fixed dose.
Your vet might recommend using it 3 times a day, with a different dose in the morning or at night, or just a small dose at a certain time.
We recommend adding any medicinal cannabis formulation into the food, so it will be better absorbed with the fat in the meal.
Let us talk to your vet
Are you interested in medicinal cannabis for your furry friend, but your vet doesn’t know about it?
Would you like us to speak with your vet to support them with the use of medicinal cannabis in animals?
We can help you by providing your vet with the knowledge they might need to feel more confident with these new medications.
Let us talk to your vet |
Is medicinal cannabis legal for my pet?
Medicinal cannabis is a highly regulated medication in Australia. Australian veterinarians are able to prescribe some products under Schedule 4 of the Poisons Standard when they deem a therapeutic need exists.
Is medicinal cannabis safe?
Medicinal cannabis formulations are safe medications when used at the prescribed dose and supported by a veterinarian. The main side effects, dizziness or drowsiness, or others like diarrhoea or vomiting, are easily controlled by slow titration, reducing the dose or stopping the medication.
CBD is not addictive and can be completely stopped at any time.
I already use medicinal cannabis for my pet, why should I get it from my vet?
First of all, possession of a Schedule 4 medicine, or any form of medicinal cannabis, without a valid prescription is an offence. If you are giving your pet CBD oil purchased online you may be committing an offence under the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996.
In Australia, S4 medicinal cannabis products contain at least 98% of CBD (cannabidiol). Any product containing over 2% of other cannabinoids is prohibited for use in animals (Schedule 9).
In many cases, the products you can legally purchase online will have little or no CBD. The benefits of these products would be minimal compared with S4 CBD oils, whereas the cost would be similar.
What is medicinal cannabis effective for?
Medicinal cannabis contains over a hundred different cannabinoids, the active ingredient. These cannabinoids interact with specific parts of our cells called receptors that are part of the endocannabinoid system.
The endocannabinoid system is within the body of animals and humans and is involved in the regulation of sleep, pain, temperature, metabolism, appetite, digestion, inflammation, cardiovascular and immune function, emotions, stress response, memory, cognition, neuroprotection and neural development.
Endocannabinoid system health impacts sleep disturbances, stress and anxiety, pain and inflammation, neurological issues, immunity problems and oncology.
What does it cost?
Depending on the size of the animal, the problem it is used for, and therefore the dose and times used per day, medicinal cannabis formulations can cost between $100 to $300 each month.
How should it be used?
Your vet will assess your pet and decide what medication and what dose is appropriate.
Often the medication is given twice a day. After a titration period where the dose is increased slowly over time, you will use a fixed dose.
Your vet might recommend using it 3 times a day, with a different dose in the morning or at night, or just a small dose at a certain time.
We recommend adding any medicinal cannabis formulation into the food, so it will be better absorbed with the fat in the meal.
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Legislation and Regulations
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is responsible for the scheduling of medicines in Australia. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) follows the TGA when regulating veterinary medicines.
At present, Australian veterinarians can prescribe Schedule 4 medicinal cannabis medicines for animals they are treating.
An S4 medicinal cannabis medication for therapeutic use must contain 98% or more CBD (cannabidiol) of the total cannabinoid content of the preparation.
There are no medicinal cannabis medications that have been registered for veterinary use. The only pathway for veterinarians to be able to prescribe them is through a compounding pharmacy. Veterinarians must confirm with their pharmacy that the formulation they intend to prescribe is Schedule 4.
When to use medicinal cannabis
The endocannabinoid system promotes homeostasis. It helps mammals maintain a stable internal environment for many of our body systems.
Supporting the endocannabinoid system function can be helpful for the regulation of sleep, pain, temperature, metabolism, appetite, digestion, inflammation, cardiovascular and immune function, emotions, stress response, memory, cognition, neuroprotection and neural development.
Cannabinoids, the active ingredients in cannabis plants, work directly on the receptors of the endocannabinoid system.
Dose range guide
It depends on the condition you are treating and the response of the animal to the medication, but you can consider:
Microdose: 0.1-1 mg/kg CBD
Low dose: 1-2.5 mg/kg CBD
Medium dose: 2.5-5 mg/kg CBD
High dose: 5-10 mg/kg
They can be used once or twice a day. Depending on the needs of the case, it may also be used every 8 hours.
Titration is important, especially for long-term uses.
Drug interaction
THC and CBD have effects on common biological targets associated in drug metabolism like the cytochrome P450 (CYP). Therefore, it might INCREASE the serum concentration or DECREASE the bioavailability of some drugs.
This doesn’t mean that they cannot be used together. It just means you will need to adjust the doses of the different drugs you are using, as you would do in any other multi-medication case.
Titration guide
We follow the rule “Start Low, Go Slow, Keep Low”.
Start at night for a few days, and then introduce an additional dose in the morning.
Then you can increase it from week to week to allow the animal to settle and for you to see what dose provides the benefit you are looking for. From there you can maintain that dose as needed.
The endocannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system is a complex system found in all vertebrates and some invertebrates and has some important homeostasis functions in a wide range of neuronal and non-neuronal tissues.
It consists of endogenous ligands (cannabinoids), cannabinoid receptors (CB1, CB2 and others) and enzymes that hydrolyse and transport the ligands. Our endocannabinoids are synthesized as needed and together with the receptors and enzymes work to maintain a stable internal environment via retrograde neurotransmission.
It mainly activates under any physiological and psychological stress.
Differences between THC and CBD
THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol): Is a partial agonist to CB1 and CB2 receptors and has preferential binding with CB1 receptors in the brain and spinal column to ‘tune down’ the release of neurotransmitters. This can inhibit the sensation of pain and can affect other brain functions such as appetite and nausea. It is also responsible for the “psychoactive” side effects of the cannabis.
CBD (Cannabidiol): is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that modulates both CB1 receptors in our nervous system and CB2 receptors in our immune system. It also interacts with other inflammatory receptor/enzyme systems. CBD is an important anti-inflammatory agent, and can reduce chronic inflammation, as in neuropathic pain, inflammatory bowel disease and neurological conditions such as epilepsy and anxiety. It can be taken alone or combined with THC to provide additional benefits.
CBD’s role as negative allosteric modulator over the CB1 receptors may explain how CBD can neutralize some of THC’s effects.
CBD Isolated vs CBD Full-Spectrum
CBD Isolate: 99.9% CBD
CBD Full Spectrum: At least 98% CBD with no more than 2% other cannabinoids found naturally in cannabis.
Isolate products are purified CBD. Animals require higher doses to achieve a therapeutic effect compared with full spectrum products. It can be useful to mix with specific terpenes (essential oils) to achieve better outcomes on specific issues.
Full spectrum products contain other naturally-derived compounds (terpenes, flavonoids, other cannabinoids) and have the potential of “boosting” the effects of the major cannabinoids by what is recognised as “the entourage effect”, providing better clinical outcomes with a lower dose.
