'For use in humans only'
The thing is, no cannabis products have been
approved for use in animals.
But
veterinarians
have the discretion to
prescribe
human
medicines to pets, if
they think it'll help,
and certain very-low
dose hemp oils, like
the ones you may see
at market stalls, can
legally be sold in
Australia.
"The reason they're legal is that they have
such a low concentration to be legal so they
can't be abused.
"The AVA remains open to the possibility of
these drugs, we welcome further research.
The same kind of medicinal cannabis trials
that have been conducted on humans should
be done on animals.
"We keep an open mind I suppose, but
veterinary science is a science”
Aussie company taking Europe by storm
Could we see approved cannabis-based
product for pets on the Australian market
soon?
It's not a medication, but Australian-listed
company, Creso Pharma, has registered a
hemp-based product that you can feed your
pets to help them with chronic stress and
ageing.
That's been registered through the European
Union's regulatory body, called the European
Feed Material Registry.
"The European regulations are a bit more
open, so we're starting in Europe," David
Russell from Creso Pharma told Hack.
Next step: getting the product into Australia
on a trial basis.
"That's probably the first path for us, to get
some product into the country through a TGA
approval for research purposes so they can
have some experience with it," David said.
Cannabis is a good option [for pets], but we
need to gather some local evidence."
David admitted Australia had been slow off
the mark when it comes to utilising medicinal
cannabis, but he said it's "for the right
reasons".
"There are about 5 million dogs - that's about
40 per cent of households in Australia - and
they're part of the family.
They're a very important part of people's lives,
and we want to make sure we give them
something safe," he said.
The product will launch in Europe later this
year, and there's still a question mark over
when we could see it in Australia.
A last resort
Tim and Tina
didn't regret
their decision
for a second.
Muttley is a
much-loved
member of
the family,
and his
human
parents would
do anything
to make his last days
bearable.
You would do that for anyone, you'd try and
make them comfortable."
"I mean, his prognosis is terminal and all it's
done is make him comfortable for however
long he's got to live," Tina said.
Tim agreed.
"I just think, give it a go if there's no other
option."