Use of medicinal cannabis in the treatment of feline inflammatory bowel disease: Case report
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31533/pubvet.v17n4e1373Keywords:
Cannabis, inflammatory bowel disease, treatmentAbstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in cats occurs due to an exacerbated immune response to the presence of antigens in the gastrointestinal mucosa. This condition is one of the main causes of vomiting and chronic diarrhea in small animals, showing no sexual predisposition and being observed in middle-aged cats. The most used treatment is immunosuppressive therapy which, ideally, is gradually reduced until completely suspended. However, some animals may need this therapy for a longer period, which can cause a series of side effects. Thinking of a less aggressive therapeutic alternative, this article aims to report the case of a six-year-old male Persian cat diagnosed with IBD who was referred for medical cannabis treatment. The animal arrived with a history of diarrhea with hematochezia and emesis after an attempt to decrease the dose of budesonide. Budesonide was replaced by prednisolone, and cannabis oil was prescribed with gradual evolution of the administered dose, until the complete cessation of clinical signs. After adjusting the doses, it was possible to observe clinical improvement of the feline which, in addition to having no more gastrointestinal symptoms, was less fearful of situations that, previous to the cannabis therapy, generated behavioral changes. Observing the evolution of the clinical condition and the animal's well-being, it is concluded that the use of medical cannabis in the treatment of IBD was effective.
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