As is the case with humans, pets suffer side effects — including liver and kidney damage — from the medication they’re prescribed. But L.A. veterinarian Dr. Tim Shu says there’s a safe alternative for some of these prescriptions: medical marijuana.

The marijuana extract Shu created for pets, called VETCBD, is meant for animals suffering from arthritis, separation and travel anxiety, appetite loss, seizures and chronic pain.

VETCBD is made from cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive extract of marijuana. In other words, pets can’t get high — and, according to Shu, the side effects are almost non-existent.

The extract is 19 parts CBD and one part THC, only enough to help activate the CBD so that it zeros in on pain and anxiety, Shu says. “We don’t know how animals are feeling, so we look for signs such as barking like crazy or urinating in the house or tearing up the house.”

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David Futch ~ LA Weekly ~