Tasha digs her marijuana - Arthritic Doberman can dig for gophers again thanks to cannabis oil Thu, 26 May 2005 National Post Ron Chalmers "She's quite a digger," says Tasha's owner, Chick Brownbill of Turner Valley, in southern Alberta. "That's her recreation." But all that excavating caused chronic soreness in Tasha's front wrists, causing her to limp -- and to stop pursuing those pesky varmints. "I don't think she ever got a gopher, but digging was the love of her life," Brownbill says. Nothing helped until his daughter got a bottle of MediPaws cannabis oil from a local distributor. It's promoted as relieving arthritis in pets -- plus boosting the immune system and preventing tumours and heart attacks. The oil is extracted from marijuana that is grown with less than 10 parts per million of THC -- the mind-altering ingredient. "We gave it to her, and now, after three weeks, there's no limp at all," Brownbill says. "The other effect is that it makes her coat quite slick and shiny." Delivering the oral medication was no problem, he says. "We put it in her supper, and she eats anything." Brownbill also gave the oil to Hershey, his chocolate-coloured Labrador retriever, to help its sore hips. In Edmonton, Pamela Dykes bought MediPaws cannabis oil at Whitemud Pet Boarding and Grooming Centre, where she works. She gave it to Badger, her English springer spaniel, hoping to ease the arthritis in his back legs. After only one week, she hasn't seen any change, but will keep trying for another week or so. "It doesn't smell very good," she says. But Badger licks it off the spoon. Brownbill's veterinarian, Ingrid Rozema, says she has not prescribed MediPaws because the content is unregulated and "there is no scientific data indicating that marijuana is helpful." Rozema says she has not seen any harmful effects upon Tasha or upon Hershey -- but jokes that "I wanted to know if it gave them the munchies." MediPaws is distributed in Canada by Med Marijuana Inc. of Halifax.