Veterinarians seek medical cannabis for dogs affected by Gaza rockets

Over 50 percent of the dogs at the Sderot municipal shelter suffer from symptoms of anxiety, say veterinarians.

By World Israel News Staff

The trauma suffered by Israelis from the Gaza rocket attacks is not limited to humans.

Veterinarians reportedly are requesting authorization to administer medical cannabis to dogs living in a rocket-plagued Israeli city near the Gaza Strip as a way of treating the anxiety from which the canines are suffering.

“Examinations conducted by veterinarians from the Israel Medical Cannabis Association have shown that more than 50 percent of dogs at the Sderot municipal shelter suffer from symptoms of anxiety: diarrhea, vomiting, pressing themselves up against walls, and all because of the security situation in the region,” reports the Mako website.

Sderot is a city in the western Negev that is situated only about a kilometer from the Gaza Strip and has suffered sustained rocket fire over the past couple of decades.

According to the report, the veterinarians are asking for special permission to provide medical marijuana to the dogs suffering from such anxiety as part of an “innovative experiment.” The vets note that based on research already conducted in the United States, it could help in reducing the stress and anxiety, says Mako.

They also say that dogs are especially sensitive to the sound of sirens, rocket fire, and air defense system interceptions because they possess a more developed sense of hearing than humans, according to the website.