Dogs eat weed and get sick; know what to do – 02/23/2023 – Balance

Last weekend, Dazzle, the dog of Lola Star, a mini Goldendoodle just under 2 years old, ate a joint she found on the ground in Staten Island. It wasn’t the first or even the tenth time the little dog had done the same thing, says Star, sighing.

She didn’t see what happened, but she noticed a sign that revealed everything. “I was pulling Dazzle out of the car and I saw her little head bobbing around,” says Star, who lives in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park South neighborhood. “When that happens, you know your dog is high.”

Your dog isn’t the only one to unintentionally consume weed. Now that marijuana is widely available in New York — following the legalization of recreational use by adults in 2021 and the opening of the first legal dispensary in December — veterinarians say they have recently seen a steady increase in cases of dogs. who accidentally eat marijuana. And dog owners say their pets are finding more marijuana lying on the streets and sidewalks during their walks.

Veterinarians who used to treat one case a month of a dog that had ingested marijuana now see several a week. Most animals recover, but the symptoms can be frightening: loss of balance, difficulty walking, nausea, drowsiness, and even hallucinations. And some people don’t immediately notice when their pets eat a joint while walking down the street.

Dog owners are used to not letting their curious pets sniff out trash, food scraps and other potentially risky objects on the sidewalk, but marijuana remains are a new hazard that’s suddenly popping up everywhere, says Star. That’s why dogs like Dazzle get sick again and again.

“This has always been an issue to some extent, but lately, now that marijuana has been legalized in the city, we’re seeing an increase in cases,” said Gabrielle Fadl, director of primary care at the Bond Vet network of clinics, which has offices spread across along the east coast of the United States.

There are no precise numbers on how many dogs are eating marijuana off the sidewalk, but the data indicate that dogs are getting sick from eating marijuana more often in places where recreational use of the drug has been legalized.

The trend is not limited to New York. Over the past six years, the number of calls about marijuana poisoning received by the Pet Poison Helpline, a 24-hour animal poisoning control center, has increased by more than 400%. Most cases are reported in New York and California. Last year, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals animal poisoning hotline received nearly 7,000 calls regarding marijuana poisoning, up 11% from the previous year.

Here’s what to do if this happens to your pet:

call a vet

Veterinarians say they have seen cases of pets that have eaten marijuana in a variety of ways: flowers, discarded joints, edibles and even e-cigarette cartridges.

The best protection is teaching your dog to avoid these items. If he does eat the stuff, the first thing to do is call 911 or the vet’s office, experts say.

Explain what happened, especially if the marijuana is yours. More detailed information, such as the degree of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in marijuana), may be helpful. It’s natural to feel scared or embarrassed, but don’t hesitate to give as much information as possible, says Sarah Hoggan of VCA California Veterinary Specialists.

Loss of balance and dilated pupils can be symptoms

According to Ryan Fortier, medical director of the All Ears clinic in downtown Brooklyn, there is no definitive test to confirm whether a dog is intoxicated.

But there are some clear signs.

According to Fadl, the behavior of a dog that has eaten cannabis can be “scary”. Generally, the pet seems a little shaky and has difficulty walking and balancing. In addition, you are likely to become drowsy and pass a little urine.

Your eyes will likely be dilated, Hoggan points out. The dog may also react with fright or fear when touched.

An hour or two after ingestion of marijuana, the animal’s vital signs — body temperature and heart rate — often drop sharply, says Fadl, and that can be dangerous.

Veterinarians emphasize that you need to react promptly. The sooner you get your dog to the vet, the better the chances that it will be possible to remove the toxin from his body by methods such as induced vomiting or enema.

Don’t Worry: Most Dogs Will Recover

The risks depend on the size of your dog and the amount of drug he has consumed.

Fadl said that in most cases treatment includes intravenous fluids and careful monitoring of vital signs.

“The good news is that most dogs that ingest marijuana recover with treatment and sometimes without,” says Fadl.

But when the dog has ingested very high doses of THC — for example, if a small dog consumes cannabis-containing food or candy — there can be a risk of tachycardia or seizures, she says.

Hoggan recommends that anyone caring for pets who have consumed THC monitor them closely, keep them warm, and keep them away from other animals.

The risk of the dog suffering lasting neurological damage is low, she said.

Other recommendations

Kimberlee Cruz, dog trainer and assistant veterinarian at the Veterinary Care Group in Brooklyn, says reinforcing the “let go” or “let go” commands can help dogs that tend to root around in the trash or on the street avoid future contact with marijuana.

“If the dog likes to eat things he finds on the street”, he says, the recommendation is “to walk him on a short leash and pay attention to his surroundings, for example, not using your cell phone while you are walking him.”

Additionally, she recommends that any marijuana products be placed out of reach of curious pets.

Translated by Clara Allain