Spike in pets eating pot in the US, SPCA sees similar problem here
Posted November 4, 2016 7:31 am.
Last Updated November 4, 2016 7:33 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – From drinking bong water to gobbling up edibles, veterinarians have seen a sharp increase in the number of pets consuming pot south of the border. Two-thirds of calls to an American pet poison hotline involve marijuana edibles, while the same service has seen a 330 per cent increase in calls over the last five years.
Some veterinarians are blaming more jurisdictions legalizing pot for the spike with pet owners, leaving product lying around the house. “I have some cases here. It is something that veterinarians in Vancouver do see,” says BC SPCA Senior Manager of Animal Health Dr. Emilia Gordon. “I have seen a number of cases over the last five years of dogs eating their owner’s marijuana or eating marijuana that they’ve found somewhere.”
But she cautions not to leave it lying around where your pet can get it. “Marijuana is toxic to dogs because it has THC in it, so that’s the psychoactive compound,” adds Gordon.
She adds most dogs should recover from eating the raw plant but the stronger edible products can be more dangerous. “Veterinarians are starting to see more serious neurological problems in dogs. There are anecdotal reports of dogs that have gone into comas and even died from eating those medical-grade products.”
If you’re unsure whether or not your pooch has ingested pot, Gordon says the signs are pretty clear. “The traditional things we see if they ingest dried pot are things like in-coordination, lethargy, a slow heart rate, sometimes they are dribbling a little bit.”
And that can mean a trip to the vet. “Typically for these types of cases, we recommend that the pet come in to be assessed and possibly to receive supportive care and testing,” says Gordon.
Which isn’t cheap.
Activated charcoal treatment, which helps to absorb toxins, can lead to thousands of dollars in vet bills.
