In her Washington Post piece, Susan Coll tells us how state cannabis legalization is inadvertently getting dogs stoned.
Amazingly, Coll’s own dog, Dafna, brushed up against the devil’s lettuce in Vermont. As Coll and her husband were hiking, Dafna, who normally “has the speed and grace of an Olympic athlete,” collapsed. Right away, the pair rushed Daphne to the emergency clinic. Upon arriving, the vets ran a urine analysis, but already had suspicions. They recognized the symptoms, and let Coll know that Dafna had probably ingested THC.
“Basically, our dog was stoned,” writes Coll.
Legal Weed Affects People and Dogs
Surprisingly, the Vermont vet told Coll that she “now sees as many as 10 cases per week of pot intoxication.” Actually, it’s happening everywhere cannabis is legal, too.
Back in Washington, Hanna Rosin, a podcast host, told Coll how her dog Brian also passed the dutchie. Rosin told Coll, “ the vet took one look at him and was like, ‘THC.’” That vet was Nastassia Germain, Medical Director of D.C.’s Veterinary Emergency Group. According to Germain, “We are seeing a higher amount of marijuana/THC toxicities in dogs since legalization…I am also seeing more severe cases due to access to medical-grade THC/marijuana.”
And in Colorado, one of the first states to legalize recreational cannabis ten years ago, they’re having the same problem. After recently completing a one-year internship at an emergency veterinary clinic in Denver, Lily Davis says her clinic saw stoned dogs “at least one a shift or one a day, if not more.”
What Should I Do If My Dog Eats Cannabis?
Any concerned dog parent who has the means should go to a vet if they think their dog has ingested cannabis. Although a few animals have died from THC, generally dogs may just be more lethargic or sleepy than usual. However, “It can get severe where they could have low or abnormal heart rates, low blood pressure, and sometimes tremors that can lead to seizures and coma,” Germain said.
Importantly, eating cannabis buds will get dogs more stoned than the leaves. However, with edibles, dog parents need to be more vigilant. Chocolate in brownies or xylitol in sweets can cause more severe health problems for dogs.
Curiously, Germain has never seen a cat who ingested THC. “They’re just a little bit more selective of what they eat than our canine friends,” she says.
