Is Marijuana Use Legal in Your State?
If you live in an area where Marijuana use (medicinal or recreational) is legal, you may want to keep a few things in mind for your pet’s safety.
What Happened to Dewey
I took Dewey (5yr-old cockapoo) for an afternoon walk on a nice warm Sunday. We stopped by a park in the neighborhood as usual. It’s a typical little park in a suburban neighborhood with a playground, BBQ area and several picnic tables.
It’s not an official dog park but that is a place where neighbors get together and let their dogs socialize and sometimes play off-leash. I took Dewey’s leash off, and soon after, I noticed he was eating something off of the ground. There was popcorn all over the grass.
I quickly leashed him up and left feeling irritated that I had let him eat something on the ground outside. At the same time though, I was thankful that it wasn’t chocolate or anything known to be toxic to dogs. We walked some more and then we went home.
Within 2 hours, everything had changed.
His Symptoms
- unable to support his own body, very wobbly
- head swaying sideways
- flinching every time he was touched
- lethargic, no energy
- vomiting
- involuntary urination
The Emergency Vet
I rushed him to an emergency vet. The initial assessment was “possible marijuana ingestion,” which was quite a shock!
If I were a marijuana user, that might have been a possibility, but I’m not. So I was so lost as to HOW he could have ingested it!
The dots between the popcorn he had earlier at the park and marijuana weren’t connecting just yet at that point in my head.
Quick Facts Learned on the Internet
- Number of pets being treated for accidental marijuana poisonings are raising questions about the safety of marijuana, especially in dogs. – Pet Poison Hotline
- Candy, cookies and other snacks laced with marijuana are out there. – “New Halloween Danger, Marijuana laced treats”- NBC Southern California
When I read about marijuana laced popcorn “Pot-Popcorn”, the light in my head went on!
Detox & Recovery
At the emergency, they quickly tried to induce vomiting, but somehow Dewey wouldn’t throw up.
So, they turned to an IV and some charcoal treatment.
Dewey spent the night at the hospital and on the following day, he became well enough to come home.
Take-Aways from this Experience
- Be attentive, be aware of your surrounding, be ready for anything while walking your dog
- Think twice before taking off your dog’s leash
- Continue practicing “leave it”
- Marijuana could be anywhere, even in food, not just in someone’s hand who is smoking it.
- Marijuana does NOT affect animals the way it affects people!
This sure was a tough experience for Dewey and I feel terrible.
If you think it’s funny to get your dog high, please do some research and understand that it is no laughing matter. I don’t wish this on anyone’s dogs, cats, or any other animals.
Please be aware and be safe out there!
About Author
Eri Suzaki, CCMT – Canine Therapeutics
I've always wanted to do something related to animals but never knew what direction I wanted to go in. As I watched my dog Chuckie age, as well as struggling with my own arthritis, I finally got the answer to what I was looking for when I heard about canine massage. Since the beginning of Canine Therapeutics in 2010, I've had nothing but amazing experiences with each dog that I've worked with.
I look forward to meeting with you and making a positive difference in your dog's health!
