Marijuana will soon be allowed in Canadian homes. But dog owners need to know the risks this poses to their pooches.
Cannabis is toxic to dogs.
Now a veterinarian has sent out a national warning to dog owners, telling them to be careful with cannabis.
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As October’s legalization date looms, dog and all pet parents alike need to become more mindful of marijuana access to pets in their homes. And it’s also important to be aware of the symptoms of cannabis toxicity in dogs.
Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury tells The Globe and Mail that her clinic treats at least one dog a week for marijuana toxicity. And it’s become common to see multiple dogs at her St. John’s clinic for cannabis toxicity. Her clinic treated three dogs the other week alone.
“There’s not usually any long-term effects to the dog from marijuana toxicity, they’d have to take in a pretty large amount 1 8 ... 3/8 but the symptoms are quite alarming if you’re not sure what you’re looking at,” Brown Bury tells the Globe and Mail.
Dogs freak out on pot. Surprisingly, this happens often.
Animal medical centres in Colorado commonly see multiple cases of this a week, since marijuana’s legalization in 2010. Between 2010 and 2015, the state saw a 400 per cent increase in reported cases of toxicity in dogs.
READ: How To Grow Your Own Pot At Home — After October 17, 2018
In New York City, veterinarians say canine marijuana poisoning has become a daily occurrence.
The cases that land dogs at the vet are often a result of the pup consuming a cannabis product at home, or picking up a discarded joint or other tetrahydrocannabinol-rich (THC) product in a public space.
THC is very toxic to dogs. Signs of its toxicity including a low heart rate, uncontrolled dribbled urine, difficulty walking, vomiting, and exaggerated response to any stimulus.
Treatment usually means inducing vomiting, if recently ingested, and keeping the dog hydrated and resting until the drug clears. It can take a couple days for the drug to leave the system.
READ: 5 Ways To Smoke Pot (Almost) Odourlessly — If Allowed In Your Building — After Oct. 17, 2018
Dogs put stupid things in their mouths all the time. So imagine how tempting an edible in the form of a brownie (plus that extra toxicity due to the chocolate) would be to Mr. Mugs.
It’s also important to note that while medicinal cannabis products can be used to treat health problems in humans, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association has not approved any cannabis products for medicinal use on animals.
