Vets are seeing a lot more stoned dogs

One of the clearest and least talked about side effects of legalization has four legs. Veterinarians across Canada are treating far more cannabis poisoning in pets than they used to, and the cause is almost always the same: a dog that got into an edible left out on a counter or in a bag.

A steep climb

The numbers are hard to miss. The Pet Poison Helpline has reported a 448% increase in cannabis-related calls over roughly six years, and studies have documented a significant jump in pet cannabis poisoning in Canada after October 2018. In one review of Canadian cases, more than 90% involved dogs. Dogs will eat almost anything, and a batch of gummies or a chocolate edible is exactly the kind of thing they’ll find.

What it looks like

Cannabis affects pets much more strongly than people, and the signs can be alarming even when the danger is usually manageable. Reported symptoms in dogs include disorientation, stumbling, dribbling urine, and an abnormally slow heart rate. The good news is that with prompt veterinary care, nearly all animals recover fully. The bad news is that a scared owner often doesn’t know what’s wrong, and edibles can also contain chocolate or xylitol, which are separately toxic to dogs.

How to prevent it

This one is almost entirely preventable, and it comes down to storage:

• Treat edibles like medication. Store all cannabis, especially anything that looks or smells like food, in a sealed container up high or locked away, well out of a pet’s reach.
• Never leave product on a coffee table or in a bag on the floor. That’s where most accidents happen.
• If you think your pet got into cannabis, call a vet right away. Be honest about what and how much. They aren’t there to judge you, and that information helps them treat your animal faster.

For the full rundown, see our guide to cannabis and pets, and for keeping product safely out of reach in general, how to store cannabis properly.

Sources

• PLOS One, Prevalence and characteristics of cannabis-induced toxicoses in pets
• Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Cannabis pet poisoning statistics for Canada
• CBC News, Veterinarians seeing more THC toxicity in dogs