Have you been reading about the trouble they’re having n Colorado? It seems that now that pot is legal, they’re giving it to their dogs. Either intentionally, or unintentionally, dogs are getting their high on, and it’s a bigger problem than you might think.
Veterinarians are reporting a spike in dogs requiring treatment for marijuana ingestion. The problem is, getting high is not nearly as entertaining for your dog as it might be for you. It can actually be deadly, although most dogs can be successfully treated.
Dogs tend to become agitated and begin staggering soon after ingesting the plant. Higher doses result in lethargy, approaching a coma-like state. The dog may become hyper-sensitive to noise and other stimuli, resulting in a jerking of the head that looks an awful lot like a seizure.
San Francisco veterinarian Dr. Eric Barcher says that this problem is not unique to Colorado dogs. He points out that one of the main problems of treatment is that in states where pot is not legal, people are often hesitant to tell the vet what the dog ate, causing a delay in treatment.
Although a lot of people think it’s “cute” or “funny” – in fact there are a fair number of YouTube videos of dogs high on pot – leaving out your pot-infused baked goods or the raw plants can actually put your dog at risk. They simply do not get to the mellow state humans do when under the influence.
Until next time,
Good day, and good dog!