Veterinarian Reports Increase In Dog Marijuana Overdoses

With marijuana legalization spreading throughout North America, one Canadian doctor is worried pot partakers are not careful enough with the drug around their canine companions. Dr. Jeff Goodall, a veterinarian in Bedford, Nova Scotia, said he noticed an increase in cases of dogs getting into their owners’ stashes in recent years, CBC reported.

Rather than the comforting effects marijuana may have on humans, dogs can suffer from urinary incontinence, balance issues and low blood pressure after ingesting pot, according to Canine Journal. Goodall told CBC that it can even cause severe illness or death with a high enough dosage, with dogs having increased sensitivity to the substance relative to their owners.

Per Goodall, treatment at his clinic typically involves flushing the dogs’ stomach, as THC prevents vomiting. CBC cited a recent study that found an increase in cases of dogs suffering adverse effects of consuming marijuana in Colorado after the state legalized it in 2014. Canada is set to legalize recreational pot use by July 2018.

While giving dogs the kind of weed people smoke is inadvisable, anecdotal evidence suggests dogs respond well to commercially available cannabis oil as a treatment for things like anxiety and pain, USA Today reported. An important detail to note is that this product does not contain THC, which is far more dangerous to dogs than it is to humans. Despite some dog owners swearing by this method, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association warned against treating pets with cannabis oil until further research has been conducted, per CBC.

Marijuana legalization hit a major milestone Monday as the state of California made recreational pot use legal. There were several reports of people lining up outside stores to buy the first government-sanctioned marijuana in the state at dispensaries, CNN reported.