Courtesy: CHAT Newsroom.

By Angela Kazmierczak

Local vet notices an increase in marijuana poisonings in dogs

May 16, 2023 | 5:18 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s unclear if the legalization of cannabis is causing more Canadians to consume it.

But a local vet is finding that there’s been more marijuana poisonings in animals.

And as one pet owner would discover, marijuana toxicity can quickly turn lethal..

Ten months ago, pet owner Donovan Bellamy took his six-month pup Lola for an morning walk to the park around 5 a.m. It was still dark.

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Lola, an energetic pup, ended up munching on something before the owner could react. A couple hours later, Lola’s health noticeably declined.

“By the time I got to work, I kind of noticed she wasn’t feeling 100% and wasn’t feeling that well. And then what happened was we were walking around the office, and she actually just fell over on her side and couldn’t get back up,” said Bellamy.

Lola’s symptoms – dribbling urine, drooling and a loss of balance – initially puzzled the vet, since what Lola gobbled up at the park was unknown.

But after recognizing the symptoms, veterinarians began to fear the pup had swallowed a bag of drugs during her walk, and it was slowly releasing in her body. So the vet quickly pumped her stomach, as cannabis or hard drugs when consumed in even small amounts, can be dangerous.

“Dogs have more chemical receptors in their brains that the THC goes towards more. So even just a little dose in a dog can cause them to have more damage than a human,” said Brittany Gooden, a registered veterinary technologist at Cypress View Veterinary Clinic.

Gooden says this isn’t the first time the vet has seen marijuana poisoning, and it’s grown more frequent since the legalization of marijuana. She recommends that pet owners properly store marijuana, keep second-hand smoke away from animals and keep pets on a leash during walks.

“As an owner, I should’ve been a little more aware of what she was picking up. But they’re so quick when they’re small and I didn’t see it. I definitely don’t walk in the dark after that, we wait until there’s light and the sun is up. So definitely as a pet owner, be aware of what’s in your surroundings,” said Bellamy.

Bellamy says the poisoning certainly caused some stress for him and Lola. It took two days for Lola to have a full recovery.

“It can be worrisome too. You invest a lot of money into dogs and training and time, and when that happens, it’s very disappointing,” he said.

Today, Bellamy remains cautious but also happy for Lola’s restored health.