If You’re a Dog, Just Say No to Drugs
January 1st, 2021 was a big day for recreational drug users in the great state of Montana. After years of conditional approval for medical use, marijuana was officially legalized for recreational use, and distributers popped up seemingly overnight on every street corner in Bozeman and beyond. In addition to likely increased music streaming and sales of snack foods, this legislative change also resulted in an increase in the diagnosis of marijuana toxicosis in dogs around the state.
What is THC and Why Does it Make Dogs High?
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is psychoactive molecule that mimics natural endocannabinoids, binding to receptors in various parts of the brain that are responsible for memory, coordination, reward, and perception. The positive effects produced by THC are euphoria, relaxation, and heightened perception. However, along with positive effects, potential negative side effects include impaired coordination, anxiety, paranoia, dysphoria, and memory loss.
Dogs, in particular, have a higher density of CB1 receptors in parts of their brains, making them significantly more sensitive to the effects of THC, making THC considered a legitimate toxin to dogs. AKA – dogs should avoid recreational Mary Jane. Since to this point, I have never seen a dog light and smoke a joint, cases of THC toxicosis in dogs are generally restricted to ingestion of edible products including gummies, homemade brownies, and even raw flower / buds. An important distinction is that dogs can metabolize THC and can experience psychogenic effects of weed that has not been decarboxylated. In people, marijuana must be decarboxylated through heating to activate THC. Hence, ingestion of raw marijuana flower can and will cause toxicosis in dogs.
Due to the increased density of CB1 receptors, signs are far more exaggerated in dogs than in their human counterparts. Signs range from ataxia (incoordination), urinary incontinence, lethargy, hyperexcitability, and dilated pupils to a slow heart rate, vomiting, hypothermia, disorientation, tremors, and seizures. It is very rare, but unlike people, there have been cases where dogs have ingested a fatal dose of THC or have gone into a coma.
When to Suspect Marijuana Toxicosis
First of all, if you watch your dog consume one of your edibles or eat a plastic bag full of weed, it would be safe to assume they may show signs of toxicosis. If ingestion occurs within an hour of presenting to a veterinary clinic, vomiting can be induced to remove any undigested THC, lowering the chance of severe toxicity. If you are a recreational marijuana user (no judgement from us), please ensure your stash is kept secure in a locked container or closed drawer in a part of the house that is inaccessible to your pets.
If you are not a marijuana user, there is still potential danger, so don’t discontinue reading this article yet! The majority of cases of THC toxicosis I have seen involve dogs eating something containing THC on a hike or neighborhood walk. If someone discarded a joint into the environment or accidentally left an edible near a path, it is easy for a dog to quickly consume THC without the owner ever knowing. WARNING—this next part gets gross. I would say that the most common source of THC ingestion in dogs I have treated comes from human fecal matter. Unfortunately, not all campers and hikers dispose of their bodily waste in a humane or ethical manner when spending time in the woods. THC from edibles remains active even after it courses the entirety of the human gastrointestinal tract, meaning poop—yes, I said poop—will contain plenty of active THC to cause toxicosis in a dog that decided they wanted to add a certain gross delicacy to their diet on a hike through the woods. I shouldn’t have to say this, but please dispose of your waste appropriately if you are consuming edibles in the woods while camping. Additionally, if you are merely hiking your dog in the mountains, be on the lookout for any signs of human waste, especially near campsites, and do everything in your power to keep your dog from ingesting any.
If prevention fails, as it often does due to ‘dogs being dogs’ initial signs of toxicosis are generally sedation, urine dribbling, swaying back and forth, and hyperexcitability. If you move your hand quickly towards your dog’s face and they jump out of their skin with an exaggerated response, they might be high. If you got back from a hike an hour ago and your potty-trained dog is swaying back and forth and dribbling small amounts of urine, they might be high. If they have a sudden change in music taste and ask for a family-sized bag of Cheetos, they might be high!
When to Go to the Veterinarian
In all seriousness, despite the VAST majority of cases of THC toxicosis in dogs are fairly mild and worth laughing about later, it is certainly possible for dogs to become very sick and even have life threatening side effects from THC, especially if they consume a large quantity. For this reason, I ALWAYS recommend a veterinary visit if you suspect your dog has consumed THC. Treatment for THC toxicosis is largely supportive care and centers around treating specific side effects. If consumption was within an hour of presentation, we would likely induce vomiting, administer either intravenous or subcutaneous fluids, and consider the administration of activated charcoal to bind toxins before they are absorbed. If your dog were to have more serious side effects like seizures, vomiting, etc. we would administer appropriate medical therapy to control these symptoms. On rare occasions, overnight hospitalization with more intensive medical intervention may be warranted.
As mentioned before, the vast majority of dogs that ingest THC will have fairly mild symptoms that start within 1-3 hours of ingestion and resolve in 6-8 hours with monitoring and minimal intervention. In fact, most dogs likely would recover without a visit to the vet. However, do you really want to be stressing out, losing sleep, and doubting yourself making that call at home? I certainly wouldn’t. We are here to help you and can take that undue responsibility away from you. It’s what we do. The best practice is to facilitate an environment at home where your dog ‘just says no’ to drugs. However, if your dog consumes marijuana, bring them in for an exam :)
January 1st, 2021 was a big day for recreational drug users in the great state of Montana. After years of conditional approval for medical use, marijuana was officially legalized for recreational use, and distributers popped up seemingly overnight on every street corner in Bozeman and beyond. In addition to likely increased music streaming and sales of snack foods, this legislative change also resulted in an increase in the diagnosis of marijuana toxicosis in dogs around the state.
What is THC and Why Does it Make Dogs High?
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is psychoactive molecule that mimics natural endocannabinoids, binding to receptors in various parts of the brain that are responsible for memory, coordination, reward, and perception. The positive effects produced by THC are euphoria, relaxation, and heightened perception. However, along with positive effects, potential negative side effects include impaired coordination, anxiety, paranoia, dysphoria, and memory loss.
Dogs, in particular, have a higher density of CB1 receptors in parts of their brains, making them significantly more sensitive to the effects of THC, making THC considered a legitimate toxin to dogs. AKA – dogs should avoid recreational Mary Jane. Since to this point, I have never seen a dog light and smoke a joint, cases of THC toxicosis in dogs are generally restricted to ingestion of edible products including gummies, homemade brownies, and even raw flower / buds. An important distinction is that dogs can metabolize THC and can experience psychogenic effects of weed that has not been decarboxylated. In people, marijuana must be decarboxylated through heating to activate THC. Hence, ingestion of raw marijuana flower can and will cause toxicosis in dogs.
Due to the increased density of CB1 receptors, signs are far more exaggerated in dogs than in their human counterparts. Signs range from ataxia (incoordination), urinary incontinence, lethargy, hyperexcitability, and dilated pupils to a slow heart rate, vomiting, hypothermia, disorientation, tremors, and seizures. It is very rare, but unlike people, there have been cases where dogs have ingested a fatal dose of THC or have gone into a coma.
When to Suspect Marijuana Toxicosis
First of all, if you watch your dog consume one of your edibles or eat a plastic bag full of weed, it would be safe to assume they may show signs of toxicosis. If ingestion occurs within an hour of presenting to a veterinary clinic, vomiting can be induced to remove any undigested THC, lowering the chance of severe toxicity. If you are a recreational marijuana user (no judgement from us), please ensure your stash is kept secure in a locked container or closed drawer in a part of the house that is inaccessible to your pets.
If you are not a marijuana user, there is still potential danger, so don’t discontinue reading this article yet! The majority of cases of THC toxicosis I have seen involve dogs eating something containing THC on a hike or neighborhood walk. If someone discarded a joint into the environment or accidentally left an edible near a path, it is easy for a dog to quickly consume THC without the owner ever knowing. WARNING—this next part gets gross. I would say that the most common source of THC ingestion in dogs I have treated comes from human fecal matter. Unfortunately, not all campers and hikers dispose of their bodily waste in a humane or ethical manner when spending time in the woods. THC from edibles remains active even after it courses the entirety of the human gastrointestinal tract, meaning poop—yes, I said poop—will contain plenty of active THC to cause toxicosis in a dog that decided they wanted to add a certain gross delicacy to their diet on a hike through the woods. I shouldn’t have to say this, but please dispose of your waste appropriately if you are consuming edibles in the woods while camping. Additionally, if you are merely hiking your dog in the mountains, be on the lookout for any signs of human waste, especially near campsites, and do everything in your power to keep your dog from ingesting any.
If prevention fails, as it often does due to ‘dogs being dogs’ initial signs of toxicosis are generally sedation, urine dribbling, swaying back and forth, and hyperexcitability. If you move your hand quickly towards your dog’s face and they jump out of their skin with an exaggerated response, they might be high. If you got back from a hike an hour ago and your potty-trained dog is swaying back and forth and dribbling small amounts of urine, they might be high. If they have a sudden change in music taste and ask for a family-sized bag of Cheetos, they might be high!
When to Go to the Veterinarian
In all seriousness, despite the VAST majority of cases of THC toxicosis in dogs are fairly mild and worth laughing about later, it is certainly possible for dogs to become very sick and even have life threatening side effects from THC, especially if they consume a large quantity. For this reason, I ALWAYS recommend a veterinary visit if you suspect your dog has consumed THC. Treatment for THC toxicosis is largely supportive care and centers around treating specific side effects. If consumption was within an hour of presentation, we would likely induce vomiting, administer either intravenous or subcutaneous fluids, and consider the administration of activated charcoal to bind toxins before they are absorbed. If your dog were to have more serious side effects like seizures, vomiting, etc. we would administer appropriate medical therapy to control these symptoms. On rare occasions, overnight hospitalization with more intensive medical intervention may be warranted.
As mentioned before, the vast majority of dogs that ingest THC will have fairly mild symptoms that start within 1-3 hours of ingestion and resolve in 6-8 hours with monitoring and minimal intervention. In fact, most dogs likely would recover without a visit to the vet. However, do you really want to be stressing out, losing sleep, and doubting yourself making that call at home? I certainly wouldn’t. We are here to help you and can take that undue responsibility away from you. It’s what we do. The best practice is to facilitate an environment at home where your dog ‘just says no’ to drugs. However, if your dog consumes marijuana, bring them in for an exam :)
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