Saskatoon woman warning pet owners after her dog eats discarded cannabis

Georgia-Rae Maxwell was walking her 8-month-old chocolate lab Ruhn when he found something that didn’t look quite right.

“On the sidewalk in front of us there was something on the ground that looked suspicious, and he got a little bit of it,” Maxwell told CTV News.

Once home, Maxwell was very concerned because the puppy was acting erratically.

“He started falling over and acting not right. So we rushed him to the VMC and he was doing what they call a bobble head motion,” she says.

The vet clinic on campus determined Ruhn ingested marijuana, and it’s a good thing they brought him in quickly.

The veterinarian at the Acadia Veterinary Clinic says, the reality is, pets can die from eating drugs.

“Unfortunately, yes, with the severe symptoms they can see seizures and they can go into a coma,” Dr. Christie Braaten, said.

Braaten says she’s never had a pet in her care die from eating drugs, but she’s seeing more close calls.

“Marijuana toxicity is unfortunately becoming more prevalent with the legalization of marijuana, and we do see an increase in accidental ingestion or exposure,” she says.

Thankfully Ruhn was able to recover after a few days rest.

It’s not always easy to pinpoint how drugs will affect different animals, according to Braaten, and it can vary widely by breed.

“Definitely if a smaller animal were to get into the same amount as a larger animal, it could be worse, but some animals regardless of size could be more susceptible to those effects.”

If pet owners notice unusual behavior, or it seems like their pet is high, they should see a vet as soon as possible.

“The effects are neurological which is typically what we see in our patients. Urinary incontinence or dribbling is also a key symptom. They will sometimes come in with the squinty eyes.”

Maxwell wants people to be more careful when they discard their drugs so other pet owners don’t have to go through the same frightening ordeal.