If your dog has accidentally consumed marijuana or any other drug, it is important to take them to a veterinarian immediately. Depending on the severity of the situation, your vet may induce vomiting or administer medications to counteract the drug’s effects on your pet’s system.
Here are some additional steps you can take to help get your dog unstoned:
- Keep your dog cool and calm: Provide them with a quiet and comfortable place to rest that is free of loud noises or distractions.
- Avoid stimulating activities: You don’t want to over-stimulate your dog as they may already be disoriented and agitated.
- Provide water and food: Make sure your dog has access to fresh water to keep them hydrated and offer small portions of easily-digestible food if they are able to eat.
- Monitor their breathing and heart rate: If possible, take note of any irregular breathing or heart rates and report them to your vet.
- Keep them under supervision: Watch your dog closely for any changes in behavior, vomiting, or other concerning symptoms.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Dog Being Stoned?
In order to help their dogs, pet owners should know what they are and should be able to recognize the most common signs/symptoms of weed intoxication quickly.
Dogs are much more sensitive to the effects of weed, and it can make them feel really terrible, so it is definitely not something to joke about, nor is it funny.
Some of the most common symptoms of marijuana toxicity include:
• Drooling
• Lethargy
• Drowsiness
• Incoordination (often known as “drunken walk”)
• Dilated pupils
• Disorientation
• Sensitivity to light and touch
• Vomiting
• Muscle tremors or twitching
• Slow heart rate
• Hypersensitivity to stimuli
• Low blood pressure
• Coma
If you notice any of these signs, and you are pretty sure that your dog ate some of your weed, please contact your vet or the nearest animal hospital.
How Long Does It Take For A Dog To Get Over Being High?
Weed does not impact all dogs in the same way. The effects of weed on dogs depend mostly on the amount of weed ingested, the breed, size, and weight.
Every person reacts differently to marijuana, some are more hyperactive and others are just sleepy and calm. This is also the case for dogs, but the thing is that they will not enjoy it, for sure.
Usually it takesabout 18 to 36 hours for dogs to get over being high,however, in some cases, the symptoms can even last up to 96 hours. This can be in the situation of a really high dose and bad symptoms.
Dogs will not understand what is happening to them, why all of the sudden all their senses are heightened and that will scare them enormously.
If your dog continues to have some of the symptoms even after the usual recovery time, you should definitely contact the veterinarian again.
Sometimes those symptoms can also be a sign of some other serious conditions that should be treated immediately, so it is always better to check, rather than feel sorry afterwards.
Dogs And Marijuana
We have mentioned previously some rather concerning effects that ingestion of marijuana can cause in dogs, but do you know why this is so and why we say that weed is not good for our furry friends?
Anything with a large amount of THC can be very toxic to your pup, so while some pet owners might think it would be funny to give their pets a bite of their special brownies or blow some smoke in their face (yes, that happens also), it actually is not funny at all and is potentially very dangerous.
What Is THC?
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the active ingredient of marijuana that is basically a psychoactive chemical responsible for getting people high. It is also the ingredient that makes your dog sick.
Dogs also have an endocannabinoid system that is responsible for many important bodily functions, however, dogs have more cannabinoid receptors when compared to humans, so that also means that the effects of marijuana are much more toxic and dangerous than in humans.
So, basically, anything that contains a high level of THC, such as a raw plant, BHO, edibles, wax, or any other THC-based product should be avoided as it can be potentially dangerous to our beloved pets. But, how dangerous can it really be? Can marijuana be fatal to dogs? Let’s see!
Can Marijuana Be Fatal To Dogs?
THC is believed to affect a cerebral cortex which is associated with higher brain processes such as consciousness, senses, memory, thinking, learning, problem-solving and such, but it is not supposed to affect the brain stem, which is basically responsible for functions essential for living.
Although there hasn’t been much research done on this matter, this assumption has led many veterinarians to believe that ingesting marijuana should not be fatal to dogs.
However, in recent years, due to marijuana legalization and the increase of cases of marijuana toxicity in dogs, more studies have been performed to validate the hypotheses.
Unfortunately, some rather worrying reports have been published that could possibly change how everyone views the consumption of marijuana, especially in the canine world.
In 2012, the Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care published a paper that reports the findings of the Colorado study done on 125 client-owned dogs from January 1, 2005 to October 1, 2010. During the study, two dogs have died after consuming THC butter.
This proves that marijuana can be fatal to dogs, however, almost all veterinarians agree that these are particular and extremely rare cases. It is very unlikely that marijuana ingestion will kill your dog, even in high doses, but it can cause very serious side effects that can make your dog really sick.
Medical Marijuana For Dogs, Is It A Thing?
Cannabis sativa (the cannabis plant) can produce many different compounds called cannabinoids, including THC, CBD, and many other potentially medicinally beneficial compounds. You are probably very familiar with CBD (cannabidiol) or at least have heard about it before.
CBD that most people use or buy over-the-counter comes from the hemp plant which is also cannabis, however, it produces very little THC (less than 0.3%). While THC can be dangerous to dogs in high doses, CBD does not contain any psychoactive chemical that can make your dog high.
The clinical research into the use of cannabis in the veterinary medical field is in its early stages and there are very few studies published, however, some veterinarians report they have seen animals do much better on cannabis than on other conventional therapies.
Medical guidance on any medical marijuana use is highly recommended. Before you try anything, we suggest that you talk with your veterinarian and follow their instructions.
CBD oil (cannabidiol oil) has recently become a very famous method of alternative therapy for humans, but also for dogs. This product does not contain THC and it has been proved to have an anti-nausea and calming effect on dogs.
It is completely safe for dogs, and there is actually a wide variety of CBD oils on the market that you can purchase for soothing and calming your pups. This can help greatly in managing motion sickness and anxious feelings related to car rides or other stressful situations for dogs.
That being said, we still advise that you seek a professional’s advice before the use of any CBD products.
Tips For Prevention Of Weed Ingestion
You might be wondering how you can prevent your dog from accidentally ingesting weed. Well, thankfully, we have some tips for you that will help prevent any accidents from happening.
• Keep your weed in lockable containers – This is a very inexpensive solution that can prevent your dog from getting into your stash.
• Keep edibles in the fridge or out of reach – Try not to leave any edibles on the table or somewhere your pup can easily find it, because these products are often very tempting for dogs and they will eat it if they find it (also they contain other toxic ingredients for dogs).
• Keep your weed plants under lock and key – If you live somewhere where growing weed is legal, keep it behind a locked door where the dog can’t come in.
• Keep the ashtray out of the dog’s reach – If you are a smoker, please don’t do it with your dog in the room, and please remove and keep the ashtrays out of the dog’s reach.
It’s important to remember that marijuana or other drugs can have serious harmful effects on your pet’s health, so always take precautions to keep them away from such substances in the first place. If you suspect your dog has ingested any type of drug, don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian immediately.