As marijuana use widens, vets are treating more pets for cannabis poisoning

article

FILE: Veternarian Dr. Linda Pirie examines a dog named Louie at Los Gatos Dog and Cat Hospital on January 25, 2018 in Los Gatos, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

States where marijuana is legal may see long lines at local dispensaries for the "420" unofficial stoner holiday Monday, but veterinarians are hoping they don’t experience the same. 

As marijuana use increases in the U.S. and more states legalize the drug, veterinary clinics are seeing a big uptick in pets with cannabis toxicity. From 2018-2023, the Animal Poison Control Center saw a 300% rise in calls about marijuana poisoning. Here’s what to know: 

Diagnosing marijuana toxicity in pets

What they're saying:

Dr. Ashton Townsley, lead emergency veterinarian at Veterinarian Emergency Group (VEG) in Torrance, California, said dogs metabolize THC differently than humans and experience symptoms at much lower doses, "which is why we call even just a normal ingestion for what a human might take, a toxicity in dogs."

RELATED: Many young adults turn to cannabis for sleep—but it may backfire

It can be challenging for vets to determine whether marijuana is the culprit, Townsley said, because dog urine tests can show false negatives, and "it's the rare pet parent that comes in that either knows their pet got into marijuana or is willing to admit it."

"Most of the time, we're trying to pull that information out of them, and that can be kind of difficult," he said. 

"I always say that just because you don't have it the house doesn't mean that the neighbor doesn't, and that they didn't throw the end of a pre-roll over the fence or something like that, or your dog picked it up on the walk you took him on an hour before and is just now starting to show symptoms."

What are the symptoms of marijuana toxicity in dogs? 

Big picture view:

Townsley said the following symptoms are most common in dogs with marijuana toxicity: 

• Ataxia, or loss of coordination: Townsley called it the "drunk walk."
• Dilated pupils
• Hyper-reactivity, even to normal movements
• Loss of bladder control

"When I have a dog walk into the hospital, I can almost spot it from across the room," he said. "You know, they're walking kind of funny. They seem like they're really reactive to everything, and urine is pouring from them. That's pretty highly suspicious for a marijuana ingestion."

RELATED: Cannabis edibles just as dangerous to heart health as smoking marijuana, study finds

Townsley said if it’s a lower dose of marijuana, the symptoms in dogs will typically resolve in 8 to 12 hours, but if it’s a higher dose and a more severe case, symptoms can last for up to 48 hours. 

Although it’s "quite rare" for a dog to die from marijuana poisoning, Townsley said he has seen marijuana-linked comas, tremors and seizures. 

"At higher doses, there are some severe side effects," he said. 

Edibles can be a double-whammy

Dig deeper:

Another factor for vets treating pets with marijuana toxicity is what form of marijuana they ingested. 

READ MORE: Most pampered pets in the US: See the top 10 states

If it’s an edible chocolate, chocolate is toxic to dogs at higher doses, while edible "gummies" often have artificial sweeteners like xylitol, which is highly toxic to dogs even in small doses. 

"We have to act very aggressively, more for the xylitol toxicity than for the marijuana ingestion," Townsley said. 

What to do if your pet eats marijuana

What you can do:

Townsley said if your pet is showing signs of marijuana toxicity, get them to a veterinarian’s office to be diagnosed and monitored.

If you suspect your pet has eaten marijuana but they’re not showing symptoms, call your primary vet or an ER vet if it’s after-hours. They can guide you on whether you should bring your pet in.