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The Brief<\/strong><\/p>\n With marijuana use on the rise in the U.S., veterinary clinics are seeing a surge in cases of accidental cannabis poisoning.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n It can be challenging for vets to determine whether marijuana is the culprit, because “it’s the rare pet parent that comes in that either knows their pet got into marijuana or is willing to admit it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Mild cases typically resolve themselves in 8-12 hours, but more severe side effects include comas, tremors and seizures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 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\u2019t experience the same.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s what to know:<\/p>\n What they’re saying<\/strong><\/p>\n Dr. Ashton Townsley, lead emergency veterinarian at Veterinarian Emergency Group\u00a0(VEG)<\/u><\/a> 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.”<\/p>\n RELATED: <\/strong>Many young adults turn to cannabis for sleep\u2014but it may backfire<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n 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.”<\/p>\n “Most of the time, we’re trying to pull that information out of them, and that can be kind of difficult,” he said.<\/p>\n “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.”<\/p>\n Big picture view<\/strong><\/p>\n Townsley said the following symptoms are most common in dogs with marijuana toxicity:<\/p>\n Ataxia, or loss of coordination: Townsley called it the “drunk walk.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n\n Hyper-reactivity, even to normal movements<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n “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.”<\/p>\n\n
Diagnosing marijuana toxicity in pets<\/h2>\n
What are the symptoms of marijuana toxicity in dogs?<\/h2>\n
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