NORTHAMPTON — It seemed to be a normal day for Zip, a 4-year-old Brittany from Westhampton: a daily off-leash run on a beautiful Sunday.
That was until Zip ate something about five feet off a trail in the woods near his home that made his owners suspicious.
“We called him off and walked over to see what he had eaten but could not find anything,” said Sue Slowik, the dog’s owner.
It wasn’t until Zip got home that she realized something was wrong.
About an hour and a half after his walk, strange symptoms began to show.
“Zip made a noise like he was going to vomit,” Slowick said.
Then, Zip stumbled and collapsed several times.
Concerned for Zip’s well-being, Slowick took him to his veterinarian for an examination. That’s when a vet told Slowick she believed Zip had THC poisoning. THC is the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
“We had no idea it was THC, we just thought he ate something poisonous!” Slowick said. “We were worried because when we tried to comfort Zip, he would become startled due to hypersensitivity of the skin.”
THC poisoning in dogs is nothing new. However, the Pet Poison Helpline, a 24-hour animal poison control service available throughout the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean, has reported seeing a significant increase in THC poisonings in dogs and cats since the legalization of marijuana in many states. In 2017, the hotline reported seeing a 448 percent increase in marijuana cases over a six-year period. Animals can consume THC by ingesting actual marijuana or a THC edible or inhaling secondhand smoke.
Dr. Tina White, a veterinarian at the Riverbend Animal Hospital in Hadley, has also seen an increase in such cases.
“We are definitely seeing more cases since legalization,” she said.
Common symptoms of THC poisoning in dogs generally consist of difficulty walking, vomiting, dazed expressions and dilated pupils. In severe cases, dogs may experience tremors and seizures or even fall into a coma as a result of THC toxicity.
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, marijuana is classified as a toxic plant for dogs, cats and horses.
“When the symptoms are mild, the dogs are uncoordinated and walk in wobbly ways,” White said. “They can even look like they have the munchies.”
Symptoms can become visible anywhere from five minutes to 12 hours and can last from 30 minutes to 12 hours depending on the dosage consumed.
Treatments for these cases vary depending on when the dog last consumed the THC.
“If it was consumed recently, the dog can throw up or have their stomach pumped,” White said. “For more severe cases, the dog will need lipids in order to retain liquids.”
Successfully treating THC intoxication can be difficult because there is no specific antidote, she said.
“The size of the dog also comes into play when measuring its intensity” White said.
Zip is only 34 pounds and remained under observation for eight hours.
“He was started on IV fluids and given lipids to bind to the THC in order to flush the toxin from his body,” Slowick said.
“It was both a frightening and expensive experience,” she said.
White said she has not seen any harmful effects of CBD (cannabidiol), an active ingredient in cannabis, on dogs, but also does not recommend its usage for pets. The ingredient is used by people to treat a variety of health issues.
“No one is regulating CBD and how much could or should be used,” White said. “Because of this, there is no real evidence of CBD being beneficial for pets.”
“It’s the THC that is the toxic part in the consumption,” she said.
Slowick said she doesn’t blame marijuana distributors for Zip’s trip to the vet, but she does want his story to be told.
“It can take a dog two seconds to dig into the brush and eat a small bite of one of these edibles. And a small bite is all it takes” Slowick said.
White also believes that there could be better efforts to get the word out.
“Adding posters or labels that say that the edibles are harmful for pets could help,” she said. “The edibles are made to look attractive to eat for consumers but are also attractive for pets.”