The woeful tale of Zip should have been saved for April Fools Day (“Canines and cannabis: A dangerous combination,” June 11).
As described in your article, there was no evidence that cannabis was the culprit. First, no plant was found. Second, the putative plant would have been planted 5 feet off a trail in the woods. However, cannabis demands full sunlight in order to thrive. Third, why would a dog eat a marijuana plant, which tastes like a weed? (That’s how it got its name, some say). Finally, all the cannabis plants in our area are juveniles, and won’t produce any highs in either man nor beast until the fall.
Far more likely, Zip ingested a fly agaric mushroom, which does grow in the woods and is commonly found in our area. This mushroom is considered both poisonous in America and hallucinogenic in some European and Asian cultures, which would perhaps match Zip’s symptoms of nausea and hypersensitivity. Hopefully, the care that Zip received was helpful in calming him.
The one good point made in the article is that folks who have made or purchased edibles, as they are called, should keep them away from pets, children and adults who are not aware of their effects. Cannabis does change your mind, after all, and having that happen for no apparent reason is frightening.
Tom Baker
Amhers