Vet fears legal pot will lead to more pets raiding stashes

With cannabis legalization around the corner, veterinarians are worried they might see an uptick in stoned animals.

Dr. Lesley Sawa, president of the Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association, said she sees three or four dogs stagger into her exam room each year with glossy eyes and wide pupils.

They’ve gotten into their owners’ marijuana stash.

“The classic one is the zip-lock bag,” she said. “They find it, it smells good, they eat it. Dogs will eat everything.

“A lot of people think it’s funny, but it’s really not funny.”

Pets may suffer from “serious toxic side-effects” like nausea, diarrhea, slowed heart rates and even coma if they ingest large amounts of the drug, according to Sawa. And they often eat a great deal. The worst case Sawa saw in her career was a dog who ate two large baggies of marijuana buds.

“That dog was extremely sick,” she said.

“We did have to keep that dog on IV for 24 hours and give supportive care.”

Sawa suspects the problem will get worse after weed becomes legal this summer.

“That’s the concern in the veterinary community,” she said. “Because pot will become sort of mainstream, that it might be left out, not put away... so there could be an increase.”

The greatest danger comes from baking, with pot brownies also likely to cause chocolate toxicity.

“That’s a double whammy for the dog,” Sawa said.

Sawa advised pet owners to secure their drug supplies in a high, locked cupboard.

She also encouraged them to come forward and share what happened. They have nothing to fear.

“I’m not a police officer. You can tell me if your dog ate this.”

Sawa also took issue with arguments from Regina’s marijuana community about the benefits of cannabis-derived chemicals.

On Monday, Jonathan Metz of Green Street Clinic said police seized dog biscuits infused with cannabidiol, one of the active ingredients in marijuana.

He said the treats are popular with his customers because they provide relaxation for anxious pets.

But Sawa said there’s no evidence to support that.

“The biscuits for anxiety, I thought that was hysterical,” she said.

“There are, to my knowledge, zero studies done by vets with a large enough number of dogs in the trial.”