SAN ANTONIO — Pot and pets are not always a healthy combination, yet it's happening more and more.
The Animal Pet Poison Control Center reported a 765% increase in calls related to THC poisoning in 2019, compared to the previous 10 years.
“Once the edibles and the gummies and CBD oil and all of that came in, we’ve seen a marked increase in exposure,” said Dr. Grant Ramsey, medical director and head of internal medicine at MissionVet Specialty & Emergency.
Ramsey has seen various cases of THC exposure. According to the American Kennel Club, dogs can suffer poisoning from eating “treats” or simply ingesting any part of the actual marijuana plant.
“We recently had a case of a dog who ingested a THC vape pen. That’s not something they should be eating anyway, but dogs will eat just about anything—that represents a problem,” Ramsey said, adding the dog recovered.
He says there are some common symptoms pets might experience.
“Regardless of the source, dogs will often have slow heart rate, they’ll appear depressed or, using the human term 'stoned,' have difficulty walking around, and often dribbling urine."
Cats, he says, will exhibit the same symptoms, except for the dribbling of urine.
If you can’t contact a veterinarian, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Pet Poison Hotline is another great resource for pet owners in rural areas. Ramsey says you may pay a small fee to talk to a specialist, but oftentimes any pain your pet is experiencing will pass.
“The risk of a pet having serious illness and dying is low. The fatalities are less than 2%, which is great. But, when fatalities happen it’s not often purely from the THC exposure; it's from symptoms,” Ramsey said.
CBD products for pets have also become popular. Although CBD derived from hemp doesn’t produce the same high that THC does, Ramsey says the benefits of such products are still unknown.
“The biggest issue is we don’t have a lot of research, so we don’t know what are the true positive or negative benefits,” he said.
If your pet eats something, Ramsey says, don’t be scared about seeking help.
“The only trouble you get into is if you don’t tell us," he said. "That’ll hurt us in not helping your pet."
The Animal Poison Control hotline is (888) 426-4435.
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