It might sound like a funny idea to feed your dog an edible, but the actual effect marijuana can have on man’s best friend is no joke. The A.S.P.C.A.’s national animal poison control center says it’s seen a 144 percent increase in pet marijuana overdose calls from 2010 to 2015, the New York Times reports.
Dogs overdose on weed in New York more than any other state save for California, according to the A.S.P.C.A. One NYC-based veterinary chain said they see nearly one case per day while another major one said they treat several severely stoned dogs per week.
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“We always used to joke about treating marijuana with fluids and Doritos and Pink Floyd,” Dr.Tina Wismer, the medical director of the A.S.P.C.A.’s national animal poison control center, told the Times. “But we have had some serious intoxication — animals that become comatose, with extremely low blood pressure.”
Wismer added that the center had only seen marijuana-related deaths for dogs who ingested the drug along with chocolate, which is highly toxic on its own for canines. But even non-deadly overdoses take a toll on the little pooches.
“I’ve had owners come in and they are stoned and they recognize some of the severity, but they just think it’s the funniest thing and they can’t stop laughing in the exam room,” Brett Levitzke, the medical director of the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group in Brooklyn, told the Times. “To the poor dog, it’s not very funny.”
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But to be honest, some of the stories about some dogs accidentally getting stoned are kind of funny. Take, for example, this “food-obsessed” shiba inu, who broke through a childproof trashcan to eat the leftover leaves from the 1.5 ounces of weed his owner used to make pot brownies and tea.
“He was just really body stoned and completely jelly,” the dog’s owner said. “His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, his head was lolled over, but any kind of movement in his peripheral vision would just scare the crap out of him.”
Regardless of how humorous a blazed dog might seem to you, the responsible thing is to secure your edibles, especially if they’re mixed with chocolates.
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