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Kent vet reminds users: pot and pups don’t mix

Dog brought in after possibly ingesting marijuana during a trip to the lake
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Hudson was brought into the Kent Veterinary Clinic Thursday morning after his owner suspected he got into some pot while out at the lake. (Kent Veterinary Clinic/Facebook)

The Kent Veterinary Clinic is reminding people to put their pot away properly, both at home and in public, after a trip to the lake ended in a trip to the vet for one local dog.

According to a post on the Kent Veterinary Clinic Facebook page, Hudson and his owner had taken a trip to a nearby lake Wednesday night (Aug. 28). As dogs are wont to do, Hudson had sniffing around in the bushes and had possibly eaten something.

The next morning, Hudson was unable to walk or urinate properly, and was acting lethargic and nauseous. His owner brought him in to the vet, where he tested positive for THC — the main psychoactive compound in marijuana.

“We induced vomiting and gave him charcoal to absorb anything left in his stomach,” the post reads. “Luckily this poor guy felt a bit better by the time he left but still needs to rest for the next 24 hours.”

According to Lyndsey Herden, a veterinary office assistant at the clinic, they have been seeing more cases of dogs getting sick from marijuana than they did before legalization.

In the last few months, she said, there’s been between five and 10 cases of dogs coming in with symptoms of THC poisoning. So far they’ve seen only dogs, although cats can have adverse reactions to pot as well.

RELATED: PET CARE: Cannabis and your pet

“People can look for signs, if (the dog) looks like they’re acting drunk, they can’t walk properly. Sometimes it looks like their eyes won’t focus or will dart back and forth,” Herden explained. “If they’re just looking for signs that are abnormal, definitely bring it to a vet clinic.”

If anyone does suspect their dog has ingested some pot, the best thing to do is bring them to the vet so the dog can be made to throw up.

“That’s the quickest way to get it out of their system if it’s happened recently,” Herden said.

Of course, the best way to prevent pets from getting sick from pot is to keep it away from them in the first place.

“If they’re going to discard it, it just can’t be on the ground or in a garbage can or anywhere that a dog can access,” she said.

According to the clinic’s Facebook post, dogs are attracted to the smell and taste of marijuana: “if it is left on the ground, they will more than likely ingest it.”



grace.kennedy@ahobserver.com

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