Contributor: Carl S. Hobby
This sort of scenario has happened either directly to you, or to someone you know. It’s very common, and if the right steps are taken, everything will be completely fine. But, in all honesty, if you don’t know what to do if your dog eats weed, it may result in some catastrophic outcomes. So, if your dog eats marijuana, or if you’re just wondering what happens if your dog eats weed, you’ve come to the right place.
In order to properly teach you the correct steps to take during this sort of undesirable ordeal, I think it’s only right to put yourself in the shoes of a caring dog owner. Which, I’m sure you can relate to, or else you likely wouldn’t even be reading this.
Did Your Pet Eat THC? Here’s What You Need To Do
So, let’s say, you come home from a long day of work, and the only thing you want to do is kick back, relax, and fire up some bud that you bought from the dispensary the other day. However, as soon as you enter your house (or apartment), you can tell that things are suspiciously askew.
Certain throw pillows that are supposed to be on the couch, are randomly strewn on the floor. Also, those various envelopes and coasters that usually sit beside your stash on your end table, are miraculously torn up on the floor, as well. And that’s when you spot it – your once-filled container of cannabis is ripped open, with only a few leaves remaining.
Uh-oh.
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At this point, you anxiously call out and search your pooch throughout your domescile. Remember, this is when you need to remain calm. And, as you continue your hunt for your freshly-stoned pup, think about what kind of cannabis they just ingested.
In this scenario, it was raw cannabis flower. Not for nothing, but this is the best case scenario for cannabis-loving dog owners out there. Seeing as how the bud, itself, was never decarboxylated, that means the THC within it was never activated, and thus, the scenario should end rather peacefully.
Much like the same way humans can’t get high from eating raw cannabis, neither can a puppy. Which is great, but to be fair, eating a handful of bud doesn’t exactly seem like the best thing for your tummy, regardless of what species you are, so there’s likely going to be some stomach trouble no matter what, but it shouldn’t be too tough to handle.
However, perhaps you like to vape your flower, via a Volcano, or handheld device. And, after each session, you ditch your vaped bud into a receptacle of some kind. In this case, let’s assume your furry friend got his paws on this stash. In this scenario, you can still calm down a touch, as there likely isn’t too much THC left in those discarded buds, but it really comes down to how thoroughly you vape your cannabis during your sessions.
Now, what if your pooch scarfed down some of your highly-potent concentrates? That, my friends, is a bit worrisome, as that is the most potent form of THC on the market, and it can result in a litany of negative effects for your dog. So, if that’s the case, you should take action as quickly as you can.
Before we get into what to do next, we should consider a hypothetical, in which the dog ate an edible of some kind.
If he ate an edible that doesn’t have any chocolate in it, like a gummy or something, that’ll still negatively affect them, but to what degree, is completely dependent on the potency of the THC treat, itself. Same goes for cannabis-infused butter. But, if your pup got into a chocolate edible, that raises the stakes a tad, as chocolate is already considered toxic for dogs, and the addition of THC in the mix, will only make matters worse.
Alright, once you’ve sussed out exactly what it was that your dog inherently ate, you can start to assess your pup’s symptoms.
If they simply seem a bit lazy or lethargic, chances are it was only a mild affliction brought on by the THC. However, if they are completely void of self-control, evacuate their bladders and bowels without warning, demonstrate low blood pressure or slow heart rate, a seizure, or even worse, death, may be right around the corner, and you should take them to the vet immediately.
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But, if you find that things aren’t that serious, you can head on down to your local drugstore and pick up something called, Active Charcoal. Feed one of these little discs to your pup, and it should be able to soak up whatever THC is left lingering in the little fella’s system. If that doesn’t do the trick, though, you may have to induce vomiting.
In order to do that properly, you should administer some hydrogen peroxide to your pooch. The rule of thumb is to give them about 1 teaspoon for every 10 pounds that they weigh. Do this about every 15 minutes or so, but never do it more than three times, as that would teeter on poisoning your pet, and nobody wants that.
Lastly, if all else fails, simply swoop up your pup, toss them in the car, and head down to the vet. These animal professionals will know exactly what to do in this instance, so you can rest assured that they will take good care of your furry friend.
At the end of the day, if you want to just up and take them to the vet immediately, without trying any of those aforementioned courses of action, then by all means, go for it. There’s no shame in that. But, if you think you can manage this THC mishap on your own, you should feel free to take that route, too. However, that said, if your methods don’t work, or if your pooch is exhibiting any of those dangerous telltale signs, like the ones laid out above, then you shouldn’t even think twice about going straight to the vet.
To avoid these situations altogether, you should be sure to keep your cannabis, and anything else your dog may want to get into, in a safe, secure area. One that your curious little canine can’t get into – no matter how hard they try. That’s the safest way to go about it, in my opinion.
But, if you come home and see that your pup got into your stash, remember to keep calm, assess the situation, analyze their symptoms, and go from there.
