A dog owner has issued a warning after his dog accidentally ate cannabis during a beach walk — and ended up ‘stoned’.
Stephen Davidson, 59, said pooch Oscar started acting strangely after their usual outing in Sheerness, Kent on Saturday (July 27).
The West Highland terrier, who is typically “loveable and clingy”, had become lethargic and “away with the fairies.”
Eight-year-old Oscar had also stopped drinking water – making a concerned Stephen fear the family pet “could have dehydrated and died”.
Stephen phoned an out-of-hours vet and rushed Oscar to the PDSA at Gillingham Business Park.
Here, the vet made a startling discovery – revealing that Oscar had consumed the class B drug.
Stephen said: “They put something down his throat to see if he would gag straight away but he didn’t – there was a delay.
“That’s when they said he’d been drugged.”
According to the PDSA, signs of intoxication in dogs can begin 30 to 90 minutes after cannabis has been eaten.
Effects can include incontinence, dilated pupils, a slow heart rate, and looking vacant.
Dogs may also experience “a startled reaction” where they appear drowsy and begin to fall over, but suddenly catch balance.
To clear the cannabis from his system, Oscar had to remain at the vet’s overnight where he was kept on a drip and given charcoal medication.
He has since made a full recovery and is back to happily rolling onto his tummy to be stroked.
But the treatment the small white terrier received has resulted in a hefty bill.
Stephen had to pay more than £900 for the out-of-hours care – although he believes he will be able to claim this back on his pet insurance.
His more pressing concern is where he will walk Oscar from now on, as he feels wary about taking him back to the Sheerness seafront just 20 minutes from his home.
Stephen said: “It’s so bad in this town. People are just smoking it anywhere and then they throw it on the ground.”
The 59-year-old says he will eventually return to his usual dog walking spot – but has spoken out to warn other owners what to look out for.
He said: “I just want people to be extra careful of what their dogs pick up and be aware of any dangers when walking them.”
Stephen also wants owners to seek help as soon as possible if their pups start acting strangely.
PDSA said that while they have seen cases of cannabis intoxication in dogs, it does thankfully remain an uncommon issue.
Vet nurse Nina Downing said: “Dogs will suffer from cannabis intoxication if they ingest it.
“Unfortunately, it can be the case that your dog may come across some cannabis while out and about on a walk, and if they ingest it, they will likely start to appear unwell.
“If you suspect your dog may have eaten some cannabis, it’s a good idea to have them checked over by your vet as soon as possible, rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.”
