A dog owner is warning others to be wary after his pet ate cannabis during a walk along a beach.
Stephen Davidson was hit with a hefty vet’s bill after his West Highland white terrier swallowed the drug in Sheerness on Saturday.
The 59-year-old told how an hour after the walk, Oscar started acting strangely as if he was “away with the fairies”.
The eight-year-old pet who is usually “clingy and lovable” had become almost lifeless and stopped drinking.
A concerned Stephen phoned an out-of-hours vet fearing his family dog “could have dehydrated and died”.
Shortly afterward, he rushed him to the PDSA at Gillingham Business Park where he was told little Oscar had eaten the class b drug.
He 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 looking vacant, dilated pupils, a slow heart rate and incontinence.
They may also experience a “startled reaction” where they appear drowsy and begin to fall over, but suddenly catch balance.
To clear the drug out of 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 pooch received has resulted in a hefty bill.
The cost of the out-of-hours care totalled more than £900 which Stephen will fortunately be able to claim back on insurance.
The animal lover walks Oscar every day to Sheerness seafront, which is just 20 minutes from his home, but is now wary of taking him back there in case he eats cannabis again.
He said: “It’s so bad in this town, people are just smoking it anywhere and then throw it on the ground.”
Though he says the walk “has to be done”, he is relieved he knows what to look out for if it were to happen to his only pet again.
And now he wants to warn other owners so they don’t end up in a similar situation.
“I just want people to be extra careful in what their dogs pick up and be aware of any dangers when walking them.”
He also wants them to seek help as soon as possible if their pups start acting strangely.
PDSA say while they have seen cases of cannabis intoxication, 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.”
In cases of intoxication, induced vomiting may be possible, but depends on individual cases.
Activated charcoal is often used and administrated orally – as it passes through the dog’s digestive system, any remaining toxins are trapped in the charcoal and passed out of the body with its faeces.
Nina added: “There is no specific ‘cure’ for cannabis intoxication, but your dog may need additional supportive treatments to help and control the symptoms, such as a fluid drip.
“It’s also important for pet owners to be aware cannabis intoxication can appear similar to other poisonings or health concerns, the most serious being anti-freeze poisoning.
“Anti-freeze poisoning can be fatal to pets so owners will need to seek veterinary help as soon as they are aware of potential poisoning or notice any of the symptoms.”
