Happy March! As we come into spring and are about to celebrate our favorite green holiday, remember, not all things that are green are friendly to our pets. In the emergency room when we think of green, we think of our favorite neighborhood toxicity! Of course, I’m talking about that good old Mary Jane, Cannabis, the Mayor of Cheech Town, Willie’s Special Blend, Marijuana, or if you’re my dad…Grass.

Several years ago, a client had a Vizsla named Carlos who would display acute waxing and waning neurologic symptoms. These symptoms included appearing dull, having an unsteady gait and becoming easily agitated. Multiple veterinarians had examined the dog for these issues. One evening he staggered into my emergency room and was acting like he was seeing pink elephants. His owner was so upset, this was the fourth time this had happened to Carlos. He had already done a significant work up with all the tests returning normal. The owner came in ready to spend thousands for a neurology consult with an MRI and cerebral spinal fluid tap…and I was going to get to be his wallet’s savior.

I prepared for the talk, this involves making sure I don’t have an excess of dog hair or concerning stains overtly visible, it’s not a lot of prep. I then asked the owner if there was any way that Carlos could have gotten into any marijuana products… Que the eye bulge and stutter. He said he didn’t have that in his house but then his eyes really bulged, and he pulled out his cell phone. Let’s just say the phone call ended with a teenager in a lot of trouble. Dad had quickly deduced that every time Carlos exited his son’s room he went straight to the kitchen for a bag of cheesy poofs.

Dogs have always found a way to get into trouble but with the expansion of recreational marijuana, we have seen an increase in THC toxicity. Our pets can develop toxicity via inhalation of second-hand smoke, ingestion of the flower or leaves, ingestion of all the amazing (medically speaking) edibles on the market or chewing on vape pens. With the genetic modification of the various strains of cannabis it can take minimal exposure for toxicity to occur. Most owners do a respectable job of securing their products, but accidents happen. Most commonly we’ll see symptoms in dogs, but cats are just as susceptible.

Common symptoms of THC toxicity include: a dazed presentation when not stimulated, a staggering gait, dribbling urine, dilated pupils, vomiting, hypersensitivity to stimulation or progressive depression. Rarely severe cases can progress to seizures, coma or death…very rarely. I tell people, it is hard to kill any species with marijuana… and that’s true, but it does happen.

If you find your furry friend in this situation, please just be straight forward with your veterinarian. We’re hip; We’re with it. Just kidding, we’re nerds who studied really hard to become vets, but your honesty will save us a bunch of time and save you money.

Treatment depends on the amount ingested, time of ingestion and severity of clinical symptoms. In mild cases often we’re able to provide an anti-nausea medication and instructions for at home snuggles while watching such classics as Dazed and Confused or Friday. In more severe cases, hospitalization with use of intralipids, a fat emulsion that is injected into the blood stream, which binds THC, is recommended. This stuff is magical and will fix most pups in 4-9 hours depending on their age. I know that sounds oddly specific, but these are the rare gems of knowledge that years of ER gain you. Although hospitalization can sound intimidating, most pets are able to go home the next day.

Overall, the prognosis for THC toxicity is good. Most patients require minimal intervention, but care should be pursued if you know exposure has occurred. After all, none of these animals got high on purpose…. Well, except maybe Carlos, the jury is still out on that guy. Happy March and may you have the luck of the Irish!