If your dog or cat ate cannabis, call your vet or a pet poison hotline before you do anything else. Most pets survive THC exposure with supportive care, but they can get very sick, and the stuff mixed in with the THC, like chocolate, xylitol, raisins, or a half stick of butter, is sometimes the bigger threat. Do not wait for symptoms to show up before you pick up the phone.
my dog ate cannabis what to do
Signs of cannabis poisoning in pets
Signs usually start 30 to 60 minutes after a pet eats plant material or breathes in smoke. Edibles run slower, often 1 to 4 hours, and a fatty baked good can slow the stomach down enough to stretch that further. The single most common sign reported to poison hotlines is lethargy, the kind where the pet is flat out and hard to rouse.
my dog ate cannabis what to do
- Wobbling, stumbling, or a wide, stiff stance
- Vomiting, drooling, or lip smacking
- Dribbling urine or leaking without seeming to notice
- Dilated pupils, squinting, or staring at nothing
- Head tremors, twitching, or startling at normal noise and touch
- Slow heart rate and a lower than normal body temperature
- In severe cases, seizures, slow breathing, or coma
What to have ready when you call
A phone call goes much faster when you already have answers. I keep these on hand in my head before dialing.
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- Your pet's weight and age, and any medications or health problems
- What was eaten: flower, edible, oil, concentrate, or a vape cartridge
- How much THC per serving and how many servings went missing
- Roughly when it happened, even if it was hours ago
- Every other ingredient in the product, especially chocolate, xylitol, raisins, macadamia nuts, or alcohol
- The signs you are seeing right now
Save the packaging. The label is the fastest way for the vet to judge the dose.
What treatment looks like
If the pet arrives within an hour or two and is stable, the vet may induce vomiting and then give activated charcoal to bind what is left in the gut. Never do either of those at home. After that, most of the care is supportive: IV fluids, anti nausea medication, warming blankets, oxygen if breathing is slow, and quiet monitoring. Tremors sometimes need medication of their own. Many pets go home within 12 to 72 hours, longer when an edible was involved.
Why edibles worry vets more
A single recreational edible can hold 100 mg of THC or more, which is a large dose for a 20 pound dog. Chocolate brings theobromine and caffeine. Xylitol, common in sugar free gummies and mints, can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar and liver injury at small doses. Raisins can trigger kidney failure. A high fat cookie or brownie can set off pancreatitis on top of everything else. That is why the vet may treat your pet for more than one poisoning at once.
Things not to do
- Do not induce vomiting at home. It can cause aspiration and it is not safe with every product.
- Do not give coffee, stimulants, or human medications to perk a pet up.
- Do not pour activated charcoal into your pet's mouth.
- Do not assume a CBD product is harmless. Some contain THC, and many contain other ingredients.
- Do not let a wobbly pet sleep it off near stairs, on a bed, or anywhere it could fall.
If you cannot reach your own vet
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center and Pet Poison Helpline both run 24 hour phone lines staffed by veterinarians and toxicologists. There is a consultation fee, and it is worth paying when the alternative is guessing. They will talk directly with your vet if you want.
Watching at home afterward
Once your pet is discharged, offer water in small amounts and a bland meal when the vet says it is fine. Expect some lingering wobble and sleepiness for a day or two, and keep the house calm. Call back if vomiting returns, if your pet will not eat or drink, if breathing looks fast or shallow, or if the wobble gets worse instead of better. Keep your stash in a locked cabinet from now on. Pets get into this stuff because it smells like a treat, not because they went looking for it.