Gone to pot: dog owners be aware

Dog owners beware, the initial reaction on discovering that your pet has ingested marijuana might be amusement but it’s actually very serious as Purdey the labrador’s owners, Andrew and Helen found out.

Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not experience the same effects as humans. They do not get high from marijuana but instead the active ingredient, THC, triggers ataxia, which is a form of clumsiness and loss of movement control.

Andrew and Helen were walking Purdey through Parque de la Alameda in Marbella when she started sniffing around under a bench. They thought nothing of it to start with until they noticed that the labrador seemed to have a little trouble walking.

They carried on to Orange Square where they stopped for a coffee. On getting up again from the table they realised that Purdey couldn’t stand and was completely uncoordinated. “My first thought was that she had suffered a stroke”, said Andrew.

Dog eats spliff

Luckily they new a vet nearby, Clinica Veterinaria La Campana, where Dr. Sánchez examined the dog and immediately realised that she had ingested drugs of some sort. Her quick diagnosis meant that Purdey could receive immediate treatment and a few hours later she was ready to go home with the vet confirming from blood tests that she had ingested marijuana, most likely from eating the discarded stub of a spliff.

The vet said she usually sees maybe 2 dogs a year with same problem but this was already the second case this year and for smaller dogs it could be a lot worse and possibly even fatal. Purdey is now doing well and sent a postcard from her recent trip to Istan.