Dog Eats Edibles With 100mg of THC—'Already High' When They Reach Vet

Newsweek
Tue, Aug 27
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A 4-year-old Labrador and American bulldog mix named Tiki had a close call after consuming around 100mg of THC from her owner's stash of gummies.

Dr. Molly Brinkmann, a veterinarian and medical director of a small animal practice in Franklin, Tennessee, shared what happened when Tiki came into the clinic in a video on TikTok with 1.8 million views. Alongside the video she revealed that the dog was "already high" when she arrived for treatment.

"She got into a bag of THC gummies in her owner's home and ate approximately 10 of them," Dr. Brinkmann told Newsweek, explaining that each one contained around 10mg of THC. "We were able to induce vomiting within 90 minutes, so she only absorbed some of the THC. She definitely experienced some effects of the drugs but nothing dangerous, thankfully."

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Brinkmann explained that instances of THC ingestion in pets are becoming more common. "We see about one case per month in our practice. Local emergency clinics see even more," Brinkmann said.

Over the past six years 24/7 poison control center Pet Poison Helpline reported a 448 percent increase in marijuana cases reported to the helpline.

In dogs, THC can lead to cannabis toxicosis, which if untreated can lead to seizures, changes in heart rate and even coma.

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Thankfully after the induced vomiting, Tiki was completely fine. In a series of comments on the viral video, people shared their reactions.

"My cocker spaniel accidentally ate a small piece of a pot cookie. He's a mean high. Kept snapping at me when I moved him," viewer Dianne said.

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While viewer Shelbz wrote: "My husky got into some a few years ago, but I didn't know it, I thought he was dying."

"I shouldn't be laughing this hard, omg," said Deanne.

Brinkmann also highlighted the potential risks if the gummies had contained xylitol, a sweetener toxic to dogs. Fortunately, Tiki's gummies did not have xylitol, but the incident still served as a critical reminder. "It's important for pet parents to keep any drugs, prescription and even over-the-counter medications out of reach of their pets," she warned.

The vet also urged pet owners to act quickly if they suspect their pet has ingested something harmful

"Call your vet right away, have the packaging on hand, and be upfront about what was ingested. We do not care that there is weed in your house," she said.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

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