How toxic is Marijuana and THC to dogs?
How toxic is marijuana, cannabis and THC to dogs?
How toxic is Marijuana and THC to dogs? In many parts of the world marijuana and cannabis-related products such as THC are now legal for human use. The problem is that vets are now advising more and more on the toxicity caused when dogs find these things about the house and eat them. They can take the form of marijuana brownies, and THC edibles and gummies as well as the more convention marijuana cigarettes.
Well thankfully unless very large amounts have been swallowed then usually things are not so bad. You see the situation is that marijuana { And cannabis-based products like THC } are actually not that poisonous to dogs.
While there are no guarantees, in my experience the vast majority of dogs exposed to marijuana fully recover within 24 hours without any treatment. And I myself have never experienced a death in a dog from these substances.
However, some dogs which took a large dose would experience very bad symptoms and these are best hospitalised by a vet for intensive care with IV fluids etc.
What are the toxic levels for marijuana, cannabis and THC in dogs.
As I said these products are not as serious to dogs as you might think. In fact, it takes about 1.5 grams of marijuana per pound of body weight to cause death. This is grams, not mg, and there are 1000 mg in a gram.
So you can see that even a small dog is not going to be in much danger from the 50 to 100 mg found in the average edible, gummy or brownie.
What symptoms might you expect when dog eats marijuana, cannabis or THC.
Where smaller amounts of these substances have been swallowed then minor symptoms such as lethargy, incoordination and vomiting are common. Where larger amounts have been swallowed then the dog may well become comatose.
How do you treat marijuana, cannabis or THC toxicity in dogs.
If the dog ate the marijuana sometime over the last hour or so and no significant symptoms have set in then it would be a good course of action to induce vomiting and recover drug. For the sake of speed, I will give you a link which covers how to do this best. LINK
But do not try and induce vomiting were adverse symptoms have already started since there would be dangers such as the dog inhaling the vomit.
If a dog ate a few edibles or gummies, say a marijuana brownie and you did not induce vomiting then in it then it is generally safe to just sit things out monitor your dog. Sure the dog may vomit, and may be unsteady on his or her feet and may also be lethargic and spaced out. But almost all of these dogs will gradually recover over a 24 hour period as the drugs gradually drain from the dog’s system.
Basically, if the dog can be roused and is aware of what is going on then things will probably be OK. However, where larger amounts were swallowed if you cannot rouse your dog and it is heading to being unconscious then that is the time to call an ER vet.
Please follow this link for more information on marijuana toxicity in the dog: LINK