Cannabis and your pets – can they get high?
Lounging around with you in a room smoking cannabis with your pet. Does cannabis smoke make them high? Only if you are smoking endless pipes or joints in a room with little ventilation. But then second-hand smoke from cigarettes is as bad for them as well they have very sensitive lungs. As long as you keep a window open, smoke will not affect your cat or dog. Only your pets don’t get high.
Stealing your stash or edibles
Our pets are curious critters that can steal your stash or edibles if you leave them lying around. Can you imagine your dog stealing cannabis laden brownies or chocolate cake? Does this make them high?
No, animals do not get high on cannabis but it can affect them. Cannabis is a neurologic toxin to pets and affects their nervous system. They do not get high like we do and THC can make them sick. It is not a pleasant experience for your pet.
One day my German shepherd Trubble helped himself to a cake cooling on the bench. He stole and ate a whole chocolate cake laden with pot. Boy did he regret it. He hid under the house depressed for almost a week and refused to come out. Trubble spent those days sleeping and drinking water, and did not eat for several days. But he soon bounced back to his normal cheeky self and lived to an old age of 14. This taught me a lesson to be more careful, I did not want to see animal go through this again.
How cannabis affects your pet
Cannabis is toxic to your pet. It takes only a short time for them to absorb THC into their bloodstream. You will see the effect sometimes straight away or it can take a few hours. There are signs to look for if your pet has gotten into your pot. These include dilated pupils, drooling, unable to walk, seizures, depression and sometime vomiting, diarrhoea and occasionally coma. It depends on how much they take.
It can take several days for the symptoms to fade. This is because THC is stored in the fatty tissue of the kidneys, liver and brain before the body eliminates it from the body.
Take your pet to the vet
When your pet raids your stash, get them to a vet. Be honest about what has happened so your vet knows what to do right away. They are not there to judge you on your cannabis habits. It is all about counteracting the effects of the cannabis.
When you get them to the vet before they absorb too much THC, your vet will induce vomiting. They will also give your pet activated charcoal to absorb the THC. This will stop them from absorbing more into their body.
In more severe cases, your pet may end up in hospital overnight is it needs more support. It may need IV fluids, and blood pressure and heart rate monitoring to support it to recover. In some cases, they may need support breathing and seizures managed. Most pets recover with vet care. Death is extremely rare.
CBD and pets
CBD from cannabis can have benefits for your cat or dog. It can help your pet when it is sick. CBD chills out an anxious animal and alleviates their suffering from any number of ailments. It can alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, even help control seizures. CBD also helps animals fight cancer, assist in inflammatory bowel disease by
restoring the gut and prevent
colitis. When choosing a CBD product for your pet, choose good quality all-natural products from a reputable source. And, make sure you follow the directions for the best results.
Now you know how
cannabis can affect your furry best friend. Be careful not to leave your cannabis or edibles in places curious pets can access them. Keep them well out of harm’s way. You do not want to put your pet through having to recover from the toxins THC introduces into their system.
Also, it is never cool to deliberately feed your animals
cannabis laden treats. It is asking for trouble and will make them sick.