Cannabis pet poisoning on the rise

Pets ingesting cannabis is a growing hazard, according to the UK’s only emergency animal poison centre.

The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), which runs separate helplines for vets and pet owners, reported a 42 per cent increase in drug-related calls last year, with cannabis and nicotine implicated in the greatest number of suspected poisonings.

The animal poison specialist receives around one enquiry a day relating to illegal drugs and nicotine products, an increase of 87 per cent since 2021. The vast majority of incidents involve dogs.

Widespread problem

VPIS Head of Service Dr Nicola Robinson cited cannabis as a growing problem. She observed: “It’s amazing how many pets get it in a public place – in an alleyway, a public park or even in quite rural places like the woods.”

Dog insurer Waggel, which has seen a rise in claims for cannabis poisoning since 2021, said: “Highly food-motivated breeds like labradors, golden retrievers and beagles are most at risk.”

In July, a black Labrador called Tokyo was rescued from Ben Nevis after digesting discarded cannabis. An emergency vet contacted VPIS, which confirmed the symptoms as being consistent with cannabis poisoning.

When the dog’s owner, Christina Bluhme, shared her story on ITV’s This Morning, she received hundreds of messages from viewers reporting similar experiences. She said: “It’s opened my eyes to a problem that’s just crazy.”

‘Damaging the environment’

In the Canadian city of Prince George, British Columbia, volunteers with the Good Caws Rescue Society carry naloxone — a drug used to reverse an opioid overdose — to treat sick birds exposed to illegal drugs.

Volunteer Dayna Slater said the group had already dealt with at least a dozen cases among crows this year, with most recovering. She explained: “Their wings are spread out, their eyes are closed, their heartbeat slows right down. They’re unresponsive but alive.”

She added: “They live side-by-side with us. They’re in our garbage, they’re in our yards. They’re a direct mirror of the environment that we are living in.”

Local vet Dr Kaitlyn Liukaitis, who has treated some of the birds, confirmed that their symptoms point to contact with toxic drugs. She said that it was “frustrating that, as a human population, we’re so damaging to the environment”.