Since the legalization of marijuana in California, cases of pets accidentally eating pot have jumped 130 percent, and now that marijuana is legal in Michigan your pet is more at risk.
One pet owner's story after his dog ingested pot revealed warning signs to watch out for so you can protect your pet.
When you take Fido to his favorite dog park, the last thing you’re worried about is him finding pot and eating it. That is what happened to a California man and he had no idea until his dog started acting really strange.
Two-year-old Bosco loves his treats and just about anything else this bully-pit’s mouth can reach.
“He's a vacuum, yeah, he’s eaten some weird stuff,” said Bosco’s owner Mark Groveman.
Groveman walked Bosco in the off-leash area at his local dog park.
After they went home, Groveman put Bosco in the house and he headed out. When he returned home hours later, he noticed something was seriously wrong.
“He was laying on the bed, really, like, scared (and) shivering," Groveman said. "He had wet the bed a couple times."
Immediately, Groveman put Bosco in his car and rushed him to the vet. After a quick diagnosis, the vet said Bosco likely ingested marijuana.
“He was nodding off," Groveman said. "I honestly thought he was going to die. A lot of panic, some praying as well."
We went to DePorre Veterinary Hospital in Bloomfield Hills to see what the experts would say.
“The main clinical signs we typically see are G. I., signs like vomiting and diarrhea,” said Dr. Thomas Dehundt. “Dogs that are extremely lethargic or atoxic.”
Dr. Dehundt says trust your instincts, you know your pet best. Watch for abnormal behavior.
So what should you do if your pet ingests marijuana? Dr. Dehundt says get your pet to the vet immediately.
Many times, inducing vomiting is the best solution and then observation until the effects wear off. Dehundt says in most cases this is not life-threatening, but leave the care to your vet so they can monitor their vitals.
As for Bosco, tests later confirmed he did ingest and fortunately he was back to his normal self 24 hours later.
