Dog suffered possible cannabis overdose, owner says

As cannabis is set to be legalized Wednesday, an Ottawa woman is warning people to be more aware of where they leave their drugsafter her dog fell ill after a recentwalk.

Margaret Gale-Rowe and her husband took their two-year-old golden retrieverAnnieout for a late afternoon walk near their Manotick home on Sunday, Oct. 7.

At one point, Annie started sniffing the grass and ate something small, Gale-Rowe said, without either of themseeing what it was.

About anhour later, Gale-Rowe said, the normally boisterous and happy dog was unusually calm, lethargic and could barely sit up straight.

"She was swaying back and forth like she was going to fall over," said Gale-Rowe.

Even when Annie lay down, Gale-Rowe said, she didn't seem to notice her ear in the water bowl.

"It's just really distressing when you see a really beloved family pet, who relies on you, and she was obviously so confused," she said.

"It was really, really difficult for all of us."

Tarry substance

Annie got progressively worse and was taken to aveterinary hospital, Gale-Rowe said. She was told the symptoms appeared to be a classic example of a pet having ingested cannabis.

Annie was monitored and eventually recovered.

A few days later, Gale-Rowe's husband walked by where Annie had eaten something off the ground and found a tarry substance about the size of a marshmallow with plant material in it.

He then pickedup the substance with a bag and handed it over topolice for testing. The couple hassince sent a letter to Mayor Jim Watson and their councillor Scott Moffatt, and have also been warning neighbours.

Gale-Rowewants people to be more aware of where they keep or discard their cannabis products. She also wants tomake surepet owners know cannabis poisoning is a real concern.

"I felt really guilty because I felt that I didn't keep a close enough watch on what [Annie] was doing but I mean, she was right beside me on a short leash."

Cannabis pet poisonings rising

Last week, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association issued an advisory to pet owners about what happens when their pet ingests cannabis.

The association saidmost common reactions include dilated pupils, fast or slow heart rates, wobbling or agitation and sleepiness.But seizures, comas and evendeathcan occur in dogs that consume high amounts of the drug.

The association also pointed out that Colorado had seen a four-fold increase in the number of dogs poisoned by cannabis since it was legalized therein 2014.

"They don't need to ingest much of the edibles or much of the dry product at all in order for them to become affected by it," said Dr. Janice Huntingford, a veterinarian in southern Ontario who's also part ofthe American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.

She said dogs have more cannabinoid receptors than any other species on earth and are severely affected by cannabis so much so that even second-hand smoke can be toxic.

Even before legalization, some hospitals are seeing a few cases each week of dogs who've overdosed, she said.

Cats can also be affected by cannabis, Huntingford said, but they tend to be much pickier eaters.

As for Gale-Rowe, she's thankful Annie is back to her bouncy self but remainsworried a similar incident could happen to her dog or someone else's.

"It could happen any time, anywhere, to anyone," she said.