Finding out that your pooch ate your stash is probably an instant buzz kill. However, what should worry you more is the health of your dog. Knowing how to get a dog unstoned can be crucial in such moments.
Don’t worry, even though your pup ate your pot brownie, he’ll probably be okay. Still, marijuana ingestion can be tough on canines, and this isn’t something that should happen.
Unlike you, cannabis can make your canine feel quite terrible, and you may even have to visit a vet.
Since the properties of marijuana in certain cases are beneficial for humans, for your animal, even medical marijuana seed plants can adversely affect the health of your dog.
Before that, you should take some steps to make your dog feel better. So, what marijuana does to dogs, and how to get a dog unstoned?
Is Marijuana Good for Dogs?
Marijuana is largely considered human-safe and more and more countries are making it legal. However, not all species have the same reaction to it.
When it comes to dogs, marijuana can be quite toxic in any shape or form. Anything with a high amount of THC is dangerous for canines, and this includes:
- Raw plant material
- BHO
- Edibles
- Wax
Before you learn how to get a dog unstoned, you have to understand what THC does to dogs. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main active ingredient, or cannabinoid, in marijuana.
THC is responsible for getting you baked, or rather, for turning on the psychoactive effects of weed on our brains.
But, do dogs have cannabinoid receptors at all?
Studies have shown they have many more receptors than humans. [1]
No, this doesn’t mean they’ll feel much better after consuming it. On the contrary. This makes dogs more susceptible to the many toxic effects compared to humans.
In other words, your dog won’t enjoy getting high the same way you would. Quite the opposite, they’ll end up feeling rather sick.
If you wonder ‘What are the symptoms for my dog got high’, here are some of the most common ones:
- Twitching or muscle tremor
- Slow heart rate
- Lethargy
- Involuntary urination
- Hypothermia
- Hypersensitivity to stimuli
- Hyperactivity
- Drowsiness
- Disorientation
- Dilated pupils
- Coma
Another important thing to consider is the length of the effects of cannabis. While weed won’t affect you for longer than a few hours, it will affect dogs for quite a long time.
Sometimes, the symptoms can even last for a few days. During all this time, your dog will feel unpleasant and scared.
Keep in mind that not all cannabinoids that weed contains are harmful to your pets. One of the known beneficial cannabinoids is Cannabidiol, also known as CBD.
CBD has many proven health benefits and a lot of owners give it to their dogs.
This can sometimes help with conditions such as pet anxiety, arthritis, and epilepsy. Note that CBD oil and similar beneficial extracts contain little to no THC.
Can Dogs Die from Weed?
THC affects the brain’s cortex, but not the brain stem. The latter is the part of the brain responsible for keeping you alive.
Because of this, most experts believe that marijuana can’t kill you, even if you take it in high doses. However, when it comes to dogs, some professionals disagree.
A 2012 Colorado study showed that two out of 125 dogs died after eating THC butter. [2]
Both dogs were of smaller breeds, so dog size is thought to matter.
Still, killing a dog with THC isn’t a likely scenario. The fatal THC dose for a medium-sized dog is around 45 lbs of activated marijuana. Chances are your dog won’t eat that much.
A more likely scenario would be for a dog to lose control of his normal bodily functions and hurt himself. A few owners who reported that “My dog ate an edible” had their dog choke on his own saliva.
In fact, something similar even happened in the aforementioned Colorado study. The two dogs in question got asphyxiated after vomiting.
So, don’t worry. Your pup will most likely be fine after the effects of marijuana wear off. Knowing how to get a dog unstoned is still very helpful.
No one should want their dog to be in pain for longer than necessary.
What to Do if Your Dog Gets High?
Sadly, there isn’t much you can do when it comes to “how to get a dog unstoned” to make the effects of weed on your dog go away faster. In fact, probably the best thing you can do is get him to the vet as soon as possible.
If he only had a nibble and you don’t feel like risking it, let your dog sleep. This is the best way to make everything as comfortable as possible.
Give him food, as this might help to reduce the effects of THC. Make sure to monitor him all the time, as you don’t want to risk him getting twitches and hurting himself.
Also, record any possible symptoms he may have. In case his condition worsens, this information can be of crucial value for your dog.
Don’t force your dog to vomit and don’t leave him with water or food bowls unattended!
As we’ve already mentioned, dogs who are high can choke on their own water or even saliva. And especially don’t attempt to make him do anything funny.
Dogs who are high are likely scared of uncomfortable new sensations they are experiencing. What’s funny for you might be terrifying for your Fido.
My Dog Ate a Joint, What Will the Vet Do?
Once you take your dog to the vet, the first thing that’ll happen is they’ll take you to the exam room. There, they’ll ask you about what happened. Don’t ever lie to your vet.
Let him know what he ate, how much of it, and when. Then, the vet will check your dog’s vitals, to ensure everything is fine.
There is no antidote or treatment for THC poisoning. Most of the things your vet does will be supportive.
If you let him know that “My dog ate brownies half an hour ago,” they’ll probably try to induce vomiting. This will prevent your dog’s body from absorbing more THC than it has.
Note that this is done in a controlling environment, and your dog isn’t at risk of choking himself. Also, the vet might give him activated charcoal, as it can neutralize a small amount of THC.
Many vets will ask for your dog to stay overnight, just to make sure he’ll be fine. If they set up an IV line, don’t worry.
This is just to administer fluids and prevent him from developing other symptoms.
You have to always let your vet know what happened. If you don’t admit to them that your dog ate your weed, they might use a urine test kit.
As there are no urine test kits made specifically for dogs, they’ll use a human one.
These tests aren’t as precise when used on dogs, so a false negative might appear. Even if you think this is good news for you, it might be terrible news for your four-legged friend.
The vet might end up using the wrong treatment because they don’t have all the information.
Will the Vet Report Me to the Police?
Most veterinarians don’t really care too much about the owners. Their priority is to keep the dog healthy and to help him if he is in pain.
So, while it is possible that a vet might report you to the authorities, the chances for this are slim. However, expect him to lecture you – rightfully so – about the way you store your stash.
In other words, you don’t have to worry about the vet reporting you to the police. It’s safe to tell them everything that happened, so your dog can feel better as quickly as possible.
How to Help a Stoned Dog?
While there is no way how to get a dog unstoned, you can comfort him once you are back home. Chances are this will be before the effects of THC have worn off entirely.
The vet will likely give you some discharge instructions that you need to follow. This will depend on the case, so we can’t tell you what these might be.
However, there are some things that you can do to keep the dog calm. Here’s what you may want to try:
- Hang out a bit with your pup in a dim room, without too many lights.
- Keep him somewhere he can’t see the outdoors, as he might get overly excited about the local street cat.
- Cuddle with your pooch and give him lots of physical contacts – unless this would be an unusual interaction for him.
- Apply light pressure or gently rub the tips of his ears.
- Brush him, if this is something he enjoys.
- Feed him a bit of boiled chicken and white rice.
Also, ensure you’re doing anything you know will keep your dog comfortable. Dogs who are high will feel scared and stressed out. They need to know you’re with them.
How Do Dogs Who Are Stoned Feel?
Generally, dogs will feel all the good and bad sides of cannabis just like humans.
The biggest difference is, the bad will be quite stronger than the good. You probably already know this isn’t pleasant.
Another important thing to note is that dogs won’t understand why their senses are suddenly sharper.
They’ll just know that sounds are louder and that their ability to focus has changed, and this will scare them. And the worst part of it all is that they can stay like this for longer than 24 hours.
How intense their trip will be, varies on the amount of THC they’ve ingested. In either case, they won’t enjoy it.
They might feel wobbly, which will cause anxiety. For them, this behavior change isn’t pleasant at all.
My Dog Is Acting Stoned But He Didn’t Eat Any Marijuana
If you think your dog is acting stoned, but are certain he never ate any cannabis, don’t wait. Rush to your local vet immediately.
Many symptoms seen in dogs who are high can also be a sign of something much more serious. Brain tumors and stroke are just some of the health conditions that resemble THC poisoning.
Read Also: My Dog Doesn’t Bark – Is There Something Wrong?
Bottom Line
By now, you have probably understood that there isn’t much you can do to help your dog on your own.
If someone tells you they know how to get a dog unstoned, they might only know how to help with the symptoms.
There is no known cure for cannabis poisoning in dogs, and you should take your dog to the vet. Don’t worry; your vet most probably won’t report you to the police.
Your main concern should be the health of your pooch. While THC isn’t likely to kill your companion, he won’t feel pleasant. Never give your dog weed on purpose, and make sure to always hide your stash.
Read Next: Dog Waking Up In The Middle Of The Night
