Recreational marijuana is now legal in Kansas City, but just like open cigarettes, even a discarded blunt wrapper can be eaten by pets and cause trouble. It’s planting season, which is why some area vets are reminding people of some of the dangers to growing pets. “They can dig up the bulbs of some tulips and other flowers like those, and those can be toxic,” said Good Vets DVM Julie Bradford. She adds that wild mushrooms can also be a problem. Now, there is a new potential plant threat, marijuana. “Marijuana just has a different effect on dogs than it does on people. They have more receptors for cannabis compounds in their brains than we do,” Bradford said. That means dogs can eat leftovers or spilled joints and still cause trouble. “So when they eat even a small amount of marijuana, it can really have profound effects,” Bradford said. Sudden urination, vomiting, and drowsiness may be the most severe symptoms. “Tremors, they may be disoriented, uncoordinated, they could have an increasingly wild appearance because their pupils are dilated,” Bradford said. Another problem is edibles, which can attract pets with their sweetness. While there have been several cases in the Northeast, the doctor says they haven’t seen much of that yet in the Kansas City area Right now the biggest concerns for pets are rat poison and other pest poisons used during the summer season. The doctor says, luckily, marijuana toxicity is not fatal in most dogs, but they still need to be seen by a vet after ingesting it.
Recreational marijuana is now legal in Kansas City, but just like open cigarettes, even a discarded blunt wrapper can be eaten by pets and cause trouble.
It’s planting season, which is why some area vets are reminding people of some of the dangers to growing pets.
“They can dig up the bulbs of some tulips and other flowers like those, and those can be toxic,” said Good Vets DVM Julie Bradford.
He adds that wild mushrooms can also be a problem. Now, there is a new potential plant threat, marijuana.
“Marijuana just has a different effect on dogs than it does on people. They have more receptors for cannabis compounds in their brains than we do,” Bradford said.
That means dogs can eat leftovers or spilled blunts and still cause trouble.
“So when they eat even a small amount of marijuana, it can really have profound effects,” Bradford said.
Sudden urination, vomiting, and sleepiness may be the most serious symptoms.
“Wobble, they can be disoriented, uncoordinated, they can just have a wild look at magnification because their pupils are dilated,” Bradford said.
Another problem is edibles, which can attract pets with their sweetness.
While there have been several cases in the Northeast, the doctor says they haven’t seen much of it in the Kansas City area yet.
Right now, the biggest concerns for pets are rat poison and other pest poisons used during the summer season.
The doctor says that luckily marijuana toxicity is not fatal in most dogs, but they still need to be seen by a vet after ingesting it.