Beware of discarded roaches, they can poison your dog: BC SPCA
With the warmer weather, people cooped up by the COVID-19 pandemic are getting outside more often and a side effect can be dog getting access to discarded roaches. And according to the BC SPCA, consuming cannabis can be deadly for dogs.
Shelley Wood, who lives in the Kelowna area, said her dog become sick several times after picking up roaches from cannabis joints.
“On two occasions he must have ingested more than the butt of a joint because he had quite a severe reaction,” Wood says in a BC SPCA media release. “Vomiting, losing control of his legs, stumbling, and having what seemed like tiny involuntary seizures.”
Smaller dogs are more likely to get sick from eating cannabis.
READ MORE: Unexpected pandemic side effect: THC poisoning in dogs
Its smell can be irresistible to some dogs.
“Marijuana can be lethal for dogs when a large amount has been ingested,” the news release reads. “Reports show that dogs have a larger number of cannabinoid receptors in their brain compared to humans and therefore may be more sensitive to the toxic effects of THC than humans.”
Symptoms can hit anywhere from five minutes to 12 hours. In the worst cases, they can last for days.
Those symptoms can include lethargy, dilated pupils or glassed over eyes, loss of balance, whining, breathing problems, agitated behaviour, excessive drooling, vomiting, urinary incontinence, changes in blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, body temperature getting too high or low, seizures or coma
If the dog does get sick from eating cannabis, it’s important to call a vet right away, the SPCA said.
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