Do Dogs Get High? The Effects and Dangers of Marijuana

In this guide

With cannabis use, in various forms, becoming more visible in urban India, marijuana ingestion is turning up more often in vet clinics than it used to. Dogs process THC very differently from humans, and what might be a mellow evening for a person can be a genuinely distressing, disorienting experience for a dog.

Why dogs react so strongly

Dogs have a much higher concentration of cannabinoid receptors in their brains than humans do, which makes them considerably more sensitive to THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis. A dose that a person would barely notice can leave a dog profoundly wobbly, disoriented and distressed.

How dogs are commonly exposed

• Eating the plant material directly, including leaves, stems, seeds or buds
• Eating edibles, which is especially risky since these often also contain chocolate, butter or sugar, adding a second toxin on top of the THC
• Inhaling secondhand smoke in an enclosed space
• Chewing on or eating discarded joints or hashish

Symptoms of marijuana toxicity

Signs typically begin within thirty minutes to a few hours of exposure.

• Wobbliness, disorientation and lack of coordination, the most common and recognisable sign
• Dribbling urine
• A slower than normal heart rate
• Dilated pupils and apparent sensitivity to light or sound
• Lethargy alternating with agitation
• Excessive drooling
• Vomiting
• In severe cases, tremors, very low body temperature or, rarely, coma

How serious it is

Marijuana toxicity in dogs is rarely fatal on its own, and most dogs recover fully within a day or two with supportive care. That said, it should never be treated casually. Symptoms can be genuinely distressing for the dog, edibles often carry additional toxins like chocolate, and in a small number of cases dogs need hospitalisation for severe disorientation, very low body temperature or heart rate.

What to do

If you know or suspect your dog has got into marijuana in any form, contact your vet and be honest about what happened, however awkward that feels. Vets are focused entirely on treating the dog and are not interested in reporting pet owners, and withholding information only slows down an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Mild cases can often be monitored at home under a vet's guidance, while more significant exposures may need intravenous fluids and monitoring at a clinic.

Article content © S Vejay Anand. All rights reserved.