In New York City, even dogs are getting high

In New York City, not only humans, but dogs are also getting high. A rise in the intake of cannabis after the city legalised adult recreational use of the drug in 2021 has led to more dogs accidentally eating dropped marijuana products on streets and getting hospitalised.

According to the New York Times (NYT) newspaper, veterinarians are witnessing several cases a week, which was once a case per month.

Several pet owners say that their dogs are running into more dropped cannabis on the streetsduring walks. Though most dogs recover, the symptoms from consuming cannabis have petrified pet lovers.

Among the most common symptoms found in dogs are: loss of balance and difficulty walking, nausea, sleepiness and hallucinations.

Adding further problem is that some owners don’t even realise for days that their dogs had chewed on a joint while out on a walk.

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“It’s always been a little bit of a problem, but as of late, we are seeing a rise in cases now that marijuana has been legalized here (New York)”, Dr Gabrielle Fadl, director of primary care at Bond Vet, told NYT.

So far, there is no official estimate as to how many dogs had to get medical help, but NYT estimates the numbers to be significant enough to send alarm bells to authorities.

Worryingly, the trend is not only limited to New York City, similar situations have been witnessed in other states as well, most prominently in California.

According to the estimates, in the past six years, there’s been over 400 per cent rise in calls about marijuana poisoning to the Pet Poison Helpline, a 24-hour animal poison control centre —most reported in New York and California.

Last year, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Animal Poison Control hotline received nearly 7,000 calls for marijuana toxicity, an 11 per cent increase from the previous year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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