
MILL VALLEY (CBS SF) — A puppy out on a walk in Mill Valley became one of the latest victim of an increasing trend: pets poisoned after ingesting marijuana.
The Marin Independent Journal reported a woman walking her 3 and 1/2 month old puppy had to take on an emergency trip to the vet after getting home. “As we were walking home, I could tell that something was wrong,” Emily Church told the Marin IJ. “Zoe was dragging her nails on the sidewalk, which was really strange … She literally started falling over. “
The puppy tested positive for marijuana, a diagnosis the IJ said is not uncommon in Marin County in the days around the “pot holiday” known as 4/20.
19 states have followed California’s lead in 1996 to legalize medicinal marijuana use while recreational use of marijuana is now legal in Colorado and Washington. The instances of dogs getting cannabis poisoning has increased dramatically as the usage of marijuana and marijuana-infused edibles become more acceptable.
SPCA veterinarian Dr. Lori Green told the San Francisco Chronicle her clinic treats as many as three dogs a week for marijuana toxicity.
UC Davis said its School of Veterinary Medicine treated 27 dogs for marijuana poisoning in 2013, up from just four in 2010, the Chronicle reported.