Marijuana Q & A
September 2014
This article is the second of a 2-part series on marijuana poisoning in pets (See Part 1:
Marijuana Poisoning in Pets).
In this interview,
Ahna Brutlag DVM, MS, DABT, DABVT, associate director of veterinary
services at Pet Poison Helpline (PPH), answers questions for veterinary
professionals seeing patients who are suspected of marijuana or
related drug intoxications.
Has PPH had any calls relating to cats and marijuana toxicity?
Although we are not called about cats getting into marijuana as often as we are about dogs
feline exposures do occur. The majority of our feline cases involve
cats simply ingesting dried buds and plants (cats seem to eat dried
plants as readily as live plants!).
Some of the more interesting cases managed by Pet Poison Helpline
include a cat named “Puff” that snuck into his owner’s purse and stole
her "medibles"—in this case, two small brownies made with
marijuana-infused butter.
Another case involved “Monster,” a giant of a cat that ate ¾ of a
large homemade muffin with marijuana. Thankfully, following veterinary
care, both of these stoned kitties recovered well.
In addition to the possible exposures in part 1, have you noted any cases of marijuana toxicity from e-cigs?
We’ve had these too! The tendency to vaporize ("vape") marijuana
seems to be following the same upward trajectory that e-cigarettes are.
A case related to marijuana and e-cigs was "Salvador," who ingested "spent" marijuana after it had been
vaped. This cat also recovered with veterinary care.
This is resulting in increasing use of "dabs" or "wax," a type of
highly concentrated and solidified hash oil also known as BHO (butane
hash oil).
Compared to the THC concentration of 8-20% in regular marijuana,
these dollops pack a powerful punch with THC concentrations ranging from
70-90%. Unfortunately, it would not take many "dabs" to severely
intoxicate most pets.
For cases of “unknown history,” what clinical signs are hallmarks for marijuana poisoning?
The classic case is a dog that comes in with a dazed expression,
glassy eyes, incoordination, slow response times, and is dribbling
urine. If you couple this with a somewhat sketchy story from the pet
owner, then bingo!
Although pet owners are more upfront about marijuana exposures
today than in years past, I’ve had them tell me that their dogs have
eaten the head of match, cookies," plants that I know won’t produce
these signs, carpet, paper—you name it—in order to avoid telling me that
marijuana might have been involved.
Usually, with a little gentle prodding and an explanation that I
just want to help their pet and assurance that I’m not going to report
them to the authorities, the truth comes out.
What other drugs or plants may mimic the clinical signs of marijuana poisoning?
- Other illicit drugs (LSD, ecstasy, and hallucinogenic mushrooms) may initially look similar to marijuana intoxication.
- Some prescription drugs, such as opioids,
may share some similar signs although many opioid cases will exhibit
more severe cardiac/respiratory depression coupled with miosis
(excessive constriction of the pupil of the eye). Mydriasis (pupillary
dilation) is more common with marijuana. Many of these signs can be reversed with naloxone, which would have no effect on marijuana.
- Benzodiazepines (Valium and Xanax), muscle relaxants, and other depressants can also look similar to marijuana intoxication.
- Non-medical products such as ethylene glycol (antifreeze) may have similar clinical presentations but can be ruled out on the basis of metabolic acidosis and crystalluria.
Related: Antifreeze poisoning
- Some metabolic conditions such as
hypoglycemia of hepatic encephalopathy may also initially mimic the
effects of marijuana, but can be readily differentiated following simple
lab tests.
Do veterinarians have any legal or ethical requirements for reporting drug intoxications?
In general, the key to determining if an event is reportable to
law enforcement, including animal exposures to illicit substances,
hinges on the intent of the pet owner in the given situation. If an
animal was intentionally fed illicit substances or forced to breathe
smoke that someone blows in their face, this constitutes abuse and may
be reported.
Thank you, Dr. Brutlag for your time answering this interview.