The Accidental Stoner

The other night, my youngest daughter called. She and her dog, Nikki, were visiting her boyfriend at his house when it suddenly seemed like Nikki was having a medical emergency. 

According to my daughter, Nikki was having trouble with her balance and walking with her hind legs, was drooling, one side of her face was drooping, and she was peeing on the floor (she was housebroken and would not do this if she was OK). It sounded like Nikki was having a stroke.

Nikki is an elderly (11 year old) beagle mix that my daughter adopted from a shelter in Quebec when she lived in Newport. She is very social and friendly (unless you happen to be a mailman or a squirrel) and is loved by everyone who meets her (with the exception of Becca's cat).

My wife advised my daughter to take Nikki to the emergency veterinary center nearby, which is open around the clock, and that we would meet her there.

When we arrived and went into the exam room, Becca and her boyfriend were there with Nikki. Nikki was definitely unsteady, had trouble standing or walking, and looked up at me with eyes that were definitely unfocused. The Vet came in and examined her. She said that the symptoms, although they could be from a stroke, were classic for marijuana, and that this should be ruled out before getting into more expensive testing. 

Holding an emesis basin under her obtained a urine specimen, which was sent for a drug screen. A few minutes later, the Vet came back and announced, "The drug screen is positive; she's wasted.".

My daughter's boyfriend shares a house with several friends. Somehow, a small amount of marijuana ended up on the floor. Nikki likes to lick the floor, because people eat snacks and crumbs fall on the floor. Apparently, this is how she ingested the marijuana.

The Vet pointed out that dogs ingesting marijuana is a fairly common occurrence at the emergency center. She also spoke about other things that dogs could not tolerate. I already knew about chocolate, but she also mentioned cookie dough, onions, and grapes.

Anyway, Nikki was given fluids and charcoal, and sent home to rest and recover. The car ride was unusually quiet. She loves rides in the car, and is usually bouncing all over, looking out multiple different windows so she doesn't miss anything. This time, she laid quietly on the seat, cuddled up against me. 

The next day, Nikki was pretty much back to normal. Going forward, hopefully the floors at the boyfriend's house will get a little more frequent attention from a vacuum cleaner. While I am hopeful that the experience would change Nikki's habits, it appears not; she is licking the floor as I am typing this.