Pubdate: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 Source: USA Today (US) Copyright: 2014 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc Contact: http://mapinc.org/url/625HdBMl Website: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/466 Author: Trevor Hughes Page: 3A VETERINARIANS ASK OWNERS TO KEEP THEIR DOGS OFF GRASS Accidental Ingestion of Pot a Growing Issue Residents of Colorado and Washington state aren't the only ones getting high on legal marijuana: So are their four-legged friends. The states' decision to legalize recreational pot is driving an increase in the number of dogs scarfing down marijuana-infused cookies, brownies and butters. Unlike humans who can metabolize marijuana in a few hours, dogs feel the effects far longer. The sight of a glassy-eyed dog sprawled on the floor or stumbling around frightens pet owners, veterinarians say. "We see dogs stoned out of their minds for days. They're a mess," said Tim Hackett, director of the Colorado State University veterinary teaching hospital. "The pot goes in cookies and butters. Dogs love that stuff, and they won't eat just one." Hackett collaborated on a study tracking the rise of marijuana "intoxication" in dogs and found there was a strong correlation between pot availability and animal overdoses in Colorado after the state legalized medical marijuana in 2000. He and veterinarian Kevin Fitzgerald, of Animal Planet's Emergency Vets, say the state's decision to legalize recreational sales on Jan. 1, 2014, likely will drive another increase. Marijuana "edibles" such as cookies or candies are a popular alternative to smoking pot, in part because they're discreet and seen as healthier. But while pets generally won't eat marijuana plants, they're all-too-happy to eat baked goods if they aren't put away properly. The marijuana itself isn't particularly harmful to dogs, Hackett said, but any dog that eats a pound of butter will get sick and could die. A stoned dog also can't vomit or breathe well, he said. "The dogs are terrified," said Fitzgerald, a practicing veterinarian at VCA Alameda East Veterinary Hospital in Denver for nearly 30 years. Treatment for stoned dogs can include an IV to replace lost fluids, said Chynel Dobbs, 26, a veterinary technician with Animal Critical Care and Emergency Services in suburban Denver. She said many owners deny there was pot in the house until vets recommend expensive tests to rule out more exotic causes. That's when they come clean, she said. One evening earlier this year, Ashley Korman's 13-year-old Lab mix started acting funny. "It looked like he was having a stroke. He was stumbling. ... He couldn't walk. He fell over. His eyes were glazed," she said. "It was obviously a very frantic ride to the vet's." The vet diagnosed Pugsley with marijuana poisoning despite Korman's insistence there was no way he could have gotten into a basement dresser, nosed under some clothes and removed a heavy-duty plastic bag containing marijuana-infused snack mix. But returning home, Korman found the bag beneath her bed. It was an expensive lesson: $3,000 for the emergency visit and tests. Korman now keeps marijuana products inside a lockbox. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom