CNN reports that following a five-year study by vets in Colorado following the legalization of medical marijuana they have seen a staggering rise in the number of “doped up dogs” coming to their clinics.
Previously seeing as few as five cases a year, vets today in Colorado are now seeing nearly four times the number of cases of dogs becoming sick from the ingestion of marijuana, often times as the result of them eating foods laced with marijuana provided by medical dispensaries that was left out for the dog to find.
While most people find it funny to get their dogs intoxicated on marijuana (and a large number of videos on YouTube can verify this) the fact is that it can sometimes have a deadly side effect for the dogs. Colorado vets alone have reported two dog deaths caused by consuming marijuana food products which they assume contained a butter-infused mixture that is significantly more potent than most standard mixtures. Additionally consumption of marijuana can cause dogs to laps into a coma, potentially causing serious damage to them and their bodies.
Though typically not lethal to the animals vets are warning dog owners to refrain from giving their animals drugs as much as possible to avoid potentially damaging or deadly side effects from occurring (even if it is really funny to watch at the time).