GRAFTON, MASS. (WHDH) - It is no secret that dogs and cats like to get into their owner’s snacks, but now that some snacks may contain marijuana, veterinarians say they are concerned.
Veterinarian Liz Rozanski at Foster Hospital for small animals at Tufts University says now that marijuana is legal more pets have been getting into marijuana brownies and ending up in her emergency room.
“We see a lot of pets, often one or two a day, maybe a few more on the weekends, who have gotten into marijuana,” Rozanski says.
She says that dogs more so than cats are more likely to eat edibles because the pot-laced treats taste just like plain snacks.
“They tend to be more non-selective in what they eat,” Rozanski says.
Pot will not kill pets but when ingested it can lead to other, serious problems.
In severe cases Rozanski says, dogs can be rendered nearly unconscious or develop pneumonia.
Many concerned pet owners say they will be more careful with their recreational and medicinal drugs.
“I treat my dog like he is my kid,” Janine Palmieri says. “So you keep it away from them just like I would keep it away from my kids.”
A national pet poison hotline has seen a jump in marijuana-related calls over the last six years, skyrocketing more than 400 percent.
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