BC woman urges dog owners to keep an eye on their pets after husky overdoses on cocaine

Sarah Bell was taking her two-year-old husky Nilak to North 40 Park Reserve in Delta, BC, when she picked up a handkerchief from the ground.

“He swallowed it whole,” Bell said. “So, I wasn’t able to get it out of him.”

He had done this before so he didn’t think much of it, until he started acting strange. Nilak has a condition called portosystemic shunt that affects his liver function, so Bell took him to the vet. Tests revealed that Neelak had consumed and overdosed on cocaine. He recovered after some fluids were injected into his body.

“I was mostly in disbelief and shock and really scared for my dog,” Bell said.

She posted about it on Facebook, and she couldn’t believe how many people said their dogs had also overdosed on street drugs.

“For something like this to happen. And for this to happen in a lot of places, you’re really afraid to take them out for a walk,” Bell said.

Mia Riback knows what it’s like.

A few years ago her previous dog found hashish at a campground in Squamish, BC and she took him to a nearby emergency vet.

“I remember thinking I couldn’t lose my dog ​​and I was crying the whole way,” Riback said.

Two days and $3,000 later, she learned her dog had ingested THC, but he would be OK.

“No one should go there,” he said.

Years ago, Melissa White had a similar experience with a previous dog in the North 40. He was taken to the vet and had apparently consumed cannabis. He has since died of natural causes.

She now takes extra precautions when taking her existing dogs out but knows anything can happen.

White said, “I think you might as well take your chances. The ER vet told me it happens. He sees it often.”

Veterinarians say they are seeing cases of dogs overdosing

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association does not collect data on overdosage of dogs.

Dr. Tracy Fisher, president of the CVMA and a small animal veterinarian in Regina, Sask., says she has seen an increase in cases of dog overdose in her practice. She says her coworkers say they have, too.

“This is a North American issue,” Dr. Fisher said. “It’s really almost everywhere where people are using illegal substances”.

She explains that the sooner you can get your dog to the vet, the better. Especially if they have used opioids like fentanyl.

“If they get to the clinic alive, we probably have a very good chance of saving them because we’re able to give naloxone right away. We’re able to assist with breathing. We’re able to manage those things, able to manage seizures,” Fisher said.

She says owners are always aware when their pets aren’t behaving like they should, and they should be especially concerned if they’ve been out for a walk. They should also alert their veterinarian if their dog has ingested prescription or illegal drugs that are in their home.

“Please tell us,” she said.

The BC Veterinarians Society says veterinarians are seeing more dogs with multiple medications in their systems.

“In my early years, I would look at straight marijuana or sometimes something else. Now we’ll get ones that are on amphetamines and an opioid, maybe marijuana mixed, things like that,” says Dr. Heather James, veterinarian and Society of BC Veterinarians board member.

James says this is because some dogs are eating human feces that is contaminated, especially in urban areas.

If you think your dog has ingested something, veterinarians say there are some signs to look for, which may include if your dog is unbalanced or not able to walk, if he is shaking, vomiting or dripping urine.

“Dogs have different amounts of receptors in their brains than we do, especially for things like cannabinoids. So they will be affected by much smaller amounts than us,” James said.

She says veterinarians use human drug tests to determine what the dog ate.

“This is very helpful because some of these drugs can be given antidotes. We can reverse them just like we can in people,” he said.