Labrador Retriever Poisoned by Neighbor’s Marijuana

At VPI, we receive hundreds of pet toxicity claims each month for pets that have ingested items ranging from human medication to chocolate to antifreeze. As VPI policyholder Kathe Sadler can attest, there are no shortage of poisonous items inside and outside the home that our furry friends can get into.

In October, Kathe received a call from her husband who said Starling; their 10-month-old Labrador retriever was having trouble walking and was urinating inside the house so he dropped her off at the animal hospital before going to work. Upon hearing that Starling was ill, Kathe rushed to the animal hospital to be with her pup.

“I drove 50 miles to the animal hospital,” said Kathe. “When I arrived, the veterinarian asked if Starling could have gotten into any of the medication we had around the house. I assured the veterinarian that we keep all of our medication up high where it is out of Starling’s reach. The veterinarian then asked if Starling could have ingested some marijuana. Since I live in a rural area where many of my neighbors grow marijuana, I knew there was a possibility that Starling could have gotten into somebody’s pot garden.”

Fortunately, with the aid of some fluids and rest, Starling was back to her old self by the end of the day. Once her pooch was up and running around again, Kathe went around asking her neighbors if their properties were secure enough to prevent dogs from entering, and she found that one of them had a fence that was designed to keep deer out but did nothing to prevent a dog of Starling’s size from entering.

“I had my neighbor fix his fence to prevent any further problems from occurring,” explained Kathe. “Luckily, Starling didn’t have any lasting effects from the ordeal. The one positive to come from this experience is that VPI reimbursed the entire $394 cost of treatment. Thank you VPI!”

As more and more states legalize medical and recreational marijuana, other VPI policyholders may face this potential toxic threat to their pets. If you live in a state that allows personal use marijuana growth, you may want to consider doing what Kathe did and check out your neighboring yards for any potential openings or other hazards.

Looking for more information about pet toxins? Visit the VPI Pet HealthZone for a list of the most common pet poison claims and the most common pet toxins.