You have to hand it to Aussies. They like to share the good times with their pets.
A Victorian vet says he sees more than a dozen stoned cats and dogs a year because negligent owners feed their pets cannabis cookies and cake.
But the only thing to do for the dazed, confused and disoriented pets was to let them sleep off the drug, Dr Neil Howard said.
Pets affected by the drug had been taken to Dr Howard’s veterinary surgeries in the coastal towns of Torquay, Anglesea and Lorne, in Victoria’s south-west, for the past 10 years.
The biggest problem was people deliberately feeding their dogs cannabis cakes and cookies, he said, although small dogs and cats could become stoned just by inhaling marijuana smoke.
“A lot of it is deliberate drugging by people making cannabis cookies and cake and giving some to their pets thinking it will be okay for the animal to eat it,” Dr Howard said.
“But what people don’t seem to realise is that it’s not good for the dog and it doesn’t enjoy it, so don’t do it.
“It’s not a malicious or cruel thing people are doing to their pets.
“In some cases a parent comes home and finds their teenage son or daughter has fed the animal marijuana and brings it into the surgery.”
The drugs are not in themselves a danger to the pets, but may be fatal when accompanied by (extra) doses of stupidity.
Dr Howard said although the animals were not in any pain as a result of the drug, they could be in danger because of their dazed and confused state of mind.
“As is often the case down here, people take their dogs for walks on cliff tops and if a dog is stoned and is let off the lead, it could be in danger of falling off a cliff,” he said.
So if you are thinking about stoning your cat or dog, just remember to stay away from high places with steep drops. And I guess having plenty of pet food on hand wouldn’t hurt either. Have you been seeing geckos outside your home? Well, it is not uncommon to see geckos in water on a rainy day.
