Dog owner says pet accidentally ate marijuana while out for a walk: 'Could have died'
A pet owner is warning others after claiming his dog was hospitalized for consuming cannabis during a walk.
Stephen Davidson said he was recently walking his 8-year-old West Highland terrier named Oscar when he noticed the dog began to act strange.
Davidson said that within a few hours of the dog walk in the town of Sheerness in Kent, England, Oscar became lethargic and stopped drinking water, according to SWNS.
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After rushing Oscar to an emergency veterinarian, doctors confirmed that he had somehow consumed marijuana, the British news agency reported.
"They put something down his throat to see if he would gag straight away, but he didn’t — there was a delay," Davidson told SWNS. "That’s when they said he’d been drugged."
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Symptoms of pet drug poisoning include vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, excessive salivation, lack of coordination and bloody urine, according to PetMD, a pet care information source.
Oscar stayed at the emergency vet overnight while getting an IV drip and charcoal medication, but Davidson said his pup easily "could have died" from dehydration, SWNS reported.
Davidson said he now has close to $1,000 in vet bills that he hopes pet insurance will cover. He also wants to warn other pet owners of a potential drug issue in the area.
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"It’s so bad in this town. People are just smoking it anywhere, and then they throw it on the ground," he told SWNS.
Davidson said he will eventually return to his usual walking spot with Oscar — but not right away.
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"I just want people to be extra careful of what their dogs pick up and be aware of any dangers when walking them," he said.
The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a veterinary charity based in the United Kingdom, is reportedly the place where Davidson took Oscar in his time of need.
Nina Downing, a nurse with the PDSA, told SWNS that dogs can easily ingest cannabis — or any drug — while on walks in public.
"If you suspect your dog may have eaten some cannabis, it’s a good idea to have them checked over by your vet as soon as possible rather than waiting for symptoms to appear," she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the PDSA for comment.