Puppy rushed to the vets after eating cannabis dumped at Scots beauty spot

A puppy was rushed to emergency vets for treatment after eating what’s believed to have been dumped cannabis at a country park.

Rye, a ten month old whippet, became ill during a walk at Mugdock Country Park in East Dunbartonshire.

It’s thought a quantity of the drug had been left behind by partygoers, with vets reporting a rise in similar cases as more and more people choose to socialise outdoors.

Rye was unsteady and disoriented and, after being seen by his own daytime vet, he was sent to Vets Now’s pet emergency hospital in Glasgow for overnight care and monitoring.

Luckily, he came through his ordeal with no long-term effects, but vets are warning that the drug can potentially cause serious harm.

Owner Leonora Belcher, 31, said: “I was at work and Rye was out with his dog walker at Mugdock Country Park.

“He was playing with other dogs in the pack in a bit of forest when the walker noticed him behaving very strangely.

“He was standing very still, his eyes had glazed over and he was really unsteady on his feet and couldn’t walk without losing his balance.

“She carried him back to her van and called me saying she didn’t know what was wrong.”

Leonora got the walker to take Rye to the vet while she rushed straight there herself. Her pet’s listless, dazed, unsteady state was typical of having ingested marijuana.

“He was so out of it the vets had to carry him in and out of the car,” said Belcher.

“It was really scary and horrible. I’ve got to say Vets Now were amazing, I was so touched by their attitude and care. They just so kind and reassuring and told me I could call at any time during the night if I was worried.”

Emergency vet surgeon Cormac Dolan was on duty the night Rye was brought in.

He said: “We kept him on a drip and gave him activated charcoal to absorb the toxins in his blood.

“It can be difficult to detect cannabis in a dog’s fluids, but Rye’s condition was very typical of having ingested it and although he was happily okay after treatment, this can be very serious for dogs. If owners suspect their dog has eaten something dangerous, they should contact their vet straight away.”

The most common signs of marijuana toxicosis are depression, poor coordination, slow heart rate, hypothermia, drooling, vomiting, diarrhoea, urinary incontinence, seizures, and coma.

Rye is thankfully now back to his old self. Belcher added: “It seems that people are going to Mugdock to meet in large groups without being caught rule breaking.

“Rye has a habit of eating things, so I’ve taken the tough decision to put a muzzle on him now, although he wears a green ‘friendly’ collar, so people know he isn’t aggressive.

“I’d advise any dog owner to keep their pet on the lead if they see anything lying around and ask anyone who is out partying to clear everything away.

“This has happened to other dogs, and it doesn’t take much cannabis to make a small dog very ill.”