Nearly 70 percent of U.S. households have pets — and considering that an increasing number of members of those households are getting into cannabis, either for recreational or medical purposes, there are bound to be some conflicts. As with kids, you want to keep your furry friends out of your marijuana goodies as much as possible, by storing your stash out of reach and using products that aren’t appealing to eat or chew.
However, mistakes happen, and it might be that your fur-baby gets ahold of a weed treat. If that happens, here’s what you can do to mitigate the damage:
Don’t Fret About CBD Products
If you exclusively use CBD-only goodies, you don’t need to be too concerned about your pet getting into your products. Researchers haven’t found any upward limit of CBD that causes life-threatening effects in humans or animals, meaning the worst that could happen to your furry friend noshing on your CBD is a bit of drowsiness and perhaps dry mouth or a bout of diarrhea. In fact, there is a large number of CBD products formulated specifically for pets to help with issues like chronic pain and anxiety.
The only caveat to this quelling of concern is if your CBD products contain other ingredients that might be harmful to your pet. For example, CBD chocolate is dangerous not because of the CBD but because of the chocolate. Similarly, CBD vapes are dangerous because the electronic components and batteries can harm your four-legged friend.
It might be wise to keep only simple CBD products in your home if your pet has a habit of chewing what it shouldn’t. You can talk to budtenders at Michigan marijuana dispensaries to find CBD options that are effective and safe for both you and your fur-baby.
Call Your Vet About THC Products
If you are fairly certain that your pet has ingested something with THC inside, you might want to call your local vet’s office, stat. Pets have endocannabinoid systems just like humans do, which means when they consume THC, they will get high. However, unlike CBD, THC can manifest negative symptoms, and because your pet is smaller and has a lower tolerance than you, they are much more likely to overdose. This means they will experience effects like:
- Disorientation
- Lack of coordination
- Panic
- Rapid heart rate
- Low blood pressure
- Slowed respiration
- Hallucinations
- Nausea and vomiting
- Incontinence
- Seizures
- Coma
- And possibly more
It is important that you follow the advice of your veterinarian. Some vets might demand you to take your pet into their office for professionals to monitor their vitals as the THC works its way through your pet’s system. Older pets that are already suffering from some health conditions are more likely to warrant this treatment.
However, other vets might tell you to keep an eye on your pet, especially if they are young, healthy and particularly large. If you caught your pet in the act of noshing on your stash, you might try to make them vomit, which could reduce the amount of THC that reaches their bloodstream and keep them safe. Otherwise, you should keep close watch on your pet — and ensure they are comfortable and well-hydrated — for any signs that their health could be going downhill.
Ultimately, there isn’t much you or your vet can do if your pet starts to suffer serious effects of THC intoxication. Thus, the best way to keep your pet safe is to prevent them from accessing your weed when you aren’t around to supervise. For your pet and your stash, you should keep your THC products in an air-tight container in a cool, dark and secluded corner of your home, like a top shelf in a bedroom closet. You should also discourage association between your pet and your pot, perhaps using a spray bottle to keep them away from your bud while you are using or else partaking of your kush while they are outside or at a pet playdate.
The last thing you want as a pet owner is to see your fur-baby suffer. By making smart choices about stoner storage, you can keep your cat or dog out of harm’s way — and you can preserve the quality of your THC or CBD, to boot.
