Sara Bell was at the North 40 Park Reserve in Delta, B.C., with her two-year-old husky Nilak when he ingested a napkin he found on the ground. Bell mentioned that Nilak had swallowed items before, but this time he started behaving oddly. Due to Nilak’s Portosystemic Shunt condition affecting his liver, Bell promptly took him to a vet where tests revealed he had consumed an excess of cocaine. After receiving fluids, Nilak recovered.
Bell expressed her shock and fear for her dog’s well-being, sharing the incident on Facebook and discovering that many others had faced similar situations with their pets overdosing on substances picked up outdoors. Mia Riback recounted her past dog’s hashish ingestion at a campground, leading to a costly vet visit but a positive outcome. Melissa White also experienced a dog overdosing on cannabis at the same park in the past.
Veterinarians have noticed a rise in dog overdose cases, with Dr. Tracy Fisher, CVMA’s president and a Regina-based small animal vet, highlighting the importance of prompt veterinary care, especially for opioids like fentanyl. Dr. Fisher stressed the need for owners to be vigilant if their pets exhibit unusual behavior after being outside or if they suspect drug ingestion.
The Society of B.C. Veterinarians reported an increase in dogs with multiple drugs in their systems, attributing this partly to contaminated human waste in urban areas. Dr. Heather James from the Society mentioned signs to watch for if a dog ingests a substance, such as imbalance, difficulty walking, twitching, vomiting, or incontinence. Vets can use human drug tests to identify ingested substances and administer appropriate antidotes if needed.