Golden retriever Sable, 11, taken seriously ill after eating discarded cannabis on Welcombe Hills walk
A STRATFORD dog owner has told of her horror after her beloved pet fell seriously ill after accidentally eating drugs on a walk on Welcombe Hills.
Linda Cousins told the Herald how her golden retriever Sable, 11, collapsed and had to be rushed to the vets after her walk on Friday, 31st May.
“I’ve been walking up in the hills for about 20 years – including with my previous dog – and we’ve never had any problems. We’d gone on a lovely long walk, she’d been off the lead and had a good hunt around and sniff. She’s a golden retriever so she’s going to scavenge, but it’s impossible to know when she picked anything up,” explained Linda.
“We came home and she was not herself, but she ate her food and so I thought she was OK and went out. Luckily my husband works from home, and he suddenly called me – Sable had collapsed in the garden. She couldn’t stand and was very disoriented.”
The couple rushed Sable to Avonvale Vets, who Linda describes as “brilliant”. Sable was kept in overnight and put on a drip. Tests performed by the vet found she had ingested cannabis, which is highly toxic to dogs.
“Thankfully Sable recovered after a few days, but it’s been a horrible experience for her. We’ve had her five years as she came to us after she was retired as an assistance dog. She’s spent her time helping people, so it seems especially shameful that someone’s carelessness caused this.
“People think it’s funny – hilarious that your dog’s stoned, but she’s an old dog and if my husband hadn’t been working from home, it could have been a completely different outcome.
“It’s been a horrible experience, and to add insult to injury we had to pay a £500 vet bill,” added Linda.
For now, Linda just hopes others will learn from Sable’s experience.
“I would hate for other pets to go through what Sable suffered. I don’t want to preach to people about their drug use, all I’d ask is please be careful and clear up your remnants. And I also want to warn other dog walkers to be vigilant, to consider putting your dog on a lead, especially around parks and where people have gathered, especially now the evenings are warmer.”
This is not the first time the Herald has reported on dogs being poisoned after accidentally eating discarded drugs and associated paraphernalia. Two dogs were stricken in summer 2020 after walking on Shottery Fields – one sadly died.
Worryingly it’s a problem that has escalated more recently. The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) says there are hundreds of cases a year nationally.
Around one case in seven is thought to involve ‘gummies’ – sweets infused with cannabis that are popular with some teenagers and often bought from online dealers.
The RSPCA commented: “Dogs can be very motivated to eat food they find on the ground. The dangers of a dog consuming cannabis include over-stimulation and high temperature – they may require intravenous fluids. It is vital the dog is taken to a vet immediately.”
