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VetVine Client Care

Posted On Jun 23, 2025

Updated On Jul 16, 2025

Another Marijuana Death :(

Emergency & Critical Care

Contributed by Elisa Mazzaferro, MS, DVM, PhD, DACVECC

This is just a reminder that marijuana / THC intoxication can be deadly.

We had two dogs (a Labrador Retriever and a Pug from the same household) come in last week after ingesting gummy candies that were made with THC. The client's friend was visiting from Colorado and had obtained the candy at a medical marijuana dispensary. 

The Labrador Retriever was almost comatose at the time of presentation. This dog was started on intralipid (obtained from a local hospital). Within 2 hours of receiving the intralipid, the Labrador was 100% improved and did fine.

The Pug initially presented with just ataxia and hyperesthesia but worsened overnight. Over the course of the next day this dog developed progressive respiratory distress. I suspect that she had aspirated during the time that she was becoming increasingly weak and lethargic. We were able to obtain more intralipid and administered it to the Pug. Unfortunately, her respiratory difficulty progressed to the point of requiring ventilation. She did not survive. 

Here's a video of what a patient with THC exposure might look like on presentation. This dog has signs of ataxia and a hypermetric gait:



Originally posted on November 11, 2013