Sunday, March 9, 2014

POT CORN!




              Pop Corn or Pot  Corn?     Ordinary snack?    Don't kid yourself!
                                               
                                            What you should know.




I've been seeing several states making the move toward legalizing marijuana either for recreational or medical purposes.  In my own state of MN the first round of the bill was passed by the house. This after hearing tearful pleas from cancer patients or from the caretakers who normally would be law abiding citizens yet found themselves scoring weed for their loved one because they could not bear to hear them scream in pain anymore.  

As a person growing up in the 60’s and 70’s I am all for legalization especially if it helps any ill person feel better, and I am also all for it as far as recreational because people have and always will act foolish with or without a recreational drug. In fact I am surprised this did not pass many, many moons ago! I guess it all had to do with the generation gap and those long haired hippies, known as the Beatles spewing their rock and roll to the innocent children of the USA!  Yeah right!  I for one think we could use a few more laid back people in the world, as long as like Alcohol, it is against the law to drive or ride a bicycle  while impaired!  


Items that are marijuana prepared

Just as humans have invented a million and one recipes for the use of alcohol   you can bet that the same will be done with marijuana. As well, people will be growing marijuana inside their homes legally. 

There will  also be different strengths of marijuana just as you see in alcohol. You will probably find  this product in brownies, cupcakes, birthday cakes, Ice cream, pot corn , reefer wafer, (not to be confused with the wafer the priest gives you )  Marijane muffins, and I am sure there will be a recipe for the health conscious as well, such as “ Sweet Leaf Salad!

Why am I bringing this up anyway?


With these new laws come new responsibilities as dog owners. You are going to have to make sure your dog is safe from any potential harm; this  means you need to ask yourself these questions:

Can my dog get into the neighbor’s or family member’s garden?

Can my dog get into my neighbor’s or family member’s garbage?

What is being left behind in my neighbor’s/family member’s ashtray?

Can I trust that my neighbor /family member will not try to tempt my dog with a pot filled chocolate brownie? (Actually most people know that chocolate can harm a dog, but they might not think twice about offering a lick off the spoon  that contains Canabis Caramel ice cream!)

Can I trust myself that I have put up everything toxic in a cabinet where the dog cannot reach it?

If you are of mind to have this in your own home, you would need to take the same precautions that you would if you had children living with you.

Set up a place for yourself that the dog has no access to, because let’s face it, once you are swinging from that relaxing hammock dreaming of all the snacks you would like to have,  the thought of ‘did I put everything harmful to my pet away’ is not going to be the first question you ask yourself!    The first question will be: who ate all the cheese doodles?

The Effect

Do you know what can happen to Fido if he gets into your stash?  Symptoms can show within 30 minutes of exposure to THC which affects the neurotransmitters of the brain.

What To Watch For:

Lack of coordination
Dilated pupils
Tremors
Depression
Seizures
Salivation (usually a sign of nausea)
Slow or fast heart rate.
 Coma



Treatment

Treatment Requires Hospitalization. Never ever assume that if you pooch got into your pot it was not enough to cause an affect. Actually you will not know how this will affect your dog as dogs vary in size and weight.

If the ingestion was recent, your Vet may induce vomiting, however if the pet is too sleepy this may not be able to be done as the dog can aspirate on its vomit. Never induce vomiting without consulting your Veterinarian.   Activated Charcoal is given  approximately every 8 hours to bind the THC  and absorb toxicities so the reaming is not absorbed into the dog’s body.  The Vet will need to keep the dog hydrated through IV fluids and to help flush out the toxins.  Blood pressure must also be monitored  as well as heart rate.

Even if Pot is not legal in your state as of yet, never be afraid to take you dog to a Vet to seek care for possible marijuana toxicity. The Vet is not interested in ratting you out; they are interested in saving your pet’s life!


One last thought: if the above possible dangers are not reason enough  for you to make a safe place away from your dog’s reach, then let’s talk money because that seems to be a deciding factor in almost everyone’s life!  Give your Emergency Vet a call today and ask how much it will cost for you  just to walk  through their doors, then ask how much they will charge for the overnight stay and treatment needed. I am guessing you will be seeing charges in the hundreds to thousands! 



Well that’s the 'high' and low of what may be in store for our dogs in the future!

Until next time, be smart & be safe!



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