My Dog Ate Cannabis: What to Tell the Veterinarian
If your dog may have eaten cannabis, contact a veterinarian promptly. Use this checklist to explain the product, timing, symptoms and possible other ingredients.
If your dog may have eaten cannabis, contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary hospital promptly. Do not wait for a blog checklist to confirm poisoning. The FDA recommends veterinarians and animal poison-control services as the appropriate contacts when a pet gets into something potentially harmful.
“My dog ate cannabis” is enough to start the call. You can give more details as you find them. This guide focuses on communicating useful information, including when the product or amount is uncertain.
Who to call if your regular vet is unavailable
Contact an emergency animal hospital or an animal poison-control service. The FDA lists these two services as available around the clock; consultation fees apply:
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 1-888-426-4435.
- Pet Poison Helpline: 1-855-764-7661.
These are veterinary resources. The human Poison Help line is a different service. If the pet is having severe symptoms, contact an emergency veterinary hospital immediately and follow its instructions about getting there.
Describe the exposure in four parts
- Your dog: Give the dog’s approximate weight, age, known medical conditions and current medicines.
- The item: Describe whether it was an edible, plant material, oil, discarded material or something unknown. Save the original wrapper or container.
- The timing and amount: Explain when access could have happened and what appears to be missing. Clearly separate what you witnessed from what you suspect.
- What you observe: Report changes in behavior, movement, alertness or other symptoms. Say whether anything has already been given or done.
This is a practical way to organize the conversation, not a formula for deciding whether home observation is safe. If you have no package or cannot estimate the amount, say so and continue with the call. The veterinary professional can ask the next questions.
Why an edible’s other ingredients matter
Tell the veterinarian about the entire product. FDA pet-safety guidance identifies marijuana, chocolate and xylitol among potentially dangerous exposures. An edible may present concerns beyond THC, and swallowed packaging may also matter. Read the ingredient list aloud or bring it as directed instead of assuming the cannabis is the only issue.
Do not turn symptoms into a home diagnosis
The FDA’s cannabis guidance for pet owners describes signs including lethargy, drooling, vomiting, agitation, tremors and convulsions. These observations should be reported; they do not identify a safe exposure amount or rule out another problem. Ask the veterinarian what to do next before giving any home remedy or medication.
Once your dog has been assessed
Follow the veterinary team’s instructions and ask which changes require another call. Then review access points at home: bags left on the floor, open packages, visitors’ belongings and waste bins. New York’s Office of Cannabis Management recommends keeping cannabis secured away from pets and making discarded products inaccessible to them.
Save your regular veterinarian’s number and a nearby emergency hospital’s contact details now. A shared household contact list makes those details easier to find during a stressful moment.
General educational information, not veterinary diagnosis or treatment. Sources checked September 5, 2026. Suspected exposure needs advice from a veterinary professional.
