Dog Jaxx was stoned after a walk, which is not exceptional. Dogs get high from drugs lying around or even junkies’ shit. According to veterinary clinics, the incident happens every week in the summer.
Jaxx, a two-year Australian Shepherd and his owner Joyce Lodders have fortunately recovered from the shock. Jaxx had large pupils and did not want to eat, after a walk in the polder between Willemstad and Klundert last weekend. He had to be on intravenous therapy and stayed overnight in the hospital.
At the Veterinary Clinic Barendrecht, it turned out that Jaxx had eaten something that contains THC, a substance in weed and hash. This is poisonous to dogs. Leandra van Zomeren is an assistant at the veterinary clinic where Jaxx was patched up. She says: “Dogs sometimes have the tendency to eat poo.” This can pose problems when the poo comes from junkies who relieve themselves in nature.
Such incidents happen every month at the clinic. “In the summer we even have this about once a week.” According to her, in half of the cases, something is eaten at home such as a joint on the table. “But people are not likely to say that!”
On the leash
Jaxx seemed drunk after his adventure in the polder and he was not himself. His owner Joyce: “I now get a comment that my dog has to be on a leash, but that is of course the opposite world. Running loose is important for dogs.”
She sees people who throw rubbish away as the culprit. “I’ve been walking here in the polder for 20 years. And more and more rubbish is being thrown away here. Really awful!”
“It is bad luck”
According to Stijn Peters of Dierenziekenhuis Eindhoven, a dog that eats drugs has disease-related symptoms. “For example, it could be epilepsy but the symptoms often get worse.” When eating marijuana or other drugs, the dog simply has to sleep off the intoxication. “We help with intravenous therapy. And sometimes it helps to make them vomit.”
Peters has no real solution to the problem. “It is an awful lot of bad luck. We try to trace the place and notify the municipality to check.”
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translator: Shufei
