On April 20 each year, those who enjoy recreational marijuana or take it for its medical benefits celebrate the unofficial cannabis holiday 4/20 day. However, because Pet Poison Helpline receives thousands of calls a year related to cannabis, the team highlighted the case of Gertie the Goose in its most recent installment of Toxin Tails, an unusual cannabis-related call the toxicologists received.
“Although dogs are far more likely to have an accidental marijuana exposure, according to our case data, there was one recent call that gave us goose bumps,” joked Renee Schmid, DVM, DABT, DABVT, a senior veterinary toxicologist and director of Veterinary Medicine at Pet Poison Helpline, in an organizational release.1
Carola Schubbel/stock.adobe.com (Not an actual image of Gertie)
“Earlier this year we received a call from a woman whose pet goose Gertie had quickly gobbled up a joint that accidentally dropped on the floor. The pet owner called us, and after analyzing the situation, we recommended she take Gertie into the veterinary hospital for monitoring and treatment.”
Gertie was then taken to the local animal hospital where the veterinary staff performed a crop lavage with saline. According to the release, a crop is a thin-walled pouch at the base of the esophagus where birds store food before it goes all the way down to its stomach. The Pet Poison Helpline relied on avian data from other birds to develop their recommendations since their the data for geese with this type of exposure is limited. In a scenario where a dog or cat ingests marijuana, they can begin to show clinical signs within minutes to hours depending on the exposure, such as inhalation versus ingestion.1
RELATED: Risks of THC and cannabis products for patients
If a pet is exposed to marijuana, they will present with a dazed expression, lethargy, dribbling urine, incoordination, and slow response signs. Pet Poison Helpline also shared that vomiting and drooling are also common signs, and pets could potentially experience heart rate changes, vocalization, neurological stimulation, hyperactivity or coma. For avian patients specifically, they can have similar neurologic and cardiovascular signs, which Gertie did.
“Even if you don’t use marijuana personally, it can still impact your pets,” Schmid warned.1 “There are currently only 4 states in the country that don’t allow some form of [delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)] usage, so the chances of your pet encountering THC are very real. A friend or family member could bring some into your home without your knowledge or your pet could come in contact with THC in a public area such as a park. We also had a case where a dog wandered into a neighbor’s yard and ate a batch of marijuana brownies.”
As more states continue to legalize marijuana either medically or recreationally, there was also more calls to Pet Poison Helpline relating to THC exposures. Pet Poison Helpline saw a 430% increase in marijuana calls from 2019 to 2023, and marijuana made its first appearance on the company’s Top 10 List of Poisons for 2021 coming in at 8th, but has since risen to 6th as of the Top 10 List of Poisons in 2024.2 Schmid and the Pet Poison Helpline team is urging pet parents to be diligent and keep these products out of reach from pets and children. Schmid also warns pet owners and veterinary professionals that currently marijuana products have “significantly more THC as compared to those in decades past.”
Each month, Pet Poison Helpline releases a new installment of Toxin Tails to educate pet owners and the veterinary community on the types of poisonings that are out there impacting pets inside and out of their homes. Each pet selected to be featured in the installments has been successfully treated and fully recovered from the poisoning.
References
Pet Goose Accidentally Ingests Marijuana Joint. News release. Pet Poison Helpline. April 16, 2025. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pet-goose-accidentally-ingests-marijuana-joint-302429343.html#:~:text=%22Earlier%20this%20year%20we%20received,hospital%20for%20monitoring%20and%20treatment.%22Top 10 Pet Poisons of 2024. News release. Pet Poison Helpline. January 8, 2025. Accessed April 18, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/top-10-pet-poisons-of-2024-302339363.html As 4/20 day approaches, Pet Poison Helpline used its most recent Toxin Tail to warn veterinary professionals and pet parents ahead of the unofficial cannabis holiday Read More
