If your dog ate marijuana, stay calm. Deaths from THC alone are extremely rare in dogs, and most recover fully within 12 to 36 hours. But you do need to act quickly: call your veterinarian or an animal poison control hotline right away, because dogs are far more sensitive to THC than humans and can become seriously impaired even from small amounts.
Why Dogs React So Strongly to THC
Dogs have a much higher concentration of cannabinoid receptors in critical brain regions, including the cerebellum (which controls balance and coordination), the brainstem, and the medulla (which regulates heart rate and breathing). Because THC binds strongly to these receptors, even a small dose can knock a dog off its feet in ways that look alarming. A dog can develop symptoms from as little as 0.3 to 0.5 mg of THC per kilogram of body weight. For a 20-pound dog, that could mean a single bite of a potent edible.
The probable lethal dose is far higher, exceeding 3 to 9 grams of THC-dominant plant material per kilogram of body weight. No confirmed lethal dose has been established in the veterinary literature, and fatal cases are extremely uncommon. The real danger usually comes not from the THC itself but from complications like choking on vomit, severe drops in body temperature, or toxic ingredients in edibles.
What to Do Right Now
First, figure out what your dog ate and roughly how much. A few crumbs of a dried flower are very different from an entire package of high-potency gummies. If there’s packaging, grab it so you can tell the vet the THC content. Then call your vet, an emergency animal hospital, or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435). Be honest about what your dog got into. Veterinarians are not going to judge you or report you. They just need accurate information to treat your pet.
Do not try to make your dog vomit at home. Once THC takes effect, dogs lose coordination and become heavily sedated. A dog that is stumbling, disoriented, or drowsy can easily inhale vomit into its lungs, which creates a life-threatening aspiration pneumonia risk. Your vet can induce vomiting safely if the ingestion was very recent (typically within 15 to 30 minutes), but this decision should be made by a professional.
While you wait or travel to the vet, keep your dog in a quiet, dimly lit space. Lay down towels or puppy pads, because urinary incontinence is one of the most common symptoms. Make sure your dog can’t fall off furniture or down stairs.
Symptoms You’ll See
Signs typically appear within 30 minutes to an hour after ingestion, though edibles can sometimes take longer. A veterinary survey identified the most common symptoms as:
- Urinary incontinence: dribbling urine without awareness
- Disorientation: appearing confused, startled by normal surroundings
- Drunken gait: stumbling, swaying, inability to walk straight
- Lethargy: heavy sedation, difficulty staying awake
- Hyperesthesia: exaggerated flinching or jumping at sounds and touch
- Altered heart rate: usually slow, sometimes fast
- Difficulty regulating body temperature: feeling unusually cold or warm
Your dog may look like it’s in serious trouble, glassy-eyed and barely responsive. This is frightening to watch but usually resolves on its own with supportive care. The more concerning signs are seizures, severe breathing difficulty, a completely unresponsive state, or a dangerously low heart rate. These warrant immediate emergency treatment.
The Extra Danger in Edibles
If your dog ate a cannabis edible rather than dried flower, the THC is only part of the problem. Many edibles contain chocolate, which is independently toxic to dogs. Others are sweetened with xylitol (sometimes labeled as birch sugar), an artificial sweetener that can cause a rapid, dangerous drop in blood sugar and liver failure in dogs. Butter-heavy edibles can also trigger pancreatitis.
This is why the packaging matters. When you call the vet, mention every ingredient you can identify. A dog that ate a THC gummy made with xylitol needs a very different treatment plan than one that chewed on a cannabis leaf.
What Happens at the Vet
Treatment for marijuana toxicity in dogs is mostly supportive. There is no specific antidote for THC. Your vet will focus on keeping your dog safe and comfortable while the drug works its way out of the system. That typically means IV fluids to prevent dehydration, temperature monitoring, and close observation.
If your vet suspects ingestion but isn’t certain, a standard human urine drug test can actually work on dogs. In a study at a veterinary emergency clinic, a point-of-care THC urine test correctly identified all nine dogs with confirmed cannabis ingestion and showed negative results in all nine control dogs. These tests detect slightly different metabolites in dogs than in humans, so timing matters. Results tend to be more reliable when tested a few hours after ingestion rather than immediately.
In more severe cases, veterinarians sometimes use a fat-based IV infusion to help clear THC from the body faster. THC is highly fat-soluble, so infusing a lipid solution into the bloodstream creates a kind of “lipid sink” that pulls the drug away from the brain, heart, and muscles and redirects it toward the liver and kidneys for elimination. In a large study of poisoned dogs and cats treated this way, 74% showed clear improvement. This treatment is typically reserved for dogs with significant symptoms or those who ingested a large dose.
Recovery Timeline
Most dogs start improving within 12 hours and are back to normal within 24 to 36 hours. Dogs that ate a large amount, especially in edible form, may take up to 72 hours to fully recover because THC stored in body fat gets released slowly. During this period your dog may seem alternately sleepy and agitated, and urinary accidents are common.
Once your dog is home and recovering, offer small amounts of water frequently. Don’t force food until your dog shows interest. Keep the environment calm and make sure someone checks on them regularly, especially overnight. Most dogs bounce back completely with no lasting effects.
Preventing It From Happening Again
Dogs are indiscriminate eaters, and cannabis products often smell appealing to them. Store all marijuana products, flower, edibles, oils, and vape cartridges, in sealed, dog-proof containers placed well out of reach. Edibles are the highest risk because they combine concentrated THC with flavors dogs find irresistible. If you use cannabis outdoors, be aware that dogs on walks can find discarded joints, roaches, or edible wrappers. A dog that has gotten into marijuana once will happily do it again.