DELAWARE - According to the Pet Poison Helpline, calls about pets who have swallowed marijuana have increased 200 percent in the last five years.
Veterinarians like Doctor April Reid at Peninsula Veterinarian Services tells me she sees patients for this about once a week but expects that number to now go up with the legalization of marijuana.
"The signs are pretty much like people but way worse. They are really ataxic, their eyes will be dilated, we have to make sure they have an IV and stuff in if they've had a lot." said Reid.
Medical marijuana is actually available specifically for pets, but Dr.Reid said it is very different from the drug for humans,
"Don't deliberately give it to your pet even if you feel like the pet is suffering or in pain, we have stuff that we know is legal and has been tested for that."
Roy Miller is a local to Lewes who walks his dog Griffin along the canal multiple times a week.
He hadn't considered when walking him that marijuana remains could be left on the ground for his pup to quickly eat up, as the drug becomes more common.
"It would be a concern if he did come upon some and tried to ingest it," said Miller, "-he only weighs 28 pounds so it wouldn't take much to ingest it and cause a problem."
Dr. Reid says that if you believe your pet to have ingested marijuana, to take it to the nearest vet immediately as it can have different effects on different breeds.
For more information and statistics on how marijuana has affected pets in states where marijuana is legalized, visit here.