Marijuana toxicity

Marijuana is toxic for cats. It is however rarely fatal. The toxic dose is more than 3 g per kg of body weight. The most common symptoms are of neurological order and can include depression, unsteady walk, tremors, seizures, dilated pupils and behavior changes.

To diagnose the intoxication, the vet will rely mostly on history of ingestion in relation to onset of clinical signs. Some labs can detect the toxic agent in blood or urine samples if ingestion is recent.

If marijuana was recently ingested, induction of vomiting can be attempted. Activated charcoal can also be administered to prevent absorption from intestinal mucosa.

If symptoms are already present, a supportive treatment consisting of intra venous fluids to promote elimination of the toxin will be instituted. Respiratory depression and anxiety can be addressed respectively with oxygen supplementation and sedatives. Recovery can take as long as 3 days but prognosis is good in there are no complications.