You think you are completely safe hiking a rugged mountain trail miles away from civilization. The air is crisp, your dog is happily trotting ahead, and the city chaos feels a lifetime away. Then, out of nowhere, your dog collapses. Within minutes, they lose the use of their hind legs, stare blankly with dilated pupils, and start drifting out of consciousness.
That is exactly what happened to Christina Bluhme, a professional dog trainer from Surrey, while hiking up Ben Nevis in Scotland with her 25-kilogram black Labrador, Tokyo. What looked like a sudden, fatal medical emergency turned out to be something far more frustrating: Tokyo had swallowed discarded cannabis left behind by careless hikers on the trail.
This isn't an isolated freak accident. As cannabis legalization spreads and the popularity of infused edibles sky-rockets, outdoor recreation areas are seeing a massive spike in pet poisonings. What people leave behind as trash can become a death sentence for a dog.
The Reality of Cannabis Toxicity on the Trail
When Tokyo collapsed halfway up the 1,345-metre peak of Ben Nevis, Bluhme faced a nightmare scenario. A 25-kilogram dog is impossible for a single person to carry down a steep, treacherous mountain face. It took 14 volunteer rescuers from the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team to stretcher the unconscious Labrador down the slope to Crown Vets in Fort William.
Tokyo survived and made a full recovery by the next day, but the terrifying ordeal highlights a massive gap in what pet owners know about outdoor hazards. Most hikers watch out for sharp rocks, cliff edges, or stagnant water. Almost nobody expects to find toxic levels of recreational drugs on a wilderness path.
Dogs have a radically different neurological response to cannabis than humans. Their brains contain a significantly higher density of cannabinoid receptors, meaning they are incredibly sensitive to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). While a human might just feel a strong buzz from a discarded edible or a joint roach, that same dose can completely overwhelm a dog's central nervous system.
They also metabolize THC at a much slower rate. A small piece of a cannabis-infused chocolate bar or a discarded gummy can poison a large dog within 30 to 90 minutes.
Spotting the Signs of Pet Poisoning
If your dog vacuumed up something hidden in the grass, you won't always see it happen. You need to know exactly how cannabis toxicity presents itself so you don't waste precious time.
The symptoms usually start with a distinct lack of coordination. Your dog will look wobbly or appear "drunk" while walking, a condition known as ataxia. You might notice their eyes looking glassy, with heavily dilated pupils that don't respond well to light.
As the toxicity progresses, dogs often experience urinary incontinence, leaking urine uncontrollably while standing or lying down. They become hypersensitive to sound, touch, and sudden movements, flinching violently at minor stimuli, before dropping into deep lethargy or losing consciousness completely.
How to Protect Your Dog on Your Next Hike
You don't need to leave your dog at home, but you do need to change how you manage them on public trails.
First, master the "leave it" command until it is an absolute reflex. A split-second delay between you spotting trash and your dog eating it can change everything. If your dog is a notorious scavenger who eats anything on the ground, use a lightweight basket muzzle during hikes. It allows them to pant and drink water normally but completely blocks them from vacuuming up discarded trash.
Second, always know who to call before you lose cell service. Keep the numbers for the local veterinary emergency room and park rangers saved in your phone. If you are hiking in the US or Canada, save the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center number (888-426-4435) or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661).
If you suspect your dog ate something toxic on the trail, do not try to force them to vomit unless explicitly instructed by a vet. If they are already showing neurological signs or drifting out of consciousness, vomiting can cause them to choke and inhale the fluid into their lungs, creating a fatal breathing emergency. Focus entirely on keeping them calm, warm, and getting them down to professional medical care as fast as safely possible.
