Arthur takes a trip

 

Arthur takes a trip

 Drugs are Bad, Mkay?

Five-year-old Arthur is an affectionate, confident, working Cocker spaniel with a busy nose and an ever-wagging tail. Living in London with Susannah, his walks are enlivened by enticing smells of fox poo, which he eats, or rolls in, or both (ugh!) There is far more fox poo in the cities than there is in the countryside. Country foxes roam far and wide, while urban foxes haunt gardens, and restaurants, and rubbish bins, where the pickings are easy.

If Arthur is caught before he indulges in a tasty ‘treat,’ he is disappointed, but philosophical. (There’s always tomorrow!) However, if he is discovered mid-snack, he rapidly gobbles whatever it is. That is precisely what he did on Thursday last week, local election day. All Susannah could ascertain was that it was a large amount of ‘something’ as it disappeared down his gullet.

Shortly after he arrived home with his mistress, he began to display signs of distress. He appeared frightened, was lethargic, flinching, and occasionally trembling, and was most unlike his normal, extrovert self. Susannah rushed him to the emergency vet, who confirmed her fears that he had been poisoned. By the time she left him with the vets, where he was to spend the remainder of the day, he was extremely unsteady on his feet, though he made a feeble attempt to follow her. 

Blood tests revealed that he had swallowed cannabis, along with newspaper and fox poo, which were evident when he was made to vomit. A dose of activated charcoal was administered to reduce absorption of the toxins. He was monitored for the remainder of the day, and was pleased to see Susannah when she went to pick him up, though still quite unlike himself.

He slept a lot on Friday and was not interested in his toys, or food. He’s normally very tolerant of the cats, but was irritable with them. Always a dog wanting a lot of attention and overt affection, he was more than usually insistent on reassurance, as he still seemed scared and disorientated.

By Saturday, he was much improved and even went out for a short walk, on the lead. He was unusually tired after it, panting a lot, but his appetite was returning, and his usual ebullient character was coming to the fore once more. On Sunday, his eyes still betrayed signs of confusion, but he was almost back to normal. He now has to become accustomed to a muzzle, which he hates, to prevent further accidents, while training is ongoing to teach him not to pick up and eat tasty morsels. He is not a greedy dog, but some forbidden things seem extraordinarily attractive to him.

Cannabis poisoning is a common emergency in dogs and is effectively treated if quickly recognised. It affects dogs intensely because they have more cannabinoid receptors, so the chemical in cannabis binds more powerfully. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is fat-soluble, meaning that it is absorbed with dietary fat and so stays longer in the body, rather than being flushed out quickly.

Poor Arthur certainly did not have a pleasant 'trip,' and ‘coming down’ after it was not enjoyable. The whole experience was frightening and bewildering, seventy-two hours of his life that were a nightmare.

My word, you do look queer.

How and why cannabis had been left under a bush in a London park is a mystery. Was it a deliberate ploy to poison animals, a ‘drop spot’ for someone to access, a secret stash, or an accidental loss? There will never be answers, just speculation.