VETS TREATING SPACED-OUT PETS AS DRUG LAWS RELAXED

It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "sniffer dogs". As drug laws are
relaxed, family pets are increasingly being reported to vets for stumbling
upon their owners' stashes.

A chilled-out chinchilla that ate some cannabis is the latest victim of
accidental poisoning, joining earlier instances of spaced-out dogs and a
comatose ferret whose cases have found their way into scientific literature.

"It was obviously off colour," said Blackpool vet Romain Pizzi, who
believes more pet owners will be willing to admit how their animals get
stoned, thanks to the home secretary David Blunkett's decision to ease the
cannabis law.

Mr Pizzi is asking colleagues nationwide to share their experiences of
animals unable to just say no.

Mr Pizzi reported the case of the chinchilla in the Veterinary Record and
revealed that since Mr Blunkett's proposal to reclassify cannabis became
public last autumn, people have been phoning the surgery to ask what they
should do because they think their dogs have been at the marijuana.

One owner had actually brought a small crossbreed in for a check-up after
it showed very mild signs of distress. The chinchilla, an adult female, had
been brought in by a man who believed she had eaten some of his teenage
son's cannabis.

"It is never theirs," said Mr Pizzi. "The cannabis obviously had very
minimal effect in this case.

"The animal was anorexic and mildly depressed. But it can cause coma and
even death in some animals. It depends on the species." He prescribed
fluids and antibiotics to ensure the chinchilla's gastric system was not
harmed and it was back to normal health in a week.

Mr Pizzi said the change in public perception over cannabis improved the
likelihood of these cases being presented to vets "for what they truly
are". There might still however be problems about identifying the cause
when other "recreational drugs" found their way into pets.