Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
PLoS One. 2022 Apr 20;17(4):e0261909. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261909. eCollection 2022.
Cannabis legalization in North America has coincided with an increase in reports of cannabis-induced toxicosis in pets, but the magnitude of this problem, as well as outcomes of these incidents remain unknown. Therefore, we examined the frequency, diagnostic criteria, clinical signs, and prognoses of cannabis toxicoses in pets in North America. We conducted an online survey between January, 2021 and April, 2021 targeting veterinarians practicing in Canada and the United States (US). Out of the 251 study participants, 191 practiced in Canada. Cannabis toxicosis was most commonly reported in dogs (n = 226 veterinarians), and the number of toxicosis cases increased significantly in Canada (p<0.0001) and the US (p = 0.002) after October, 2018. Frequently reported clinical signs of cannabis toxicosis included: urinary incontinence (n = 195), disorientation (n = 182), ataxia (n = 178), lethargy (n = 150), hyperesthesia (n = 134), and bradycardia (n = 112). Edibles were most commonly suspected to be the cause of toxicosis (n = 116). The most common route of exposure was ingestion (n = 135), while the most cited reason was ingestion while unattended (n = 135). Cannabis toxicosis was mostly diagnosed using supportive clinical signs (n = 229), the most common treatment was outpatient monitoring (n = 182), and pets were most often treated as out-patients (n = 103). The legalization of cannabis use in Canada and the US is likely an important factor associated with the increased cannabis toxicosis cases in pets; however, the legal status may also increase reporting. The medicinal use of cannabis by pet-owners for pets may also contribute to a portion of the reported toxicoses. Most pets that experienced cannabis toxicosis recovered completely, suggesting that most cannabis toxicoses do not result in long-term ill effects. Even though some deaths (n = 16) were reported in association with cannabis toxicosis, the presence of confounders such as toxins, and underlying conditions cannot be ruled out, emphasizing the need for rigorous controlled laboratory studies to investigate this important issue.
北美地区的大麻合法化与宠物中大麻中毒报告的增加同时发生，但该问题的严重程度以及这些事件的结果仍不清楚。因此，我们检查了北美的宠物中大麻中毒的频率、诊断标准、临床症状和预后。我们于 2021 年 1 月至 4 月之间针对在加拿大和美国（US）执业的兽医进行了一项在线调查。在 251 名研究参与者中，有 191 名在加拿大执业。犬中最常报告大麻中毒（n = 226 名兽医），并且 2018 年 10 月之后，加拿大（p<0.0001）和美国（p = 0.002）的中毒病例数量显著增加。经常报告的大麻中毒的临床症状包括：尿失禁（n = 195）、定向障碍（n = 182）、共济失调（n = 178）、嗜睡（n = 150）、感觉过敏（n = 134）和心动过缓（n = 112）。食用大麻食品最常被怀疑是中毒的原因（n = 116）。最常见的暴露途径是摄入（n = 135），而最常引用的原因是无人看管时摄入（n = 135）。大麻中毒主要是通过支持性临床症状进行诊断（n = 229），最常见的治疗方法是门诊监测（n = 182），并且宠物最常作为门诊患者进行治疗（n = 103）。加拿大和美国大麻使用的合法化可能是宠物中与大麻中毒病例增加相关的重要因素；但是，合法地位也可能会增加报告。宠物主人为宠物使用大麻的药用也可能导致报告的中毒病例的一部分。大多数经历大麻中毒的宠物完全康复，这表明大多数大麻中毒不会导致长期不良影响。尽管有 16 例（n = 16）与大麻中毒相关的死亡报告，但不能排除毒素和潜在疾病等混杂因素的存在，这强调了需要进行严格的对照实验室研究来调查这个重要问题。
