My Dog Ate an Edible — What To Do Right Now

Last verified: April 2026

Right Now — The Three Calls

If you are reading this because your dog just ate an edible, stop reading in a second and make a call:

1. Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661 (24/7, fee applies, connects you with a veterinary toxicologist immediately).
2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 888-426-4435 (24/7, fee applies, alternative).
3. Your regular vet or nearest emergency vet. If it is after hours, call the emergency clinic directly.

Call one of them before you spend another five minutes on this page. Then come back.

Why Dogs and Cannabis Are a Bad Combination

Dogs have more cannabinoid receptors in their brains than humans do. The same 10 mg THC gummy that makes a 170-pound human mildly relaxed can severely affect a 30-pound dog. Cannabis is one of the top 10 most common toxins reported to the Pet Poison Helpline every year, and the calls rise every time a new state legalizes.

Edibles make it worse for three reasons:

• They taste good. Dogs will eat a whole package, not a recommended dose.
• They often contain chocolate or xylitol, both of which are independently toxic to dogs. A chocolate brownie with THC is a double poisoning.
• Delayed onset hides the severity. The dog may seem fine at first, then crash 60 to 90 minutes later as the edible is fully absorbed.

Symptoms To Watch For

Cannabis toxicity in dogs (and cats — same physiology, rarer ingestions) typically presents with:

• Lethargy, wobbliness, loss of coordination. Your dog seems drunk.
• Dilated pupils, glassy eyes.
• Drooling, sometimes vomiting.
• Low body temperature. They may seek warmth, shiver, or feel cold to the touch.
• Urinary incontinence — dribbling, sudden accidents. This is very characteristic of cannabis toxicity in dogs.
• Hyperreactivity to sound or touch. They startle at nothing.
• In severe cases: tremors, seizures, dangerously low heart rate, coma.

Mild cases look uncomfortable. Severe cases are a genuine emergency. The rule is simple: when in doubt, call and go.

What To Tell the Vet — Honesty Matters

This is the part that makes pet parents panic: am I going to get in trouble if I tell the vet my dog ate a THC edible?

Tell the vet. The whole truth. Every time.

Veterinarians in legal and illegal states alike are focused on treating your animal, not reporting you. Veterinary practice in the United States treats cannabis ingestion as a clinical problem, not a law enforcement problem. Being vague or dishonest — “I think he got into something” — forces the vet to run expensive diagnostic workups to rule out other poisonings, delays treatment, and can cost your dog hours at a time when hours matter.

Accurate information lets the vet act fast. Bring the packaging if you can. They will want to know:

• How much THC was in the product (total mg and mg per piece).
• How much of the product is missing (was it a full package, half, a single gummy?).
• When your dog ate it (best estimate).
• Whether there was chocolate or xylitol in the product.
• Your dog’s weight and any existing medications or conditions.

Treatment: What To Expect

For mild to moderate cases caught early, treatment often looks like:

• Induced vomiting if ingestion was recent (within the last hour or so) and the dog isn’t already showing severe symptoms.
• Activated charcoal to bind remaining cannabinoids in the GI tract.
• IV fluids to support hydration and help clear the drug.
• Thermal support for low body temperature.
• Observation for a few hours to overnight.

For severe cases — especially large ingestions, very small dogs, or concurrent chocolate/xylitol poisoning — treatment may include anti-seizure medication, intravenous lipid emulsion therapy (which helps bind fat-soluble THC), heart monitoring, and longer hospitalization.

Costs range widely. A mild case observed at a regular vet might be a few hundred dollars. A severe case at an emergency clinic with overnight hospitalization can run $1,000 to $3,000 or more. This is an argument for pet insurance and a stronger argument for a lockbox.

The Prognosis

Here is the piece of news that every frightened pet parent wants: the prognosis for cannabis toxicity in dogs, with prompt treatment, is excellent. Most dogs make a full recovery within 1 to 2 days. Cannabis is not a substance with a narrow therapeutic window in dogs — they feel awful, they need support, and they get better. Deaths do occur, rarely, usually in small dogs with very large edible ingestions or combined chocolate poisoning.

The hard-earned wisdom from veterinary toxicology: almost every dog recovers. Almost every owner kicks themselves for having left the package out. The shame is temporary. The lesson stays.

Prevention Is Cheap and Complete

Every story in this category is the same story: the edible was on the counter. The bag was left on the coffee table. The purse was on the floor. The dog is a dog — it eats things.

Storage prevents every single one of these emergencies:

• Lockbox for edibles. Always.
• Never leave an open package unattended, even for two minutes.
• Chocolate edibles especially — these are double-toxic to dogs. Keep them in the safest place in the house.
• Houseguests bringing cannabis — ask them about storage when they arrive, help them put their things in your lockbox, a pet-proof room, or their car.
• When you travel to a home with a dog, extend them the same courtesy. Cannabis stays in a locked bag or the car.

What About Cats, Rabbits, and Other Pets?

Cats can be affected similarly but ingest cannabis much less often because they are pickier eaters. The same protocols apply — call, go, be honest. Rabbits, ferrets, and exotic pets are at risk from any accessible cannabis and should receive immediate veterinary attention if ingestion is suspected. Pet Poison Helpline covers all species.

The Bottom Line

Call 855-764-7661 (Pet Poison Helpline) or your vet. Bring the packaging. Tell the truth. Your dog will almost certainly be fine. And then buy a lockbox. See safe storage.