Dog owner is left with a £900 vets bill after his terrier ate cannabis found while they walked on the beach

A dog which ate cannabis that it found on a beach during a walk has ended up at the vets landing its owner with a £900 bill.

Stephen Davidson, 59, had taken Oscar his West Highland terrier for a regular walk on a beach, where the pooch found and ate the drug without his owner realising.

Around an hour later he noticed that Oscar was acting strangely like he was 'away with the fairies'.

Stephen said the pet who is usually 'clingy and lovable' had become almost lifeless and stopped drinking following the trip to the beach in Sheerness, Kent.

He rang an out-of-hours vet fearing his family dog 'could have dehydrated and died'.

Shortly afterward, the worried owner rushed the ill dog to the PDSA charity where he was told eight-year-old Oscar had eaten the class b drug.

Oscar joins hundreds of dogs who have been poisoned after eating discarded cannabis joints or edible marijuana products found on walks or in users' stashes at home.

While more than 450 have been treated in the past four years, the true figure could be higher because many cases go unreported, according to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS).

The PDSA say signs of intoxication in dogs can begin 30 to 90 minutes after cannabis has been eaten.

Effects can include looking vacant, dilated pupils, a slow heart rate and incontinence.

To clear the drug out of his system, Oscar had to remain at the vet's overnight where he was kept on a drip and given charcoal medication.

He has since made a full recovery and is back to happily rolling onto his tummy to be stroked.

But the treatment the pooch received landed Stephen with a hefty bill.

The cost of the out-of-hours care totalled more than £900 which Stephen will be able to claim back on his insurance.

Stephen walks Oscar every day on Sheerness seafront but says he is now worried of taking him back there in case he finds and eats cannabis again.

He said: 'It's so bad in this town, people are just smoking it anywhere and then throw it on the ground.'

Now he wants to warn other owners so they don't end up in a similar situation and seek help as soon as possible if their pups start acting strangely.

'I just want people to be extra careful in what their dogs pick up and be aware of any dangers when walking them.’

With doctors calling for decriminalisation of recreational use of the Class B drug and prosecutions falling, some fear Britain could face similar problems to the US, where dog poisonings have tripled to more than 6,000 in five years after widespread legalisation.

The VPIS said there were 119 cases of canine cannabis poisoning last year, compared with 82 in 2020.

PDSA say while they have seen cases of cannabis intoxication, it does thankfully remain an uncommon issue.

Vet nurse Nina Downing said: 'Dogs will suffer from cannabis intoxication if they ingest it.

'Unfortunately, it can be the case that your dog may come across some cannabis while out and about on a walk, and if they ingest it, they will likely start to appear unwell.

'If you suspect your dog may have eaten some cannabis, it's a good idea to have them checked over by your vet as soon as possible, rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.'