South Florida dogs are getting high from THC exposure

Randy Salazar was walking around a neighborhood in West Miami with his 3-year-old white Siberian Husky when he noticed that Frosty had something in his mouth. Salazar quickly tried to pull it out, but Frosty had already swallowed it.

The pair finished their walk, but later that evening, Frosty was flinching, and his legs were wobbly when he tried to get off the couch. Salazar initially thought that Frosty was showing the early signs of degenerative myelopathy, a common neurological disorder that causes physical instability in dogs and plagued his previous husky.

Then, around 30 minutes later, Frosty became glassy-eyed and lethargic, simply staring at Salazar and not responding immediately to any action.

“I was like, OK, he just looks like he’s either drunk or high” Salazar said.

It turned out to be the latter. Frosty had ingested some form of THC, urine tests at Miami Veterinary Specialists, an animal hospital in South Florida, revealed. The husky was high, for at least 24 hours, Salazar said.

Alongside a rise in marijuana use has been an increase in cannabis toxicity cases in pets. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center reported in 2023 that the organization had seen a 300% increase in calls related to marijuana ingestion in the last five years and listed it as a top 10 toxin for pets for 2025.

The veterinarian at Miami Veterinary Specialists immediately diagnosed Frosty and told Salazar that it was a very common case in Miami. But just how common is it?

According to Dr. Tina Wismer, senior director of toxicology at ASPCA Poison Control, Florida often ranks in the top five among states for marijuana-related calls to the center. Around 10% of the calls made to ASPCA Poison Control in Florida came from Miami-Dade County.

The use of marijuana in Florida has increased since the legalization of its medical form in 2016, as well as the presence of smoke shops selling THC-saturated products in the state following the 2018 federal Farm Bill that legalized hemp and its offshoots. Recreational marijuana remains illegal, but Florida has 740 authorized medical marijuana dispensaries across the state and over 1,000 smoke shops, mostly concentrated in South Florida.

The vast majority of cases of accidental ingestion by animals involve dogs. In 2025, Florida had 12,524 cases opened for potential toxin exposures. Of the over 16,000 animals involved in those cases, over 80% involved dogs. Around 300 cases involved exposure to marijuana.

Despite those numbers, veterinary practices and animal services professionals gave varying accounts on what they’ve seen in South Florida specifically.

Gabriella Dominguez, a spokeswoman for Miami-Dade Animal Services, said that the shelter had not encountered cases involving dogs accidentally ingesting marijuana. Dr. Francelis Rodriguez, the founder of Miami Vet Group in Pinecrest, also said the practice has not seen a large increase in “confirmed marijuana intoxication cases” recently but that it does “occasionally evaluate pets with symptoms and histories that may be consistent with cannabis exposure.”

Rodriguez noted that one of the main challenges of diagnosing animals is the lack of consistent “reliable rapid tests” to detect marijuana intoxication. Although practices can use urine tests to detect THC, they often take longer, and most practitioners have to rely on visual symptoms to make an initial diagnosis.

Rodriguez listed some of the common symptoms of intoxication as lethargy, disorientation, stumbling, tremors, urinary incontinence, and hypersensitivity to sound or touch. In the most severe cases, seizures or comas are possible. The severity of cases depends on the amount of THC ingested, as well as the size of the animal.

Wismer said that vets can use IV fluids and IV lipid emulsions in treatment. Miami Vet Group typically also performs blood work in cases of intoxication, testing the organ function and liver enzymes of the affected animal, as “elevations” can occur with the ingestion of substances found in edibles specifically.

ASPCA Poison Control most often sees cases where the dog has eaten a laced baked good or raw plant material. Dogs tend to be most attracted to edibles because their taste and smell mimic regular baked goods.

Rodriguez noted that edibles often pose the most danger to dogs due to their highly concentrated levels of THC. Especially harmful are cannabis-infused chocolate and xylitol products, as well as raisins, as the ingredients contain additional toxicities for dogs.

Both Rodriguez and Dominguez recommend that if exposure to THC is suspected, pet owners should seek immediate attention. Wismer said that ASPCA Poison Control is never concerned about the “legality of the toxin an animal is exposed to” and is focused on recommending the appropriate treatment.

Owners should also pay close attention to their dogs’ activities while outdoors to prevent any unintended ingestion of discarded products, and keep their medications or “household toxins” out of reach. If cannabis is being smoked, the user should ensure the pet is not in the room to inhale secondhand smoke.

Despite a potentially long-lasting high as a result of ingestion, most pets that experience cannabis toxicosis make full recoveries.

In Frosty’s case, Salazar said he put the dog on a fast for a day to prevent him from potentially choking because of his lower motor skills during his high. But he has since returned to his very social, “normal self.”

Next time Frosty’s chewing or smelling something, Salazar will “keep an eye to ensure he doesn’t grab it.”