My Dog Ate a Weed Edible or THC Gummy: Signs, Timeline, What to Do

Most dogs recover from a THC edible, but some need the ER right away. Here are the signs, how long it lasts and what to do in the first hour.

Quick answer: Most dogs recover from a weed edible or THC gummy in 1-3 days with supportive care. Call an ER or pet poison line right away, even before signs start. Go to the ER now for a puppy or small dog, cannabutter, a concentrate, an unknown amount, any chocolate, raisins or xylitol, or a dog who can't stand, is seizing, is hard to wake, or feels very cold or hot.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you think your pet is in danger, go to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

What to do the moment you find out

Call an emergency vet or a poison line as soon as you know he ate it. Don't wait for signs. The only window when a vet can safely empty his stomach is about the first hour, and only while he still seems normal.

• ASPCA Animal Poison Control, (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply)
• Pet Poison Helpline, (855) 764-7661 (a per-incident fee applies)

Have these ready when you call:

1. The package, or a photo of the label. The product type and the sweetener matter as much as the THC.
2. Your best guess at how much is missing, and what time he ate it.
3. His weight, age, health problems and every medicine he takes, especially sedating ones.

Cannabis calls are routine: in the ASPCA's Top 10 Toxins of 2025 report, recreational drugs, including marijuana, made up 1.9% of exposures.

Go to the ER now if any of these apply

Call ahead and go to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

Because of what he ate, even if he seems fine:

• Cannabutter or homemade baked goods, or any concentrate: oil, tincture, wax, shatter or a vape cartridge.
• More than one gummy, an unknown amount, or a whole bag.
• Chocolate (especially dark or baking chocolate) or raisins in the edible.
• It's sugar-free, it lists xylitol, birch sugar or wood sugar, or there's no label to check.
• Synthetic cannabinoids (K2 or Spice), or anything you can't identify.
• Missing packaging (a wrapper, jar, vape pen or cartridge), which can block the gut. A vape battery can also burn the mouth.

Because of who he is: a puppy or small dog, or a dog with heart disease or a seizure history.

Because you didn't see it happen: he's suddenly "stoned" or wobbly and you don't know what he ate. Don't assume it's weed, because antifreeze, xylitol and human medicines can look similar.

Because of how he looks:

• He can't stand, is very hard to wake, or collapses or faints.
• A seizure, or tremors that won't stop.
• Slow, shallow or labored breathing, or pale, gray or blue gums.
• A very slow, very fast or irregular heartbeat.
• He feels cold and is shivering, or he's overheated and panting hard.
• Vomiting while very sleepy, or coughing or trouble breathing after vomiting.

If none of these apply, still make the call. A vet or poison-control vet decides whether he can be watched at home.

How long until signs start, and how long do edibles last?

Signs usually start within 30 minutes to 2 hours. Some dogs take up to 4 hours or longer, and Pet Poison Helpline reports signs as late as 12 hours. Smoke that's breathed in acts in a few minutes.

Most dogs improve within 1-3 days with care. A large dose, a concentrate or cannabutter can last longer. THC is stored in body fat, so signs can linger or come back after he seemed better. "Fine at hour 4" is not an all-clear. A dog who gets worse after improving, or is still wobbly or dribbling urine after about 3 days, needs a vet the same day.

When	What you may see	What to do
A few minutes (smoke breathed in)	Sleepy, wobbly	Call an ER or poison line
First hour, no signs yet	Often looks normal	Call now; a vet may be able to empty his stomach safely
30 min to 2 hours (typical start)	Sleepy, wobbly, dribbling urine, startles at sounds	ER or poison line; don't make him vomit
Up to 4 hours or later (as late as 12 hours)	Signs that start late	Call now if you haven't yet, even with no signs; keep watching overnight
1 to 3 days	Most dogs improve with care	Same-day vet if he gets worse; ER now for any warning sign
After about 3 days	Still wobbly or dribbling urine; more likely after a big dose or concentrate	See a vet the same day

Sources: Merck Veterinary Manual, Pet Poison Helpline, ASPCA Animal Poison Control data (Donaldson, 2002).

Signs your dog ate weed: wobbling, dribbling urine, startling

The Merck Veterinary Manual lists lethargy, wobbling (ataxia) and vomiting as the most common signs. These signs point to THC rather than ordinary tiredness:

• Dribbling urine. He leaks urine without seeming to notice.
• Startling. He jumps at sounds, movement or touch.
• Wobbling. He sways or stumbles as if drunk, and his head may bob.
• Big pupils, trembling, twitching or agitation.

The heart rate is usually slow but can be fast. Most dogs are sleepy and wobbly, but some are agitated. Body temperature can go too low or too high. Seizures are rare. In a 2022 survey of veterinarians (Amissah and colleagues, PLoS One), dribbling urine and wobbling were among the signs reported most often.

If your dog ate weed and is shaking, the kind of shaking matters. Mild trembling in a dog who is alert and walking is a known THC sign, so make the call to an ER or poison line. Tremors that won't stop, shivering with a body that feels cold, or anything that looks like a seizure means the ER now. So does any shaking after a chocolate or sugar-free edible, because chocolate and xylitol can cause tremors too. Here's what a seizure in a dog looks like. To tell tiredness from true weakness, see this guide to a lethargic, weak dog.

Brownies, gummies, cannabutter: why what he ate matters

Weed brownies, cookies and chocolate edibles. A brownie, cookie or chocolate edible can add a second poison (chocolate, raisins or xylitol). Go to the ER now, and tell the vet exactly what the product was. Here's why chocolate is dangerous for dogs. Pet Poison Helpline notes that infused foods may contain chocolate or raisins. Raisins are a reason to go in on their own; here's why any amount of grapes or raisins is an emergency.

Sugar-free gummies. If the edible is sugar-free or has no label, treat it as an ER trip and bring whatever packaging you have. Check the label for xylitol (also called birch sugar or wood sugar); here's more on xylitol in sugar-free gum. The FDA warns that xylitol can drop blood sugar within 10 to 60 minutes, so that is an emergency on its own.

Cannabutter, oils and concentrates. Butters, budders, shatter, wax and oils are far stronger than an ordinary edible, and Pet Poison Helpline says concentrates put pets at great risk even in small amounts. In a Colorado study of 125 dogs, two dogs that ate baked goods made with medical-grade marijuana butter died. The Merck Veterinary Manual notes the cause of death was not reported in either case.

Product	Why it matters	Where to go
Plain gummy or edible, label in hand	THC alone	Call an ER or poison line; a vet decides about watching at home
Brownie, cookie or chocolate edible	Can add chocolate, raisins or xylitol	ER now
Sugar-free, or no label	Possible xylitol (birch or wood sugar)	ER now
Cannabutter, oil, tincture, wax, shatter, vape cartridge	Far stronger	ER now
More than one piece, unknown amount, whole bag	Dose unknown	ER now
Hemp delta-8 or delta-9 gummy	Still THC	Same as any edible
K2/Spice or unknown substance	More severe; known to be lethal in dogs	ER now
Wrapper, jar or vape pen missing	Blockage or burn risk	ER; tell the vet

Hemp and delta-8 gummies are still THC

Hemp-derived delta-8 or delta-9 gummies are still THC; treat them like any other edible. The FDA reported in 2022 that delta-8 THC has intoxicating effects similar to delta-9 THC, and that animal poison control centers saw a sharp increase in pets eating these products, which often come as candy-like gummies, chocolates and cookies. Even where it's legal to sell, it isn't safe for a dog, and the FDA has not approved any THC product for veterinary patients.

How do I sober him up? Why home tricks don't work

There is no antidote for THC, and nothing you give at home will speed his recovery.

Don't try to make him vomit at home with any product or method. If he ate it within the last hour and seems normal, call an ER or a poison line right now, because a vet may be able to empty his stomach safely. Once he is sleepy or wobbly, making him vomit can make him choke on it. ASPCA Pro notes that emptying the stomach is often unnecessary and may do more harm than good, and that breathing vomit into the lungs is a major concern in a sedated pet.

Skip the home remedies. Coffee, energy drinks, milk, bread, activated charcoal, CBD and human medicines don't reverse THC, and the caffeine in coffee and energy drinks is a poison for dogs on its own. Don't give him any of them.

A home drug test can't clear him. A negative result doesn't rule THC out. Merck notes that human urine drug screens often give false negatives in animals, so what you tell the vet is what the diagnosis rests on.

What the emergency vet may do

The Merck Veterinary Manual describes the usual supportive care:

• Emptying the stomach, or a medicine that binds toxins in the gut, but only within about an hour and only in dogs with no signs.
• Fluids into a vein or under the skin, and anti-nausea medicine.
• Warming or cooling, and a quiet, low-stimulus space.
• Vital signs and blood pressure checked every 1-4 hours.
• Medicine for a slow heart rate, agitation, tremors or the rare seizure.
• An IV lipid treatment for a concentrate or a severe case.

ASPCA Pro notes that young or small dogs are at higher risk of low body temperature and may need to stay in the hospital. Vets want the dog stable, walking and holding his own temperature before he goes home. The outlook is generally good, and death is rare. If you get a written estimate, here's how to read a vet estimate line by line.

While you get help: keeping him safe tonight

Use these on the way to the hospital, or at home once a vet or poison-control vet says he can be watched there.

• Keep him in a quiet, dim room, on the floor, away from stairs and pools. Stay with him.
• Don't give food or water if he's very drowsy.
• If he feels cool, cover him with a blanket, not a heating pad, and call the ER or poison line back. If he feels cold and is shivering, or he's a puppy or small dog, head to the ER. If he feels hot or is panting hard, don't cover him, and head to the ER.
• Check every pet in the home. Another one may have eaten some too.
• Keep watching overnight, since signs can start as late as 12 hours after eating.

Get a same-day recheck if wobbliness lingers after an ER or poison line said he could be watched at home, or if he won't eat or drink normally once he's fully awake.

Before you think about a video visit, go to the ER now if: it was a concentrate, oil, wax, vape cartridge, cannabutter or homemade baked edible; the amount was large or unknown; he ate it within about the last hour; he's a puppy or small dog; there was any chocolate or raisins; the label says sugar-free, xylitol, birch sugar or wood sugar, or there's no label; or he can't stand, is hard to wake, has hard tremors or a seizure, vomits while very drowsy, feels cold or very hot, or has pale or gray gums.

Dog awake and walking, and the edible had no chocolate or xylitol?

"Awake and walking" means he responds to you and can stand and walk, even if a little wobbly. This step comes after the urgent call to an ER or poison line, never in place of it.

RexVet is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. If you and your dog are in Florida, New York or Virginia, a $64.99 live video visit with Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM (slots about 8 AM-11 PM ET) can help once the urgent part is handled, for example after a poison line has said he can be watched at home, or while he's recovering and still a bit wobbly. She can check his alertness, gum color and walking on camera, weigh what he ate against his size, and set clear ER thresholds for the night, without judgment.

A camera can't measure heart rate or temperature, so if he feels cold or very warm or seems to be fading, go to the ER. This visit isn't about a prescription, and none is promised. Before about 8 AM or after about 11 PM ET, if no slot is open soon, or past any of these thresholds, go to an emergency vet or call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply) or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 (a per-incident fee applies). Outside those three states, use a local emergency vet or one of those lines.

Book a live video visit with Dr. Delacruz

Preventing it next time

New York's Office of Cannabis Management says: store cannabis locked and out of reach of children and pets, and contact your vet right away if a pet eats a cannabis product.

• Use a locked box or cabinet, not an open shelf or a low drawer.
• Keep edibles in their original labeled package.
• Ask guests to keep bags and coats up high or behind a closed door.
• Throw wrappers, cartridges and leftovers into a lidded bin.
• With Halloween coming, keep candy-look gummies at home locked up and away from the treat bowl.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long after eating a weed edible will my dog show signs?

Signs usually start within 30 minutes to 2 hours. Some dogs take up to 4 hours or longer, and Pet Poison Helpline reports signs as late as 12 hours after eating. Don't wait for signs. Call an emergency vet or a poison line as soon as you know, and keep watching overnight even if he seems fine.

How long will my dog be high?

Most dogs improve within 1-3 days with supportive care. A large dose, cannabutter or a concentrate can last longer. If he gets worse after seeming better, or he's still wobbly or dribbling urine after about 3 days, he needs a vet the same day.

My dog ate weed. Will he be OK?

Most dogs do well with supportive care, and death is rare, but it isn't impossible. Concentrates, cannabutter, synthetic cannabinoids (K2/Spice) and second poisons in the edible, such as chocolate, raisins or xylitol, raise the risk. That's why every ingestion deserves a call to an ER or poison line.

Can I just let him sleep it off at home?

Not as a rule. Some mildly affected dogs can be watched at home, but that decision belongs to a vet or a poison-control vet after you tell them what he ate, roughly how much, when, and his size. Don't give coffee or any home remedy to "sober him up."

Will the vet call the police if my dog ate my weed?

A vet's job is your dog. We found no Florida, New York or Virginia rule that requires a vet to report an owner's cannabis use. Florida law allows a vet to report a suspected crime but doesn't require it, and that report can't include your pet's written medical records without a court order. Vets in New York and Virginia must report suspected animal cruelty, and giving a pet THC on purpose could count. Adult-use cannabis is legal for people 21 and over in New York. In Virginia, adults 21 and over may possess it at home, though buying and selling adult-use cannabis is still illegal. Florida allows it only for qualified medical patients. Tell the vet exactly what he ate: THC tests often miss it, so what you say guides treatment. This is general information, not legal advice.

What if my cat ate weed?

Marijuana is toxic to cats as well as dogs, according to the ASPCA. Cats are more likely to chew dried bud, while dogs go for edibles. Signs are similar: sleepiness, wobbling and low body temperature, with seizures and coma rare. The outlook is generally good with care. Follow the same steps and call an ER or a poison line right away.