If ‘Cocaine Bear’ was real, can your pets really get high or addicted to drugs?
The viral movie trailer for “Cocaine Bear,” inspired by the true story of a wild animal that died of a drug overdose, has drawn attention to what can happen to animals who ingest drugs.
Although the odds of family pets getting into a fatal dose of an illegal substance are slim, even everyday household items such as over-the-counter painkillers can pose a risk to animals
And, research shows, animals exposed to drugs can also develop addictions.
Here’s what to know about the real-life implications of animals getting into drugs and what to do if happens to your pet:
What happened to Cocaine Bear?
The true story of the “Cocaine Bear” doesn’t have a happy ending for the bear.
It died, and a medical examiner found it had numerous problems associated with drug overdoses, including cerebral hemorrhaging, respiratory failure, and heart failure, the Louisville Courier Journal reported previously.
It was found surrounded by containers with traces of cocaine, believed to be related to a drug dealer who fell from a plane.
What happens when animals ingest drugs?
Like the bear, animals can feel the effects of drugs and sometimes get sick or die from them, experts say.
The impacts of drugs can vary based on exactly what the drug is.
Adderall and other drugs that contain amphetamines, for example, “can be very harmful or even deadly to pets if enough are ingested, potentially causing hyperactivity, tremors and seizures, fever, abnormal heart rate and rhythm, coma and even death,” according to the ASPCA.
“Even small amounts” of over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen, the group adds, “can cause significant medical problems in dogs, including gastrointestinal ulcers and kidney failure.”
“The effects of cannabis” on animals “are more dramatic and potentially more toxic when compared to humans,” VCA Animal Hospitals notes, meaning “a small amount of cannabis is all it takes to cause toxicity.”
Pets intoxicated by marijuana “may become wobbly and uncoordinated.”
“They may be hyperactive or sleepy, disoriented, and/or very vocal. Their pupils may dilate, giving them a wild-eyed appearance, and they may drool excessively or vomit,” VCA says. “They may also develop urinary incontinence (i.e., urine leakage). In severe cases, tremors, seizures, and coma can result.”
Can animals become addicted?
Like humans, animals can develop a dependence on a drug, research shows.
A 2013 study shared by the National Library of Medicine found that animals also have “the neural machinery that underlies drug seeking and taking.”
“Several symptoms of addictive behavior have been shown to occur in laboratory animals,” the study said, including “escalation of drug use, neurocognitive deficits, resistance to extinction, increased motivation for drugs, preference for drugs over non-drug rewards, and resistance to punishment.”
What to do if your pet consumes drugs
If you think your pet has ingested drugs or another potentially harmful substance, you can call the ASPCA’s poison control line at 888-426-4435 to speak to an expert at any time.
You can also call your pet’s veterinarian or take them to an emergency veterinarian.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 4:30 PM.
