A Labrador had to be rescued while hiking on Ben Nevis, Scotland’s highest mountain, after suddenly falling ill. A veterinary examination later suggested that the dog had likely eaten food containing cannabis, leaving it in a severely disoriented state.
The five-year-old black Labrador, Tokyo, was hiking with his owner, Christina Bluhme, and her family when they noticed he suddenly became weak during the climb.
At first, Christina thought the difficult terrain might have caused a back or spinal injury. However, Tokyo soon began drifting in and out of consciousness, raising serious concerns.
She said she feared she was about to lose her beloved pet. With heavy rain and slippery conditions making it impossible to carry the 53-pound Labrador down the mountain, the family called the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team for help.
Fortunately, rescue volunteers were already nearby responding to another emergency. They quickly reached Tokyo and safely carried him down the mountain on a stretcher.
Tokyo was then taken to the Crown Vets clinic in Fort William, where veterinarians performed blood tests and other examinations. According to the vets, he displayed all the typical symptoms seen in animals exposed to cannabis.
Christina said that when the veterinarian checked Tokyo’s temperature, gas released during the examination had a strong cannabis-like smell, further reinforcing the suspicion.
Veterinary experts believe Tokyo most likely ate cannabis-laced food discarded along the hiking trail or consumed the feces of someone who had used cannabis.
After receiving treatment and being monitored by veterinarians, Tokyo recovered quickly and was discharged the following day. His owner said he appeared cheerful on the way home, wagging his tail, and by the next day, it was as if nothing unusual had happened.