- EDITIONS: Spanish News Today Murcia Today Alicante Today
Date Published: 11/04/2022
ARCHIVED - Marbella dogs poisoned by hashish washed to shore by storms
The drugs emit a sweet-smelling scent that is very attractive to dogs
The recent storms that have been battering the Andalucía coastline have resulted in detritus and rubbish washing up on Marbella beaches, among which there are bundles of hashish which narco boats frequently dump into the ocean when they are discovered by authorities. In recent days, the often deadly result is unsuspecting dogs swallowing the sweet-smelling packages.
Borja Hoz, a veterinarian in Marbella and Mijas, discovered one such package while inspecting the damage to the Dunas de Artola area on Wednesday April 6. Luckily he realised what the rubbish was before his dog could investigate too closely, and he reported the incident to the local authorities.
“We called the National Police, who picked them up. The agents told us that, in recent days due to the storm, these types of findings have been common,” the vet explained, adding that hashish has a very strong smell which attracts dogs walking along the beach.
“We have many cases of dog poisoning due to ingestion of hashish, but normally they are not so serious. They usually eat a small piece at the owner's house or a cigarette butt from the street, so the quantity is small and the consequences are mild”, he said.
However, the narcotics washed up on Andalucía’s beaches are much larger and the symptoms can be very serious, frequently resulting in death in smaller dogs.
After an animal ingests hashish, symptoms usually develop after an hour or two, and Mr Hoz explained that usually the dog’s pupils dilate, some vomit or salivate excessively and most are unstable on their feet.
“They feel like they are falling, disoriented, and they are also afraid of light. In the most extreme cases they have even convulsed”.
Quick action is vital, according to the vet, and the first course of action for clinicians is to induce vomiting, followed by X-rays.
“The dog is given a lot of liquid so that its kidneys work nonstop and thus eliminate the drug in its body as soon as possible,” he concluded.
Image: Archive
staff.inc.and
Loading
Sign up for the Spanish News Today Editors Roundup Weekly Bulletin and get an email with all the week’s news straight to your inbox
Special offer: Subscribe now for 25% off (36.95 euros for 48 Bulletins)
OR
you can sign up to our FREE weekly roundup!
Read some of our recent bulletins:
25% Discount Special Offer subscription:
36.95€ for 48 Editor’s Weekly News Roundup bulletins!
Please CLICK THE BUTTON to subscribe.
(List price 3 months 12 Bulletins)
Read more stories from around Spain:
Contact Murcia Today: Editorial 966 260 896 /
Office 968 018 268