Labrador rescued after eating discarded cannabis on Ben Nevis hike
A dog was rescued from Ben Nevis after falling ill from eating discarded cannabis. The mountain rescue team and vets helped the dog recover fully.
Last weekend, Christina Bluhme was halfway up Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain, when her black Labrador, Tokyo, lost the use of her legs and began drifting in and out of consciousness. The Lochaber mountain rescue team stretchered the unconscious Tokyo down from the 4,413ft (1,345m) peak to a local vet. Bluhme reported that the dog made a full recovery the following day, and vets believe she ingested cannabis left on the trail.
The dog trainer from Esher, Surrey, described the experience during a trip to Scotland as "one of the most frightening days I've ever experienced", adding: "I genuinely thought I was going to lose her." She said that without the mountain rescue team, carrying a 25kg Labrador down Ben Nevis was impossible on her own. Bluhme expressed gratitude for the "compassion and dedication" of the rescue crew and vet team.
She also reminded fellow dog owners to be aware that discarded drugs and toxic substances can sometimes be found even in beautiful outdoor places. The Lochaber mountain rescue team praised the local vet team in Fort William and noted that Tokyo, usually a very fit and active working dog, had likely ingested something that made her critically unwell. According to Vets Now, dogs' brains have more cannabinoid receptors than humans', so marijuana affects dogs more severely. Symptoms can appear within 30 to 90 minutes and include loss of balance, stumbling, inability to stand, dribbling urine, dilated pupils, and glassy eyes. A similar case occurred in Somerset in 2024, when two dogs became unwell after consuming human waste containing cannabis while walking in a nature reserve.
