Can My Dog Get Addicted To Drugs?

The reactions after getting high on drugs are too quite similar to humans. If a dog does become addicted, it will need assistance to stop taking the drugs.

Can My Dog Get Addicted To Drugs? Yes, the body functions of dogs and humans are quite the same so they can get addicted to drugs. Dogs have been given medication for many, many years, so yes, they do have the potential to become addicted. It all depends on how often and how much medicine is given.

 In some countries, dogs are given medicine regularly whenever they develop minor medical problems such as ear infections or rotten teeth. Unfortunately, these drugs are potentially dangerous to dogs and their health.

 Even though some dogs do become addicted to these drugs, it is essential to note that some dogs addicted to drugs may not look sick while taking the drug, but the effects on their health may be just as strong. 

According to the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP), Professor George F. Koob said, “It is amply clear that animals and humans will readily self-administer drugs in the nondependent state and that drugs have powerful reinforcing properties in that animals will perform many different tasks to obtain drugs.”

If you find out your dog is addicted to pills, consult your vet on whether or not your dog needs more help than medication alone can provide.

Table of Contents

• How Can You Tell If A Dog Is Addicted To Drugs?
• Symptoms and signs of drug addiction dog
• Can Dogs Have Withdrawals From Drug Addiction?
• What Drugs Affect Dogs?
• How To Protect Dog From Addiction?

How Can You Tell If A Dog Is Addicted To Drugs?

As you know, dogs are getting addicted to drugs as humans. This means that they, too, have a change in behavior pattern, which can tell if they are high on drugs. The dog reacts to drugs as humans do, but the signs and symptoms can be different. 

Dogs can show excessive licking, and they start licking whatever comes in front of them, like their paws and other body parts. They start chasing their tails. They can suffer from separation anxiety too. 

These were some behavior change patterns you can look at in your dog. Here are symptoms and signs that can result from addiction to drugs.

Symptoms and signs of drug addiction dog

• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting
• Lack of energy in doing any activity
• Loss of interest in usual activities like playing or eating
• Depression
• Appetite loss or overeating
• Confusion or sleepiness
• Bloated abdomen in dogs
• Lack of coordination can result in inadequate hand-eye coordination of the body. As a result, they can face challenges in climbing stairs or chasing objects.
• Drug-seeking behavior. This means the dog looks for drugs once they’ve been taken away, such as searching behind furniture or under beds.
• Weight loss; may be accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting.
• Shakiness and trembling. This will make the movement difficult for them, and their legs can start shaking whenever they try to lunge or run.

So these are the things and signs that any dog can face if he is high on drugs. You can tell by their change in behavior patterns in recent days of getting addicted to drugs.

Can Dogs Have Withdrawals From Drug Addiction?

Yes, dogs react the same way to drug addiction as humans do. So if you stop giving them the drugs they have been taking for a long time, they can show withdrawals. 

The reason for showing them this behavior is the brain. The brain is responsible for the withdrawals as it takes some time to quit drugs. 

 While you may not see any physical evidence of withdrawal, there are some excellent ways to determine whether or not your dog is experiencing them on a mental level. 

One of these ways is observing their behavior. For example, animals might appear in pain or undergo behavioral changes when they quit medication. These include:

• They act like they want to hurt themselves, biting at the ground or inanimate objects, flipping over when startled, and displaying nervous or anxious behavior.
• Acting aggressively toward other pets or people
• Sleeping all day is also something you might notice if your dog is having withdrawals.
• Aggression toward other pets or people
• Aggressive behavior toward self or family members

So you should not stop their medication suddenly to protect them from getting addicted. But it is advised if you want your dog to quit medication and then do it gradually and slowly, and this will give some time to adjust the brain and body to change taking drugs.

What Drugs Affect Dogs?

You will find that dogs are given many drugs to treat their common infection problems. Unfortunately, people do not think before giving them to their dogs. The regular dosage of the drugs can make them addicted to various kinds of medicinal drugs. 

Also, other drugs like dronabinol affect the dogs and can cause activity problems. For example, Dronabinol is the active ingredient in Marinol taken by cancer patients to reduce nausea. 

Dogs, however, take it in much higher doses for much longer periods, up to 3 or 4 times a day. This can affect their body, and the dogs can suffer from behavioral changes such as anxiety, hyper activeness, etc. 

The drug to which humans get high or addicted can also affect their dogs if they take them too. For example, cocaine has a lot of short-term health risks associated with it because the drug causes an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, constriction of blood vessels, loss of appetite, sleep problems, anxiety, or agitation. 

These symptoms could damage or weaken the heart muscle if taken for too long. If not careful, this illness has a high risk for addiction, leading to seizures, strokes, or respiratory failure.

Another drug is fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid analgesic used to treat moderate to severe pain. Its effects are similar to morphine but are 50 to 100 times more potent, so abuse and accidental overdoses are higher risks. 

The positive effects of fentanyl include pain relief, sedation, euphoria, anxiety suppression, and sleepiness. However, its side effects are nausea, fatigue, drowsiness, itching, and slow breathing, which can sometimes be life-threatening.

How To Protect Dog From Addiction?

Dogs often suffer from addiction. Dogs can become addicted to cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, just like humans. They can also become addicted to benzos and alcohol. The medicine for their treatment of diseases can also be their addiction. 

But as the owner of the dog, it is your duty that you protect them from getting their hands on these drugs. There are some other steps that you can take to reduce his addiction problems if he is already addicted and keeps on taking drugs.

• Before giving your pet any drug, make sure that it has been given enough time for its body to adjust to that particular substance. Let your pet be used to only one substance at a time. Also, avoid mixing different drugs because it could lead to unwanted side effects for your pet.

• Be careful when feeding your certain dog kinds of food or treats known for their harsh flavors or high sugar content. Try not to give your dog anything that will add to the sugar content in your dog’s body. Sometimes, you might have to wait until the dog has lost interest in these foods, but it is essential to be careful with what you give your pet.

• The next part is the most crucial is the proper training and exercise. Make sure that your pet is getting plenty of exercise. Sometimes pets need a lot of energy for their daily activities and do not use it during their regular routines. You should follow a proper routine of getting them to exercise without interruption. Your pet can get frustrated if it doesn’t get enough exercise, and its frustrations could lead to depression.

• The next thing you can take care of is his food and diet. The diet also plays a vital role in fighting the addiction problem. Ensure you give them a healthy and balanced diet thrice a day. This would meet their demands for nutritional elements in their body. This will keep them in proper shape and healthy and protect them from getting involved in drugs.

Dogs not getting enough exercise can become more prone to harmful situations and situations that might lead them to a life of drug addiction. This is a sad reality, but it still needs to be understood. 

Please keep your dog from becoming bored or from procrastinating with its daily activities. Giving it tasks is one way to keep your pet from procrastinating. 

Give your pet some work to do as often as possible, as this will multiply the amount of work it has been doing throughout the day and improve your pet’s psyche and ability to coordinate.

A dog can be addicted to anything that is addictive or that causes them to become dependent upon it. 

Many times, a dog that is addicted becomes dependent and needs help and guidance to stop taking the drug. For example, some dogs addicted to pain medications require additional support in special rehabilitation programs.

Over-prescribing of drugs can potentially cause problems for both humans and dogs. For example, over-prescribing antibiotics to the point where bacteria develop resistance is a common problem in humans. 

Over-prescribing painkillers in dogs can also lead to problems down the road. Dog owners need to give their pets no more medicine than they need at any one time.