A Sitka vet is asking Sitkans to leash their dogs when exploring some local beaches. That’s after her clinic treated several dogs that became seriously ill over the Fourth of July weekend. 

Dr. Nicole Caraway, veterinarian and owner of Pets Choice Veterinary Hospital, said she suspects the illnesses may be related to medications or other substances that can be present in human waste. 

“My best guess is that this was marijuana intoxication secondary to ingestion of human waste,” she said. “However, I cannot prove that, and so there’s no way to be certain. That’s just my best guess based on my 24 years of experience.”

Three dogs were brought to emergency care over a 12-hour period. Two had been exploring the area around Tom Young Cabin, near Goddard Hot Springs, about 16 miles south of Sitka. The third was exploring Back Beach, near Sitka’s national park. She says the dogs were acting “drunk” and struggling to walk. They were also cold and twitching, hyper-responsive to noise and touch, and had no interest in eating or drinking. 

“[That’s] very alarming when you don’t know what’s going on, and you think that your dogs might actually be dying,” she said.

Caraway said all three dogs fully recovered after 48 hours of being treated with IV fluids.

She said if her clinic had gotten samples of the ingested fecal matter, they could have sent it out to be tested for substances. They also could have used the same urine drug tests that are often used on humans, but she said they’re not always accurate. A negative result doesn’t always mean it’s actually negative. 

“A test is not a necessity in every single case,” she said. “It’s not necessarily going to change what we are going to do. It just gives us peace of mind as a possible explanation.”

Dogs ingesting marijuana or even opioids or methamphetamine is not uncommon. There are reports of pets across the country that are exposed to substances through human feces. Caraway said while it happens in Sitka too, it’s unusual to see so many cases over such a short period of time. 

Caraway asks Sitkans to keep their dogs safe by using a leash, or keeping them under close control while on local beaches to prevent them from eating human or wildlife feces.

“It’s part of our job of keeping our pets safe, because we all know that dogs will be dogs.”

She said Sitka is fortunate to have two full-time vets, with emergency care available 24/7. If a dog suddenly becomes wobbly, excessively sleepy, or starts acting strangely after a beach outing, she said owners should seek veterinary care immediately. 

She also reminds Sitkans to properly dispose of or pack out human waste to help keep both animals and community members safe.