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Dog in viral video recovering after consuming marijuana in park

A South Texas teen's video of his Chihuahua's reaction after ingesting some kind of marijuana item during a walk in the park has been making the rounds on social media. He shared his story with KENS 5.

ORANGE GROVE, Texas — A South Texas teen has shared a cautionary tale on social media after a stroll through the park with his dog led to a terrifying experience and a steep veterinarian bill.

Every dog owner knows that frantic feeling when your four-legged friend gets into something it shouldn't. For Orange Grove teen, Seth Mersing, that feeling led to an all-out panic after his 3-year-old Chihuahua, Rita, ingested marijuana, possibly from an edible snack, while taking a stroll in an area park.

In fact, the incident led to an emergency visit to the vet hospital, according to Mersing.

In a viral video posted to Mersing's account Tuesday, Rita can be witnessed allegedly reacting to the cannabis contraband she consumed, in what appears to be extreme distress.

Mersing told KENS 5 he didn't see exactly what his little dog ate, but she started acting strangely 30 minutes after consuming it. When she started to lose consciousness, Mersing said he rushed her to the vet hospital, where she stayed overnight.

Mersing said a urine test at his vet's office confirmed THC was in Rita's system. He said the veterinarian gave the dog an IV and monitored her for negative side effects, but she appears to be recovering.

Mersing shared these documents from his vet's office with KENS 5, showing that Rita tested positive for "THC."

Mersing said he doesn't smoke or use marijuana. He said he's upset that someone else's negligence led to a $1,000 vet bill for him, but he had to take care of his friend. "A dog is a child to me, and I will spend however much money to get her the help I would an actual baby," Mersing said.

According to ASPCA, marijuana is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs that your pet has been exposed to marijuana include prolonged depression, vomiting, incoordination, sleepiness or excitation, hypersalivaton, dilated pupils, low blood pressure, low body temperature, seizure, coma, or, in rare cases, death.

If you believe your pet may have ingested a toxic substance, call your vet or the Animal Poison Control Center at (888)-426-4435.

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