A 10-month-old puppy was rushed to an Aberdeenshire vets “twitching and unable to stand” after swallowing a legal high on a nearby beach.
Aramis the Beagle pup was out on Kinnaber Beach with his owners when he was caught chewing on a packet believed to contain a powder or pill designed to imitate a Class-A drug.
He immediately took ill and his heart rate sped up at the coastal spot just south of St Cyrus, with his desperate owners – who wish to remain anonymous – rushing him to Robson Veterinary Hospital in Laurencekirk.
Within 30 minutes the substance kicked in, and his eyes were rolling and he was unable to stand.
Vet Ian Anderson was on-call with veterinary nurse Barrie Scott on Saturday when Aramis was brought in.
The 51-year-old added: “The dog was showing signs of stimulation to the nerves. He was twitching and turning and not able to walk or stand and also had a very fast heart rate. I suppose in straight forward terms, it was spaced out.
“It was quite frightening for the owners of the dog. They took it away from him and realised the packet contained one of these products called legal highs and then by the time they left the beach the dog was starting to show clear signs of intoxication from it.
“We were very concerned about the symptoms it had.
The pooch was kept on a drip overnight, and luckily has made a full recovery.
Mr Anderson added: “This is the first time I have ever seen a dog eat a legal high. We get dogs eating things they shouldn’t have fairly often – things like chocolate, Christmas cakes, Christmas puddings and there are dogs that eat their owner’s medication.
“There may well have been further packages.”
He urged pet owners to be “careful and cautious” when out and about.
He added the owners and himself were unable to figure out exactly what brand of legal high Aramis has swallowed as the packet was too chewed up.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn, said: “This is not an issue we have come across before and we are glad this dog was not seriously harmed.
“Anyone who believes their dog may have ingested a poisonous substance should seek immediate veterinary attention.”