Calls to UK animal poison helplines involving recreational drugs and nicotine rose by 42% last year, with cannabis and nicotine products among the most commonly reported exposures.
The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) and its owner-facing Animal PoisonLine received 633 calls relating to recreational drugs and nicotine in 2025, up from 445 in 2024. That increase was considerably higher than the 26% rise in calls to the services overall.
VPIS says the number of drug and nicotine-related enquiries has increased by 87% since 2021, and current figures suggest 2026 could set another record.
Cannabis and nicotine products accounted for many of the calls, although cases involving cocaine and hallucinogenic mushrooms were also reported.
Dogs were particularly likely to be affected, reflecting their tendency to pick things up while out walking. Reported exposures included discarded cannabis products, nicotine gum and vaping products, as well as food, vomit and faeces containing drug residues.
Across all poisoning enquiries handled by VPIS and Animal PoisonLine in 2025, around 80% involved dogs and 18.7% involved cats.
Cannabis poisoning can cause marked neurological signs in dogs, including ataxia, lethargy, altered mentation, urinary incontinence, bradycardia and hypothermia. The source may not always be obvious, particularly where exposure has happened away from home.
VPIS has advised owners who suspect their pet has ingested a recreational drug to contact a veterinary practice straight away rather than delaying treatment while trying to identify the substance themselves. The attending vet can then contact VPIS for case-specific toxicology advice where needed.
The figures relate to calls made to the poison services rather than confirmed national poisoning incidence, so they cannot tell us how many pets are being exposed across the UK as a whole. Increased awareness and use of the helplines may also contribute to the rise.
Even so, the increase is a useful reminder that recreational drugs and nicotine products should remain on the differential list when a dog presents with sudden neurological or gastrointestinal signs, even when there is no obvious access to a toxin at home.