A hike up Britain’s highest mountain turned into a rescue mission after a black Labrador suddenly became seriously ill and collapsed on the trail. The dog’s owner later learnt that the five-year-old Labrador had most likely eaten discarded cannabis during the climb.Tokyo, a working Labrador, was hiking with her owner, professional dog trainer Christina Bluhme, her 17-year-old son Magnus and another dog on Ben Nevis in Scotland on July 5 when she suddenly lost the use of her legs.She was rescued by the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and later made a full recovery after treatment at a nearby veterinary clinic.
How Tokyo collapsed
Bluhme said Tokyo had been completely normal for most of the hike. The dog had been eating treats, drinking water and walking comfortably as the group climbed Ben Nevis, which stands at 1,345 metres. However, about an hour before reaching the summit, Tokyo began to sway and became weak in her back legs.“Initially, I thought it could have been a spinal thing or a disc that had slipped because of the climb, but then she started drifting in and out of consciousness,” Bluhme said as quoted by CNN. “I was standing on that mountain thinking that that was it, I was going to lose her,” she added.As the weather worsened with rain and low temperatures, Bluhme realised she could not carry the 25kg Labrador down the mountain on her own.
The rescue
A fellow hiker suggested calling emergency services. Fortunately, volunteers from the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team had just finished helping another casualty near the summit and were nearby.The rescuers placed Tokyo on a stretcher and carried her down the steep mountain trail in about an hour before she was taken to Crown Vets in Fort William.Bluhme praised the rescue team, saying, “Without the incredible Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, there is simply no way I could have got her safely off the mountain,” BBC reported.She added, “Their kindness, professionalism and calm support meant everything during one of the most frightening days I’ve ever experienced.”
Labrador retriever, recovering at Crown Vets in Fort William, Scotland (Associated Press photo)
Suspected poisoning
Veterinarians initially considered whether Tokyo had suffered a spinal injury. However, after examining her symptoms, a senior vet suspected she had been exposed to a neurotoxin.Following consultation with a poison control centre, vets concluded that Tokyo’s symptoms matched cannabis intoxication. According to Bluhme, vets believe the Labrador most likely ate discarded cannabis or an edible left along the trail.Tokyo was treated with activated charcoal and intravenous fluids. She recovered overnight and was back to her normal self the next day. “The next day it was like nothing ever happened,” Bluhme said, as reported by Associated Pres. “She recovered so quickly,” she added.Bluhme also said the incident came as a shock because she had never imagined her dog would encounter drugs on a mountain trail. “I genuinely thought I was going to lose her,” she said, as quoted by BBC, and also urged other pet owners to stay alert during walks.
