Pit Bull puppy overdoses on fentanyl, is revived with Narcan, Irvine police say

An 8-week-old pit bull apparently overdosed on fentanyl, Irvine police said, but they were able to revive her with Narcan.

The puppy was found Sept. 6 inside a car in a Walmart parking lot. The couple in the car – a 29-year-old San Juan Capistrano man and a 27-year-old Santa Ana woman – subsequently were arrested on suspicion of narcotics possession.

Officers said they initially saw paraphernalia and narcotics, including an open container of fentanyl, in the car.

The pup appeared lethargic, closing her eyes and panting with her tongue sticking out, Irvine Police Sgt. Karie Davies said.

The dog reportedly began to show signs of recovery after she received the Narcan nasal spray, which rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, and was transported to an emergency veterinarian for treatment, Davies said.

She has since fully recovered and now is in the possession of the Irvine Police Animal Services Unit.

An officer who answered the phone at the animal services desk said they could not share the dog’s name.

A poodle named Toodles in Pennsylvania was revived with Narcan, CNN reported, after an apparent drug overdose in April, according to a local shelter. A Pennsylvania SPCA  official told CNN that the dog likely ingested the fentanyl.

Symptoms of opiate overdose in dogs include drowsiness, difficulty standing, failure to respond to commands, a blank stare, weakness, unconsciousness and an inability to breathe, states a handout from the Missouri Veterinary Medical Association, as CNN reported. Most dogs show signs within 15 minutes of their exposure to opiates.

Anyone suspecting that a dog has overdosed should give it Narcan immediately and then take it to a veterinarian, the handout says.