How a "my dog ate cocaine" incident is changing veterinary care

Jake Johnson traces his veterinary research motivation to a simple concept with sweeping consequences. The idea is that animal, human, and environmental health are inseparable, and knowledge gains power when it crosses borders.

Johnson was captivated early by the One Health Initiative, which shows how discoveries in veterinary medicine can inform human health and ecosystem resilience. Sharing those insights can improve outcomes far beyond a single patient.

A cardiology resident at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Johnson focuses his work on translating cutting-edge cardiology into tools that clinicians can actually use.

He prioritizes education and access for veterinary students and general practitioners who may not have specialized training or high-end equipment. He also designs studies with practical take-home value.

Building on earlier projects

Johnson’s current efforts build on early projects, including a case report describing an unusual form of feline heart failure and how imaging choices can change clinical decisions.

The through-line is the same: bridging the gap between advanced knowledge and the constraints of real clinics.

He sees research as the engine that turns individual, hard-won insights into shareable methods. Others can then deploy these methods in emergencies or resource-limited settings.

Cocaine toxicosis in dogs

One strand of his work tackles cocaine toxicosis in dogs. Much of the available data comes from controlled laboratory studies or from human medicine, and neither dataset perfectly reflects the chaos of a real-world veterinary emergency.

Animal exposures are often uncertain – owners may not know what a dog picked up, or may hesitate to say – so clinicians must act on incomplete information.

That uncertainty is exactly why better case documentation and practical protocols matter.

The dog cocaine case

A small dog was experiencing collapse episodes accompanied by severe bradycardia. Due to concerns about possible illicit substance ingestion, clinicians performed a urine drug screen.

The test returned positive for cocaine and was later confirmed by an external laboratory. For Johnson, the case demonstrates the importance of pairing clinical signs with targeted toxicology testing when exposure is a possibility.

The case also highlights the need to build a literature that helps practitioners decide what to test, when, and why.

Preventing exposure before emergencies

Dogs are opportunistic scavengers. Owners can cut risk by keeping pets leashed, watching for attempts to pick up unfamiliar items, and – when needed – using a basket muzzle during walks.

Reliable “leave it” and “drop it” cues can be lifesaving if a dog encounters dangerous substances.

And when exposure is suspected – or a pet is simply “not quite right” – immediate veterinary care is prudent, because minutes and hours often determine outcomes.

Case reports that save lives

In veterinary medicine, case reports serve an essential role. They capture the unusual and the emergent – the very scenarios large trials miss.

They also preserve the details future clinicians will look for when seconds matter. Over time, those reports seed better triage pathways, monitoring checklists, and treatment protocols.

A persistent misconception hampers care: that veterinarians will judge or report owners who admit a pet may have ingested illicit drugs.

However, according to Johnson, clinicians need accurate histories to save lives, not to assign blame. Honest, specific information – what, when, and how much – enables tailored treatment and closer monitoring for predictable complications.

Research priorities to advance care

Looking ahead, Johnson’s agenda centers on access. He calls for studies that simplify imaging so it can be performed with standard equipment.

He also advocates for cost-effective screening strategies that identify high-risk patients without expensive panels, along with pragmatic educational interventions that convert subspecialty knowledge into routine practice.

Johnson also pushes for comparative trials of lower-cost treatment protocols that achieve similar outcomes, structured training so general practitioners can perform basic specialty procedures, and wider use of telemedicine to bring specialist guidance into rural and resource-limited clinics in real time.

The goal is to ensure that a dog in a small town has access to lifesaving options just as reliably as one treated in a metropolitan referral hospital.

Open science in veterinary care

Information only helps if people can access it. Removing paywalls and sharing protocols lets students and clinicians learn and apply cardiology principles with the tools they have, not just the tools they wish they had.

In Johnson’s model, publishing is a starting line, not a finish line – the real success is a colleague using that knowledge to stabilize a patient they might otherwise have lost.

Across topics – from toxicosis to cardiology education – the constant is a One Health sensibility coupled with a practical streak.

Johnson’s work aims to move advanced concepts out of the seminar room and into exam rooms, ERs, and farmyards, where they can change outcomes today while building a stronger evidence base for tomorrow.

The case report of the dog ingesting cocaine is published in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

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