A SAD INDICTMENT of today’s society can be found in reports that many dogs are suffering from the effects of their owners’ drug abuse.

A pet insurance company revealed the shocking information from a study that claims more and more dogs are suffering the symptoms of abuse of mood enhancing drugs.

Symptoms described are said to last for up to four days and the study states that half of all vets have treated a pet for the common symptoms of narcotics abuse.

Pet Plan, the company behind the survey said: "Like children, dogs will go looking for mischief, so all potentially harmful substances should be locked away."

The vets questioned claimed to have treated at least four dogs in a year who were showing signs of being ‘stoned’.

TV Vet Scott Miller, the survey's consultant vet, said: "You wouldn't leave drugs lying around for children to pick up, and we should be adopting the same levels of caution for our pets," he said.

The survey which was carried out amongst 100 vets did not reveal whether the animals accidentally consumed the drugs or if they could have been their owners plying the animals with drugs in what they may have mistakenly considered to be an amusing, harmless experiment.