What began as a challenging day hiking the UK’s tallest mountain quickly turned into a terrifying rescue mission after a Labrador suddenly collapsed near the summit.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

The five-year-old black Labrador, named Tokyo, was enjoying a family trek up Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands when she unexpectedly became critically ill, forcing mountain rescuers to carry her down the mountain before vets discovered she had likely consumed cannabis.

Tokyo’s owner, professional dog trainer Christina Bluhme, had been climbing the 4,413-foot (1,345-metre) peak with her 17-year-old son Magnus and their two-year-old golden Labrador, Blaze, when the frightening incident unfolded.

According to Bluhme, everything had seemed completely normal throughout most of the hike.

“She’d been so happy eating treats and drinking and had been her very active normal self,” she told CNN.

However, as the family closed in on the summit, Tokyo’s condition rapidly deteriorated.

“We were maybe an hour from the top when we noticed Tokyo got really weak in her hind quarters,” Bluhme explained.

At first, she feared the climb itself had caused a serious injury, recalling: “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. I was standing on that mountain thinking that that was it, I was going to lose her.”

Bluhme initially attempted to carry Tokyo herself, but the 24-kilogram (53-pound) Labrador proved too heavy, particularly as torrential rain made the descent even more dangerous.

Eventually, another walker suggested contacting emergency services.

Fortunately, volunteers from the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team were already close by after responding to another incident near the summit.

The rescue team quickly came to Tokyo’s aid.

“They put her on a stretcher, I grabbed one side and we got her down the mountain,” Bluhme said.

The team later confirmed the rescue on Facebook, writing that they had been called “to assist a collapsed dog.”

They added: “It’s now suspected that Tokyo, a usually very fit and active working dog, had ingested something that made her critically unwell.”

Once safely off the mountain, Bluhme rushed Tokyo to Crown Vets in nearby Fort William, where vets began investigating what had caused such a sudden collapse.

Rather than identifying an injury, veterinary staff quickly recognised signs of neurotoxicity.

According to Bluhme, the answer became unexpectedly obvious during the examination.

“She had all the symptoms of consuming cannabis and had her blood tested too. What really gave it away was when she had her temperature taken she let out some gas and it smelled completely like cannabis. It was almost like standing beside someone smoking weed.”

Despite the frightening circumstances, Bluhme admitted there was one bizarre moment that made her smile.

“It’s not funny, but it was a bit funny,” she said.

Veterinarians believe Tokyo most likely consumed either a cannabis edible that had been discarded somewhere along the hiking trail or human waste containing traces of cannabis.

To help remove the toxins from her system, vets placed Tokyo on an IV infusion and administered activated charcoal, which works by absorbing harmful substances.

Thankfully, the treatment worked quickly.

When Bluhme returned to collect Tokyo the following day, her energetic companion had made an impressive recovery.

“She was wagging her tail very happily and was ready to go. And the day after you wouldn’t have thought that this had happened to her.”

The Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team also confirmed that Tokyo had “made a full recovery.”

While the incident had a happy ending, Bluhme admitted it had taught her an important lesson about allowing dogs to forage during walks.

The professional dog trainer said she had never previously heard of dogs becoming ill after consuming cannabis, but has since been contacted by numerous owners who experienced similar situations.

“I learned a lesson in terms of dogs scavenging,” she said.

“I’ve never put too much importance on it… they love sniffing and foraging. But I’m definitely going to be a little bit more careful about what they put their nose into in future.”

Tokyo’s remarkable recovery means the ordeal is now firmly behind her, but the experience serves as a reminder that even experienced owners can encounter unexpected dangers while out walking.

Featured image credit: Instagram/@lochabermrt