Barking Blondes: Poisonous Acts
This week, on our radio show, we spoke to a woman whose dog fell victim to pet poisoning near a north London park.
She and her three dogs were on the way home from their regular walk when two of the dogs began to guzzle what appeared to be moldy bread. She pulled them away and returned home where minutes later one of the dogs became very agitated. The owner, knowing the symptoms of poisoning, took the dog straight to the vets, then returned home to find the other dog, Toby, dead on the floor.
“It’s heart breaking, my dogs are my family and Toby was a rescue dog,” she said.
The two other dogs, thanks to the vet, survived. Another dog, a spaniel, died the following day, after eating meat laced with poison in a nearby spot.
The slow painful death caused by a powerful combination of long-acting anticoagulants, cholecalciferol, bromethlin, and phosphide will kill a dog in only minutes depending on the size of the dog and the amount of poison absorbed. How does poison end up in a public space? What makes humans be so thoughtless – and so inhumane to maliciously leave contaminated foods for innocent dogs and cats to eat? Unwitting owners are left to suffer costly vet bills or worse the loss of the beloved pet.
Some ‘vigilantes’ may want to rid our city parks of foxes and rats, and believe ‘spiking’ bread or meat with a high dose of poison is helping the community, but in doing so are putting domestic dogs and cats at risk. It’s also illegal to lay poisoned ‘traps’ in a public space.Nobody wants an infestation of rats and mice near their home. However, there are a variety of humane traps and repellents available to help control this growing urban problem.
If you suspect your dog has eaten rodent poison rushing him to a vet is the only option. Try and induce vomiting immediately with a concentrated saline solution. The success of the treatment will depend on the amount of poison ingested and the time allowed to absorb into the dog’s system.
As summer approaches city parks are set to welcome thousands of well meaning ‘fair-weather’ park goers, but many dog owners dread the summer months because this is the season when picnickers leave their left overs to rot by throwing them into bushes where our dogs are bound to scavenge. From plastic containers, crisp packets, to chicken bones and Bar-B-Q remains, these pose as much of a threat as poison to our four-legged friends. Apparently benign remains like a peach stone can mean a stay in ‘intensive care’ for the poor dog that finds this on a routine sniff around the park. Equally a chicken bone can splinter and puncture a mutt’s stomach lining in a matter of minutes. Some people are now being driven to muzzle their dog to prevent them from poisoning themselves during their regular walks.
In fact, in the wake of the latest spate of dog on dog attacks in parks, one listener suggested muzzling all dogs in public. In our quick fix society, this might present a sensible solution, but the truth is a dog is only as good as its owner. An owner who is committed to training, socialising and raising a dog responsibly. A muzzle might fix the symptom, but won’t cure the bigger holistic picture, which is often created by a minority sadly affecting the majority.
Barking Blondes by Jo Good & Anna Webb, published by Hamlyn, £12.99www.octopusbooks.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment