A sad warning for dog owners

[Kazanton]

It has taken me nearly a week to post this, and I will be posting it on every forum I can think of, but please bear with me, it is most important.

Some of you may know our dog Casper, a friendly, happy eight year old liver and white, English Springer Spaniel dog. A veteran of 20+ ferry crossings and very friendly with children and other dogs. Casper could run for England and bring home the gold.

We arrived back home to our longere near Clgurec last Monday. At once Casper was running about, excited to be back in France, greeting the other dogs that live next door and picking up his 'pee-mail', as dogs do... He ran off to explore, as he always has done for the last 3 years we have been here on holidays and he was gone for quite a while.

The next day Tuesday consisted of running about, shopping so we left him at the longere in the shade with his water and food, he looked tuckered out after the running he had done and we didn't want him cooped up in a hot car. He curled up and went to sleep as normal. That evening he didn't seem normal. He didn't want to run around, he seemed lacklustre and he was off his food. He followed us up the road to our French neighbours and at about 9 pm one of the sons commented that he had just seen Casper peeing blood.

I called friends who had internet access and they came back with it could be prostrate or kidney trouble. Or the effect of over immunisation. Casper had only had his booster shots on the Monday morning so I thought that could be it. I called the pompiers but they did not have a number for a 24 hour Vet and suggested I wait until morning.

We were at the vets first thing the next morning, Wednesday. Casper had been restless in the night and was now having trouble breathing and was shaking uncontrollably. The Vet checked him over and we went through every possible scenario. Yes, blood in the urine, shaking, laboured breathing, what could it be? Has he been running around? Do you live in the country? Yes to both. Live near farmland? Have they taken in the straw? Yes, our next-door neighbour is just now harvesting and the straw is being piled up in the barn next door.

Then the fateful words. Rat Poison. Poison de rat.

Casper was given the antidote, Vitamin K, immediately (and another 14 times over the next 20 hours along with a blood transfusion we later learned.) We were told to come back at 6 pm as we should know if the antidote had taken or not.

At 6 pm, when we returned, we were told that Casper was still critical but at least stable. The lab report came back with an incredulous finding of only 200,000 RBC when there should be 4-5 million! The Vet advised us that Casper would need to stay there in the heated cage until Saturday, possibly. So we gave him a kiss and a cuddle and said we would see him later. He looked at me with sad eyes and tried to lick my hand. I felt absolutely devastated as I turned away to go.

Then Thursday morning, the phone call at 8AM from our Vet. 'Malheureusement, Casper a dcd six heures ce matin.' First the shock, disbelief, then sadness. We had lost a member of our family. We went straight into Pontivy to the Vet, said our goodbyes, set up the cremation, our Vet took a lock of his hair for us and I paid the final bill.

What I have learnt from this event.

1)Good friends are the most important thing you can have in France.
2)Our Vet DID have a 24-hour number, we just didn't have it to call.
3)If you are suspicious that your pet has ingested something wrong, give him/her salt to make them vomit. Do NOT do this if the suspected poison is a petroleum based product. Go to this website for more information. http://home.nas.net/~jgeorge/Questions/Q1.html
4)When you lose a friend, even if it is 'only' an animal, the grief is overwhelming. And there is a hole now that can't be filled.

Thank you for reading this, it has helped me writing it and I hope my warning will prevent someone else this sad situation.

Kind regards,
Belinda

[Annabell]

Dear Belinda,
I have just cried for the first time in ages (actually since we lost our beloved cat over here to a dog).
I'm so so sorry. And thank you for the warning. We have two lovely labradors and would be feeling the same as you are now if we lost them.
It will take time, but you will feel better soon.
Anne

[Deby]

Belinda,

Thank you so much for posting this as I am new to owning a dog and would not know this at all. We are surrounded by farmers harvesting their hay at the moment, so through your sad loss I have indeed learned something which would probably cause us future peril.

Thank you again.

Deby

[Quillan]

Very sorry to hear your bad news, I don't think there is much else to say really (what can you say) except thanks for the warning.

Chris

http://www.chambresdhote.com

[Paulgun]

Belinda, our thoughts are with you, so very sad.
regards pauline

[Jsensiba]

Dear Belinda;

So very sorry about your lovely pet's demise. Dreadfully sad and I feel for you.

Julia

[Em]

Belinda
I am very sorry for your family's loss. You are so right to infer that the loss of a pet can be just as overwhelming as the loss of a human.
I know only too well, having a dog who died this year and a cat who vanished off the face of the earth a few weeks ago.
All I can say by way of comfort is the very old cliche, which is that time does heel and you will eventually be able to look back with happiness on the time he was alive.
He had what sounds to be an idillic life with you and now he is frollicking through the clouds.
With warmest wishes,
Em

[Lori]

Belinda
So very sorry for your loss. We lost a Sheltie to leukemia a few years back and it took me quite some time before I could even look at his pictures without crying. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I'm sure most of us would never have thought of such a thing.

[Chris_Haze]

>4)When you lose a friend, even
>if it is 'only' an
>animal, the grief is overwhelming.
>And there is a hole
>now that can't be filled.
>
>
>Thank you for reading this, it
>has helped me writing it
>and I hope my warning
>will prevent someone else this
>sad situation.
>
>Kind regards,
>Belinda


Dear Belinda
I read your message tonight as I was surfing the net for something to occupy me, because yesterday we had to have our dear friend (dog ) Reggie put to sleep as his cancer had become too overwhelming. Your story touched my heart, and I noted your point about 'only an animal' but know exactly what you mean.

In my experience our animals have been true friends, loving us whether or not we were successful, or beautiful, or anything else, they have always been pleased to see us for no other reason other than they love us. What more could you ask!

We're mourning our old friend tonight, and out thoughts are with you also. Sorry if this message sound a bit garbled - but a sad time for us too!!!

Love and best Wishes
Hazel and Chris (and remaining dog Reggie)

[Jaydeez]

We lost our beautiful cat 2 years ago aged 20 years old so know how you feel. Please enter on any search engine...we put it into google the words....... Rainbow Bridge.......although some parts of the site are a little odd the verse on the front page is beautiful....

We now have a new little puppy, as we retire to France soon and wanted a dog we could keep with us not a cat to go off. My husband is just tiling the kitchen floor as she has eaten all the laminate floor!! It reminded us once again of the joys of a pet as well as the iminent sadness.

Take Care.