...By Gift BADEWO for TDPel Media.
A pet owner, Georgina Young, has issued a warning to other dog owners after her dog was left fighting for her life when she accidentally ate rat bait.
The Incident
Georgina Young had taken her dog Coco out for a walk in Erskineville, in Sydney’s inner west, one night last week when she noticed her eating something along the nature strip.
Because it was dark, she couldn’t tell what the dog had eaten, but days later when the 11-year-old animal was acting strange, Ms Young realised Coco had ingested potentially deadly rat poison.
The Consequence
She took Coco to the vet where it was found that she was in shock and had internal bleeding.
The dog spent three nights in the ICU and had multiple blood transfusions before being released from the hospital on Sunday.
Pet Insurance
Ms Young had recently cancelled her pet insurance due to the cost of living crisis, leaving her with a $13,500 vet bill for six weeks of treatment.
The Warning
Ms Young said she would hate to think of a child or another animal accidentally ingesting the bait.
She urged all dog owners to be cautious when taking their pets for a walk and keep them away from potentially harmful substances.
Signs of Rat Bait Poisoning
According to the article, the signs of rat bait poisoning include obvious external signs of haemorrhage, lethargy, weakness, wobbliness, loss of appetite, distended abdomen from bleeding into the abdomen, coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing from bleeding into the chest, pale gums from anaemia, bulging of eyes from bleeding behind the eyes and sudden death with no obvious clinical signs can also occur.
Conclusion
Georgina Young’s warning serves as a reminder to pet owners to be vigilant and cautious when taking their pets for a walk. It’s crucial to be aware of the substances that could harm pets, especially when it comes to rat baits.
