Vets concerned about antifreeze poisonings
Published Saturday, March 29, 2008
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When Rowdy, a 7-month-old Australian Shepherd, suddenly seemed to have trouble walking, his owner was concerned.
“He started acting drunk,” said Larry Foster, the dog’s owner.
The dog had been roaming on and off Foster’s Badger property. Suspecting Rowdy may have been poisoned, Foster immediately took the dog to get checked out.
Turns out Rowdy was one of the lucky ones.
A recent spike in antifreeze-related deaths has prompted veterinarians at the North Pole Veterinary Hospital to remind pet owners of the symptoms and what to do if they suspect a dog or cat has been exposed.
At least five dogs have died from antifreeze poisoning in the last month, said Denali Lovely, one of the veterinarians at the North Pole hospital. Each dog was away from its owner’s supervision when exposed.
The toxic ingredient in antifreeze is ethylene glycol, an odorless chemical that causes kidney failure.
Antidotes are available but very expensive, and they are not an option if too much time has elapsed since ingestion of the antifreeze.
Even small amounts of ethylene glycol are lethal — a 20-pound dog can die from ingesting a single teaspoon.
Damage to the kidneys begins almost immediately, and the first 12 hours are crucial if a pet is exposed, veterinarian Margaret Eastman said. If a pet appears drunk, it should be tested immediately, she said.
Allowing pets to roam free is the most common way for them to be exposed to antifreeze poisoning, Eastman said. Another way many pets come in contact with antifreeze is from leaky car radiators.
In winter, pets often spend a lot of time in home garages. She said owners should make sure cars are not leaking and that antifreeze containers are properly stored.
And Rowdy?
He is more than a year old now. Foster said the treatment was expensive but that Rowdy was worth it.
“He’s the best dog I’ve ever had.”
Community Discussion
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Im glad your dog is ok...its a good thing it didnt get loose near fort yukon..I hear those people shoot first and dont ask questions later..what a culture!
It is a sad thing that people have to go so low as to poision neighborhood dogs. Maybe the pet owners should take on some responsibilities though and keep there dogs on a leash like the law says, or build a fence. Dogs do not have the right to just go meandering through everyones properties.
It is unfortuniate that there a some people that would do something like that. It is up to the owner of the dog (cats too) to keep their pets safe, on a lease, or in a fenced yard. The dogs should not be roaming around anyway. Most places have laws against it. There are also nuisance pet owners that have rowdy dogs that run around chasing children and getting into other peoples yards. If a pet owner will not control their pet, they should not have pets. Until people take responsibility for that, things like this will continue to happen. It creates a better community when people don't poison their neighbors pets and pet owners keep their pets in their own yard or on a leash.
We have had three dogs die within two months...Badger road area, on the end of Nordale. We do keep the animals under our control, chained when outside. Each of these three dogs "escaped" for less than fifteen minutes,which is when they must have been poisoned. Each incident occurred about one month apart.
Someone is purposely poisoning animals around here. When they are caught they will face criminal charges, ie. cruelty to animals. Hopefully, they will be caught before a child is injured.
The other thought is that we have many meth labs in this area, and confirmed by the state troopers, there are also "portable meth labs" which are here today and gone tomorrow. Have you checked out your back yard? The explosion will incorporate your house when it blows. Hope you're children are not outside playing when it goes.
I DOUBT THESE AMINALS WERE DELIBERTLY POISONED. YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT EVEN A VERY SMALL BIT OF ANTIFREEZE ON THE GROUND OR IN THE BOTTOM OF A CONTAINER WILL KILL AN ANIMAL. IT ALSO HAS A RATHER "SWEET" TASTE TO IT THAT DOGS SEEM TO BE DRAWN TO. SO JUST BE EXTRA CAREFUL WITH STORAGE AND DISPOSIAL OF THIS PRODUCT. (AND OTHERS)
Yeah. Why go accusing people of poisening dogs? I certainly won't shoot a dog if if wanders onto my property first thing. But people wake up!!! Stop for a minute and think. Especialy when dogs get into a pack of 2 or more. They can be deadly. Maybe they are out killing your neighbors chickens or goats or sheep. Or any other kind of livestock. Maybe next time they'll come into your yard and attack your kids. Maybe then you'll think twice about using a gun.
I do not think dogs are poisoned, I thing they are dogs and like to drink anti-freeze because they like the taste. I have four young sons, I live in a neighborhood with many dogs, sometimes the dogs come to my property and most times they bark at my sons when they are out playing, that always scares the heck out of me, my sons are my life and to have any animal threaten them is scary. To the owners, their dog is a pet, a valued friend and loved; to me they are an animal that does not know me or my sons, most these animals do not know that to chew my kids up is wrong. When I see loose dogs in my neighborhood I always feel unsafe, it only takes one nice dog one time to hurt little kids, I know, a relative is disfigured for life because of a nice dog. Keep your dogs controlled and tied, and if not I am sorry they get into trouble, but better them then some kid.
End note:
Polar bears are carnivores; they kill and eat animals, that is not a bad thing, that is just what they do. Humans are animals, we might think great things, invent new things, live in houses and love our people, but to a polar bear that does not matter, we are just tasty treats. The people of Fort Yukon know this, so when a large animal that mayeat their people come near them they kill it. It is not mean; it is just how life is. They shoot first and not have to ask questions because there is no question to a person that knows these things. Your right, WHAT A CULTURE!!!!
Well said, Rjdew. Besides that, 3 miles is soooo far right? I mean thats like so far for a polar bear to walk back into the village. People are so arrogant.
I don't think anyone is poisoning the dogs.
I think someone is careless with chemicals. They make antifreeze that isn't poisonous, as well as synthetic motor oils that are not poisonous, and it should be against the law to sell anything else.
I've SEEN people change their oil and pour it onto their dirt driveway to keep the dust down. I've seen people store their chemicals outside in unlocked or unclosed areas as to not have them in the house around the children. I've SEEN people flush their radiators and leave a bucket of used antifreeze out all winter, and being antifreeze, it won't freeze so it's a bucket of sugar water to a dog.
Was it mentioned that if a dog walks in anti-freeze and licks its paws is getting it in it's system.
Hard to imagine that someone is "catching" a stray dog and force feeding it anti-freeze?
One should live up to the leash law, makes dogs live a lot longer.
Another reason just to have pet dwarf frogs.
I will have to take a large dog, over a tree frog, any day for prowler, protection.
Ha, you do not know the power of dwarf-frogs! Dwarf-frogs are all-mighty and all-knowing! All humans must bow to my glorious dwarf frogs!
A nonsensical rant provided to you by newsminer.
Ribbit.
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