Pet dog left vomiting blood after ingesting rat poison in Fawkner
Pet owners in Melbourne’s north have been warned about possible dog baiting at a Fawkner off-leash park. It comes after a beloved schnoodle was left vomiting blood after ingesting rat poison.
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Pet owners in Melbourne’s north are being urged to be vigilant after a case of suspected dog baiting in Fawkner.
When Jen Rae’s dog started vomiting blood on Saturday night it left her and her partner Sally in shock.
They immediately took their schnoodle, Olive, to the vet, where it was found she had fallen victim to rat bait poisoning.
Ms Rae said the seven-year-old dog had likely ingested the poison on her walk through Charles Mutton Reserve in Fawkner.
“When she started vomiting blood it came as such a shock to us, we couldn't figure out how it could happen,” Ms Rae said.
“On Saturday night she started coughing and we just thought there was something caught in her throat.
“It started as coughing up mucus but quickly turned to her coughing up blood.”
The vet told Ms Rae rat bait poisoning usually took three or four days to affect dogs, and Olive had been home the previous two days.
On Wednesday Olive stayed close to Ms Rae’s partner when they went for a walk behind Merri Creek in Fawkner.
“On Thursday when we went for a walk she bolted away though,” Ms Rae said.
“It’s weird for her to bolt and not come back, it usually means she has found something when that happens.”
Olive was groomed on Friday and when she was taken to the vets on Saturday night they immediately spotted extensive bruising from her chest to her tail.
“The marks weren’t there in the afternoon, she was haemorrhaging,” Ms Rae said.
“There was blood just pooling under her skin.”
When the vet told Ms Rae it was the symptoms of rat bait poisoning, she immediately pinpointed her walk through Mutton Reserve as the moment Olive had likely ingested something.
Treatment for Olive, including a plasma transfusion, cost Ms Rae almost $2000.
It will take Olive about two to four weeks to make a full recovery.
“She’s on the mend but is very fragile at the moment,” Ms Rae said.
Vet Alanna Razga from Fawkner Vetinary Clinic said if you suspect your dog has ingested rat poisoning to immediately take it to a vet.
The poison stops animals from producing vitamin K which stops blood from clotting.
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Ms Razga said signs your dog may have ingested rat poison include fast breathing, being lethargic and vomiting.
It can cause micro bleeding in the chest and lungs and sometimes bleeding into the abdomen, which is what Ms Rae’s dog suffered.
A Moreland Council employee told Leader it had not received a report of baiting from Charles Mutton Reserve, but was recently called to number of reported incidents on Sydney Rd in Brunswick but couldn’t find any poison.
Suspected baiting can be reported to Moreland Council Customer Service on 9420 1111.