Pet died, I suspect poison. Is there a way to find out what happened?

Question

My Rottie puppy was perfectly healthy one minute, very ill the next and died within hours of finding her sick. There is no emergency vet close to where I live, and she passed as I was trying to find a vet to take her to. I believe she was poisoned. I have two older dogs that also run that yard and if she was poisoned, I need to find the source as soon as possible so they do not become ill. Is there anyway to tell what poisoned her? She was 7 months old, and up-to-date on all of her shots. She was perfectly fine through out the day untill around 5pm, when she started showing signs of lethargy, and some discharge from her mouth. She wouldn't eat or drink. Around 7pm she vomited a little fluid. By this time I was frantic, she was very lethargic and breathing heavy. Soon after, she began to hemorage blood and died. Can anyone tell me what sort of poison this could have been? Could it have been a plant or something the other dogs could get into, or could it have been intentional?

Answer 1

First of all, I'm so sorry this happened to your pup and to you. I can only imagine how horrible and tramatic.

I would talk to my vet about an autopsy. They can run tests to see what killed her. I'd also look around the yard and see if there is anything out of the ordinary in it.

I hope you do the autopsy and find out. This is highly unusual and you certainly want to protect your other dogs.

Best of luck to you.

Answer 2

I am soo sorry for what you are going through!! What a horrible thing to happen! What you must understand is how poison works. It is not a question that your dog eats it and dies...its what poison does to the body to make it die. Poisons work by interfering with the way certain organs or organ systems function in the body. Different poisons can affect different systems. Your dog may be sustaining kidney or liver damage and though he may seem to be getting better, he may have damage that will reduce function forever. Maybe he could live, but with damaged kidneys and liver he will become debilitated. Some poisons can affect the nervous system or the heart. You won't know without some testing on your dog. Some poisons can be eliminated through making your dog vomit it up if you catch it soon enough. Others take some time to work through the system. If you even suspect that your neighbor is involved, you should call the Humane Society and the local police. You should take pictures of your dog, document their illnesses and vet trips and not allow them outside unsupervised. Put up motion detectors in your yard and check it thoroughly before allowing the dogs out. If you find anything suspicious, you should wear plastic gloves and pick it up and put it in a baggie. The police or the humane society might be able to tell what it is and if it is poison and what kind. I know it is expensive and you are not looking to hear this, but the dog really needs to see a vet. Tell them you have financial difficulties, get on a payment plan...and if you can nail the neighbor, you can sue for the bills. I really hope your dogs are OK..good luck.

Answer 3

The only way to be sure of the cause of death is to bring the dog to a vet for a post-mortem. They're not cheap.

If it was poison, the only thing to do is search your yard for anything unusual. I don't think this sounds like plant poisoning - this kind of toxicity usually causes organ failure, which would not really causes extreme blood loss, although it would causes vomiting. Any possibility of rat poisons being around? These contain warfarin, which causes death by haemorrhage.

In England there is a service available to vets where you can describe the symptoms of poisoning and they can give you a list of likely toxins. Phone your vet and see if they have a similar service availalable to them which can help you.

Sorry for your loss,

Chalice

Answer 4

I had a pet poisoned by antifreeze when a neighbor worked on their radiator. the vet said it was very sweet tasting to animals. Also, I have had a pet die from a possible over exposure to pesticides-but inconclusive, tremors were involved, we had the dog's body sent to Texas A &M and had an autopsy run, but we still had no answers. So sorry for your loss. I hope this info may give you places to look for clues and that your other dogs stay safe and healthy.

Answer 5

Quite a few of our pets have gotten into that poison call DECON that kills rats. It’s mostly been cats that have stumbled onto a rat that has already gotten into it, and once they drink water, they begin to have the similar symptoms your puppy experienced. Do you have any DECON out or does your neighbors? They look like little blue pellets. Take your puppy to the vet and ask for an Autopsy. You will have to pay but at least it might help to find out what might find out what is.

Answer 6

Have the vet do an autopsy. If you find that she was poisoned have the other dogs checked for their safety and if not a natural plant in your yard report it to the police. I feel sad for your loss.

Answer 7

First I am so sorry to hear about your dog. The only way to tell is have the vet do a necropsy (dog autopsy).

Answer 8

Have your vet do an autopsy. That's the best way to find the cause of death.

Answer 9

do you have anti freeze anywhere that your dogs could get to it? Antifreeze is really bad for dogs and makes them very sick and kills them.

When I lived at my old house the neighbor's dog got into antifreeze and had died.

Answer 10

I AM SOO SORRY YOU LOST YOUR PUPPY!!
HAVE YOUR VET DO A NECROPSY(ANIMAL AUTOPSY)THEY CAN TELL YOU IF SHE WAS POISONED.
I WOULD KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON OTHER DOGS UNTIL YOU KNOW.