** BEWARE - DOG POISON EVERYWHERE **

If anyone knows me, you’ll know how much I love animals, and dogs in particular. The two Blue Staffordshires in this post are called Star and Nancy, mother and daughter. They were my girls and my family. 

On Sunday 10th of July I took them for a walk at Derwent Reservoir, from the Boat Shack side of the lake. It was a hot day, but I was prepared. Bottles of water, cool air-con in the car and water bowls taken on the walk itself. I’m always prepared because they are pitfall terriers and sometimes they get hot, need regular breaks, and drinks, especially in warm weather.

Less than 5 minutes into the walk Star (my eldest - 10 year old, light blue) collapsed and started being sick, a white foam containing blood. I was imminently concerned. I immediately both dogs a drink and then turned to walk back to the car. Star could get up. I picked her up to walk, then less than a minute later Nancy collapsed and was sick with the same blood type foam consistency.

I struggled to pick both dogs up so had to shuttle run 100 meters, relaying one dog after another for about 300 meters until someone kindly offered to help carry the dogs back to the car. Once reaching the car, I horsed it back home calling my vets on route (which was unfortunately closed, being a Sunday). I then located my nearest emergency vet which was 35 minutes away (Felling, Gateshead). Before taking the drive I hosed the dogs down for a minute or two to cool them off, having panted in the back of the car. So I could make 35 minute journey. 

On route to the hospital my girl started to struggle breathing and having mild fits in the car, which panicked me. I drove like Ambulance driver would to cut some time off the journey! 

When I got there I immediately carried Star into the vets who was squealing yet responsive, and secondly Nancy who was struggling to breathe.

The vet immediately put them into urgent care and stabilised them, having to incubate Nancy with a stomach tube and give both oxygen treatment. The vet said that I would need to wait to see the seriousness of their condition.

Unfortunately Star went into fits of multiple seizures that drugs failed to stabilise, and the vets advice was to put her to sleep. The long term damage of the seizures with lack of oxygen to the brain would make her a vegetable. Not long after Nancy had the same seizure, resulting in a heart beat with no pulse. The same advice was given.

Within two hours I went from having a slow pleasant walk with the two loves of my life, to having to go through a horrific decision of euthanising my beloved pets. It was the most horrific experience I have ever had to endure. 

Upon doing so the vet informed me that the cause of death looked like some form of poisoning due to the blood in their sick, what they regurgitated during treatment and blood passing from their back passage. The symptoms were identical. He informed me that it wasn’t heat stroke which I feared, which would have been bizarre due to how little walking they had done. All of those precautions were covered, being an experience dog owner and breeder for over 30 years.

This was a tragic, horrifying accident that I will truly struggle to get over. Since investigating forums, news articles and multiple searches, I have found there has been a significant amount of poisonings in the Derwent area suspected to be caused by Blue Green Algae. Coupled by numerous poisonings on the North East Coastline from ‘mystery’ toxins.

Unfortunately I was never aware of any of this information, having been low key on social media for some time. This type of news is the information that needs to go viral, to inform and make people aware of the horrific dangers.

It will never bring my girls back, and I will sadly grieve for a long time, however I hope this may help someone stay alert and be aware of the various toxins that have surfaced in recent months. 

Below are some links to some articles to help inform. If you could kindly share this post and spread the world, hopefully we can help save some fur babies, and many people from potential loss. I can’t tell you how much it hurts to lose a pet, never mind two at once, in such a quick and horrific way. 

Please take care, and give your babies an extra tight squeeze tonight. You’ll truly never know when will be the last time you will get to hold them. 

I am starting a collection for the PDSA. I was fortunate enough to get access to a private vet immediately, but this failed treatment cost me £3,000 up from, for two beautiful girls that couldn’t be saved. Some people don’t have the luxury of savings and I’d like to raise some money to support a charity that may help people save their babies if tragedy ever struck.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Kind Regards,

Adrian Hanlon

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LINKS

Blue Green Algae Poisoning
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2022-06-21/warning-issued-after-dog-dies-from-algae-poisoning

Mystery Toxins
https://metro.co.uk/2022/01/12/150-dogs-struck-down-with-illness-from-mystery-toxin-on-uk-beaches-15904330/

Red Kite Disappears
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/18417614.red-kite-disappears-suspicious-circumstances-near-derwent-reservoir/

Mystery Sea Life Deaths
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10443201/Dead-seals-wash-beaches-north-east-mysterious-death-thousands-crustaceans.html

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