A couple have shared how their beloved pet is “lucky to be alive” after inhaling toxic chemicals while walking along a Peterhead beach.
Nicola Cadger and her husband Norman Cadger were recently walking their pet dog along Lido beach when the incident took place.
Keeta, their 10-year-old Malchi – cross between a Chihuahua and Maltese – almost died, after “ingesting toxins” according to a vet.
And the couple spoke to The Press and Journal after learning that other dog owners in Peterhead have been through the same ordeal.
‘It was like she was paralysed’
The mum-of-two is convinced that Kita’s near-death experience was triggered by a visit to her local beach.
She said: “It was a nice evening, so we decided to take Keeta out a longer walk.
“We thought we’d go to the Lido as that area is quite popular with dogs. But, we’ve not taken her back since.”
The couple was walking along the pathway, just passed the caravans when their dog inhaled the toxic chemicals.
Mrs Cadger added: “Before we reached the benches, Keeta went to sniff a lamppost and that was when she became very ill.
“It was like she was paralysed, she couldn’t stand and kept falling over.”
It was in that moment, that the pair realised something “was really wrong” and acted fast to try and save her.
Keeta’s body had gone into a state of shock and the couple were even more alarmed when they got her home and she still wasn’t right.
Mrs Cadger and her husband decided to take the dog to her mother’s house, while they phoned the out of hours vet.
During this time, the vet had told them that Keeta had in fact ingested toxic chemicals.
The pair were told how to care for her over the phone and advised that if she didn’t start to pick up, that they would need to bring her in.
Vet says dog ingested toxic chemicals
Mrs Cadger went on to say: “It was a horrible few hours, I was crying my eyes out that night.
“I also felt so guilty for taking her for a walk there.”
Thankfully Keeta has made a full recovery and the couple are “grateful” their pet is back to her usual self.
But, this isn’t the first instance of dogs becoming ill after walking along this area of the town.
This month alone four people have taken to Facebook to share how the same thing has happened to them.
One person posted how they had to take their dog to the vet to get its stomach emptied after ingesting some sort of toxins, costing them £400 in vet bills.
Unknown substance causing pet scares
However, it is not yet known what the animals have been inhaling to cause them to need such medical attention.
A spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council said: “Just to confirm, there have been no direct reports of this to our Environmental Health or Animal Health and Welfare Teams – but we would always encourage people to report any suspected cases of toxic substances as soon as possible.”
The Press and Journal has also contacted Buchan Veterinary Clinics for comment.
Mr and Mrs Cadger added: “It has been happening a lot recently and all the dogs have the same symptoms.
“It’s some sort of toxins, it could be stuff from the sea or from somewhere near there. It’s a shame as it’s a beautiful beach and a popular walk with dogs.
“We hope no other pets gets affected by this. It’s scary to think it could end up being fatal if some animals have underlying conditions.
“No one wants to experience the trauma of potentially losing their pet in that way.”
