A Lochaber woman has launched a campaign after her dog was killed by drinking anti-freeze.
Fiona Campbell was walking family pet Lexi on the Caledonian Canal near her Corpach home when tragedy struck.
The spaniel made a bee-line for a bucket on their route, and had to be called back.
Her owner didn’t think much more of it at the time.
But just hours later, Lexi was seriously ill – and the much-loved pet was dead within days.
It was later confirmed that Lexi died from anti-freeze poisoning – and Fiona believes the dog drank it from that bucket.
Now, she wants firms to add something to the sweet-tasting but lethal substance to make it taste bad.
She hopes the legal move would stop other pets and families suffering like hers has.
What happens when your dog drinks anti-freeze?
After the canal walk, Lexi drank a large amount of water before being sick later that night.
“Then the next morning it was like she was drunk,” says Fiona. “She kept falling over and her balance was gone.”
The dog seemed to improve as the day progressed. But things took a turn for the worse over the weekend and Lexi began to have seizures.
At this point her kidneys were failing.
All of a sudden, Fiona was faced with every dog owner’s worst nightmare – Lexi had to be put down.
The spaniel died on September 18.
Fiona and the vet had come to the same conclusion after a review of Lexi’s symptoms leading up to her death: she had somehow ingested anti-freeze.
It cannot yet be determined whether or not Lexi drank anti-freeze from the bucket.
However, an investigation will be carried out into her death which will include an analysis of CCTV footage.
After the traumatic and emotionally draining experience, Fiona is calling for changes to be made to anti-freeze for animal safety.
Why do animals drink anti-freeze?
Anti-freeze is dangerous to many animals because its sweet taste makes it palatable.
This is caused by ethylene glycol which is found in other products such as hydraulic brake fluids, solvents and paints.
“Anti-freeze tastes sweet and that’s why animals will drink it,” says Fiona.
“It’s not a big ask for them to add something to make it taste unappealing. All I want is for them to add a bitterant to make it taste unpalatable.”
Fiona explains the campaign will not only help pets but wildlife too.
“Pets are lucky because we can make them more comfortable,” she explains. “But wild animals have to die an excruciating death.”
She hopes her campaign on Change.org will reach 100,000 signatures so it is debated in parliament.
Canadian province British Colombia established the Antifreeze Bittering Act of 2009 to render the chemical ‘unpalatable’.
However, when the topic of adding a bitterant to anti-freeze was debated in Westminster Hall in 2014 it was ultimately rejected.
What are the signs of anti-freeze poisoning?
If you suspect your pet may have ingested anti-freeze it is important to take them to a vet as soon as possible.
This is because delayed treatment is typically not effective and the recovery rate in dogs once kidney failure has started is poor.
According to The Kennel Club pet owners should look out for specific symptoms. Shortly after drinking anti-freeze, dogs may:
- Be wobbly on their feet
- Dribble
- Be sick
After approximately 12 hours your pet may seem to recover, however from around 2-3 days their kidneys may stop working. Signs of this include:
- Becoming fatigued
- Being sick
- Having a disinterest in food
- Fitting and seizures
- Going into a coma
If you wish to sign Fiona’s campaign to change anti-freeze to improve animal safety, the link to her Change.org petition can be found here.
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