On Sunday, February 4, a woman went to one of the 24-hour veterinary clinics in Bolesławiec. She suspected that her dog might have eaten rat poison.
“After entering the dog’s details, a man approximately 60 years old informed us that he would induce vomiting using 3% hydrogen peroxide,” the reader explained. “The dog was given a sedative injection. When it began to work, the veterinarian started pouring hydrogen peroxide into the dog’s throat, using as many as three bottles for a dog weighing 5.5 kg. After several attempts to pour it in, the Yorkie had an attack and its body contorted; together with my husband, we thought we were about to lose him,” she added.
After some time, vomiting began. After all this, the Yorkie was given an antispasmodic injection and two vitamin K tablets to administer at home.
“He was not given any antibiotics or an IV drip. Around 7 p.m., the dog began having difficulty breathing and kept bringing things back up. He suffered terribly throughout the night, was dying in pain and did not want to drink anything,” the dog’s owner said.
The veterinarian confirms that he had such a visit on Sunday.
“Indeed, such a visit took place,” the veterinarian confirmed. “A dog that had eaten rat poison was brought to the clinic. A standard procedure for inducing vomiting was used, in this case by administering a premedication. The animal had not been fed and vomiting did not occur, so the dog was given hydrogen peroxide. In such a case, fluids are administered so that the animal swallows them, which is why several 100-milliliter bottles are used, as some of the fluid spills outside. Thirty minutes after the hydrogen peroxide was administered, the animal vomited. I asked the owners to remain with their pet for observation at the clinic for another 30 minutes. During that time, the vomiting stopped and the patient received antispasmodic medication needed to calm the digestive tract. The owners were given medication to increase blood clotting to take home and were advised to return for a follow-up visit the next day. The animal’s owners reacted to this dangerous situation very quickly, so the likelihood that the poison would be absorbed into the bloodstream and cause gastrointestinal bleeding, as well as liver and kidney damage, was small. I presume the animal was in good health because the clients did not come for the follow-up visit the next day,” the doctor explained.
On Monday morning, the owners went to another, trusted veterinarian. Unfortunately, that veterinarian did not want to provide us with any information about the dog’s visit, citing the confidentiality of medical records.
“When we were admitted, it turned out that the dog was dehydrated and had a temperature of 40 degrees,” the reader recounted. “A complete blood count and a panel of liver and kidney tests were performed, which showed elevated liver values. That amount of hydrogen peroxide burned his entire gums, esophagus, stomach and mucous membrane. He was immediately connected to an IV drip and given antibiotics. He also received antibiotics and IV fluids for the next two days. We have to continue the dog’s further treatment in Germany because that is where we live,” she explained.
After returning to Germany, the local veterinarian allegedly informed the dog’s owner that, in his opinion, the dog had received too large a quantity and concentration of hydrogen peroxide.
“The German veterinarian also informed us that if the dog does not start eating and drinking on its own, it will be necessary to insert a feeding tube. Our dog’s treatment will be very long and costly because of the damage caused by the veterinarian from Bolesławiec,” the reader concluded.
The reader informed us that the matter had been reported to the Lower Silesian Chamber of Veterinary Medicine.