Sea slug suspect in dog’s death
Karla Reeves’ chihuahua Miley started panting after a walk on a Thames Coast beach.
Thirty minutes later, her treasured pet died in her arms.
Reeves said her vet suspected Miley had come in contact with a poisonous sea slug, which closed Hauraki Gulf beaches in 2009 after many dogs were killed and many others became ill.
She had taken Miley and her two basset hounds for a walk along the beach at Ngarimu Bay on January 12.
When they left the beach, Miley started to pant but Reeves thought it was because it was so hot. However, Miley worsened despite attempts to cool her in a paddling pool when they got home.
‘‘She kept panting quite a lot and then she started trying to cough like something was stuck in her throat,’’ she said.
It was after 6pm, so Reeves called the vet to arrange an urgent visit.
‘‘On the way, Miley was in and out of consciousness, I had her on my shoulder and I was cuddling her and trying to get her to stay with us.
‘‘And then she just died in my arms. I was so upset.’’
Reeves, who bought Miley as a puppy in 2008, said she died one day before her 10th birthday.
An autopsy concluded that the dog was in perfect health, but a toxicology investigation wasn’t carried out because of the cost, she said.
Reeves wanted to warn other dog owners.
‘‘I’d hate for anyone else to have to go through that. It was awful. The vet said there was nothing we could have done.’’
Her veterinarian, Thames Anexa FVC Vet Clinic’s Cath Picard, said she had treated and discharged two other dogs with similar symptoms. Another dog has reportedly died with the same symptoms.
Picard suspected sea slugs but there was not yet any concrete evidence as nobody had seen the slugs.
Picard had notified the Ministry of Primary Industries about the dog deaths and was waiting to hear back.