I think my dog might have been poisoned, please help?

Hannah_10

Sorry if this gets long... This is everything I know...

I came home to find a note through my door from the local children who play with my child-mad border collie. The note says they saw a man feeding my dog, the man then ran away.

This happened yesterday, while I was at home but I couldn't answer the door because I was feeding the baby. They knocked and rang the bell and I could hear them talking about something but I did not answer the door, so I know this took place between 3pm and 6pm yesterday. They only wrote the note today.

I went to see the child whose voice I heard and 2 other children were at her house too. All three of those children saw the alleged incident yesterday. They tell me that after the man ran away they saw my dog eating something they did not recognise and that the man lives on my road or visits my road, they have seen him before. They clammed up when asked where exactly he goes and wouldn't give much of a description, but they did narrow it to about 10 houses. They think the is between my age and my friends age (30-50 then). He actually ran, he did not just leave, it was proper running, they showed me. What my dog ate left him with pink or red stains round his mouth (probably raw meat). I believe them. I think they might be inaccurate in what they're telling me, but looking at all 3 of them, one of whom is a really fantastic girl and very truthful, I believe they were all being earnest.

The dog in the house behind mine barks night and day. No one overlooks that garden but me, but the whole street can see my driveway, where my dog often is. My dog often gets the blame for this barking. Even at 6am. Tell me please what mother of a newborn baby (as I am) is getting up at 6am? It's not impossible at all that enough bad feeling has been generated to result in a poisoning.

Obviously I can't take the say so of some worried kids to the police, but I can't ignore it either. I've got hold of the vet. I have to leave here for the vets at 5pm and I'll tell the vet all of this.

My dog looks healthy, his nose is cold, his eyes are clear, his coat is shiny and he is being himself... But I am taking no chances.

Right now I admit I am scared, I am confused, and I am desperate for any information or advice. Is there anything I should ask the vet to consider prescribing? Are there slow poisons which build up in a dogs system? If so what and what can I do about it? Just tell me anything you know, please?

I am worried sick.

gratefulforhelp_2

Good luck, honey. Just tell the vet everything, they will probably have been in this situation before. If someone is getting at you about your dog, and its not your dog causing the nuisance, I suggest you tell them to make a complaint to environmental health and see what they will say about it (notalot).

liam8282

I am no expert, but if there are no signs of poisoning after 24 hours hopefully whatever your dog has eaten will be well through, if not out it's system.

Hope it goes ok at the vets.

Hannah_10

I don't know that it only happened yesterday though Liam. He could have been fed something when he was outside this afternoon too, nowhere in my house would overlook the driveway gates. I actually don't know anything for sure.

Hannah_10

I've just rung the housing officer and said that dog behind has got to be dealt with right now. She's sending me diary forms by email. Got to go now, I'll update you when I get back. Dog is lying in his bed, doesn't really want to sit with me, probably just co-incidence... I hope.

Hannah_10

Right well, the vet agrees he seems fine but she says she knows of slow acting poisons which might not show up for some days. I have to look out for lethargy, vomiting, spotty or patchy looking gums and any general sign of illness. I should do everything else normally. If he is taken ill before Monday I should get him back in front of a vet ASAP. There really isn't anything she can think of that would take longer than until Monday to manifest. She has given me the on-call vet number in case he is too poorly to wait but she says delayed acting poisons are quite rare. So, hopefully, it's all going to be OK. I have delivered small thank you presents to the children who were brave enough to tell me.

trudij

OH goodness - how terrifying for you - and how brave of the children to come and tell you what they saw.

Really hope that your dog is ok - and that nothing sinister happens to him - and something (though not sure what!) happens with the man who fed your dog whatever it was - even if hed done it and not realised that its not your dog who is noisy, what sort of twisted b**** would deliberately poison a dog??

jamsandwhich

If you don't feel you can talk to the police why not talk to your community support officer? They may knock on doors and ask questions - it is a serious offence (if true) and if they find out If your dog has been poisoned he may tell them with what?
I don't know anything else sorry - but really hope it is nothing - I would ring the poilce though on a non-emergency number, you are only acting on info given and they may know who it is if he has made a complaint to them in the past reagrding the dog who does bark?

Good luck x

hethmar

How very frightening for you. But are these kids completely reliable - you know how some gangs of kids can get a bit excited about something when nothing actually occurred? I dont really follow where the dog was when it happened?

Hannah_10

The dog was on my driveway, which runs into my garden. The gates on the drive border the pavement and are wide and low with wide gaps between the bars, so he's very visable and very accessible. My house does not easily overlook those gates, they are beside the house (house also opens onto the pavement).

Are the kids reliable? In that I totally believe they are speaking honestly as they understand it, yes. Are they accurate? I doubt any child is going to be utterly accurate. I believe they are sure they did see a man they kind of recognise feed the dog something and that they did also see the man run away when they approached the driveway gates. Of course it could be totally innocent, or perhaps it was as simple as some sweets fell out of his pocket and his wife shouted him to come back. I hope so. But I wouldn't risk the dogs life on it.

Mupette

Hannah_10 wrote: »

Obviously I can't take the say so of some worried kids to the police, but I can't ignore it either. I've got hold of the vet. I have to leave here for the vets at 5pm and I'll tell the vet all of this.I am worried sick.

Why not.

The way i have read this is some man was acting a bit strange, around your dog and ran away.

Your dog gets blamed for barking when it is someone else's dog.

Someone obviously is not happy about a barking dog and has (possibly) taken to doing something about the problem themselves, at probably the cost of your dog.

Why would kids make up such a story?