I saw the most heartbreaking sight this morning.
As it wasn’t raining (oh yes, it WASN’T raining) I decided take the dogs out for a long walk. We did our usual hour long walk and before getting back into the car I did what I always do which is walk around the pond so that Wes can clean all the accumulated mud and muck from his coat.
As I approached a family stood by the side of the pond I realised that both girls and their mum was crying. Then I saw the paw sticking out from under the Barbie blanket.
Their Boxer had been in the water and as he climbed out he apparently started coughing and choking. After collapsing and choking some more he went still. She tearfully told me that they had taken the dog to the vet’s the previous week where after an ECG the vet told them that their dog had a heart murmur. The woman’s partner scoffed at that diagnosis, suspicious that the vet was making it up to be able to give the dog attention it doesn’t need to make some money. She thinks the dog died of a heart attack.
As I dragged my Wes away from eating the Boxer’s sick I noticed that it had thrown up a recent dinner. The biscuits were still formed so my experience tells me the dog had been fed only about an hour beforehand. I couldn’t tell her that her dog died because they had fed it before walking it and letting it swim, and that it had probably choked to death on it’s own dinner. In other words, it was completely avoidable. I couldn’t say that. I had to just say yes it probably was a heart attack and there was nothing she could have done about it.Just one of those things. The dog was only 6. The girls who watched their dog choke to death were only about 11 and 8.
I left when more family members arrived to take the dog back home.
Filed under: My dogs
I am sorry you experienced that – must have been awful. …. but after now owning my own dog I cannot believe just how ignorant some people are. I believe that ALL dogs should be registered and every owner given a simple test on how to look after their dog properly. I shake my head in disbelief at how stupid some people can be – everyone should know you don’t take your dog swimming when it has just eaten – I mean even HUMANS musn’t swim on a full stomach. Jeesh!
Very sad and sorry your morning went south!
( I shake my head sometimes at what I see,hear or even knowing people should know better about somethings in general )
A very sad story. (And someone’s partner will have got it in the neck to an undeserved degree.) On the other hand, congrats. to you, Anna, on being so observant, even though you had tactfully to keep your knowledge to yourself.