Dog toxicity signs: Vet Eugene Ong warns pet owners of drug toxicity in dogs after old English sheepdog Ginny collapsed from accidentally ingesting drugs on a walk

Pet owners are being warned to be hypervigilant when walking their pooches, especially if they are off-leash, after a spate of what are thought to be unintentional life-threatening drug ingestion incidents.

Dog owners and a veterinary clinic have taken to social media to warn others after dogs became seriously ill from ingesting recreational drugs while out on a walk in Sydney’s north.

Now Sydney vet Eugene Ong is warning pet owners what signs to look out for and what you should do if you think your dog might have ingested a drug.

READ MORE: Selfish act that left cat shelter manager in despair

Mr Ong was among a team of vets who treated Old English Sheepdog Ginny when her worried owners brought her to Pet Medical at Milsons Point on Sydney’s lower North Shore in April.

“Ginny came in about mid-afternoon,” Dr Ong told 9honey.

“Her owners thought she had eaten something in the park but did not know what she had eaten.”

They took her to the vet after noticing a change in her behaviour – a decision that probably saved her life. 

Dr Ong said three-and-a-half-year old Ginny was usually a bouncy dog that was full of energy but something was definitely off when she arrived at the clinic.

READ MORE: When the world’s tallest dog met the world’s tiniest

“She was able to walk into the clinic but then she went down really quickly,” he said.

“Within 15 minutes, she was almost comatose.”

As the team worked frantically to find a cause, they decided to do a drug test, which found Ginny had ingested two drugs.

Dr Ong then raced to another vet hospital to get a drug to reverse the effects.

Within just 30 minutes of starting intravenous lipid emulsion therapy, Ginny improved.

“She started waking up,” he said, adding she was well enough to go home later that day after blood tests confirmed her kidneys and liver were functioning.

But it could have been very different, according to Dr Ong.

“She absolutely could have died,” he said. “It really depends how much they have eaten.”

Ginny’s owners were left with a vet bill of almost $2000, but pet insurance covered 80 per cent. 

Dr Ong said Ginny’s case was not an isolated incident, with the clinic treating another pooch called Otis around the same time who was found to have ingested marijuana.

It prompted Pet Medical to post a warning on its Instagram account.

He said dog owners should always keep a look out for their dog eating something off the ground and visit a vet immediately if their dog becomes unwell.

He said it was important to know some of the signs of drug toxicity in pets.

“Marijuana may cause the dog to dribble urine,” he said.

Depending on the drug, symptoms can include lethargy, or a dog becoming hyper-excitable.

“They can also become unresponsive, flat or comatose, as in Ginny’s case [or be] hyper-salivating or drooling.”

Dr Ong said they treat a pet suffering from drug toxicity every few months but believes it is vastly under-diagnosed.

At other times, he has had dog owners arrive at the clinic “stoned with their stoned dog” after their pet accidentally ingested drugs.

He said pet owners should seek help and not be concerned that they would call authorities.

“We just want to help the pets – nothing else,” he said.

Other dog owners have also taken to social media recently to report their dogs ingesting drugs in or around Ted Mack Civic Park or St Thomas’ Anglican Church in North Sydney and Longueville Park in Sydney’s lower North Shore.

Another incident reported on social media did not specify where it took place.

One post on social media was headed ”Warning to dog owners” and revealed their dog was rushed to North Shore Veterinary Hospital last month.

The owner said their dog ate something off the ground during their evening walk, with symptoms occurring six hours later.

For a daily dose of 9honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.

These included vomiting; shaking/swaying side to side; hyper-sensitivity/flinching when touched; unaware of surroundings or who we were; unable to hold bladder.

The owner praised the vet hospital for doing a drug test that showed the dog had ingested THC, which is found in cannabis.

The dog was kept overnight for monitoring and to “manage any seizures” before being allowed to go home.

“This was obviously a highly stressful and upsetting situation for us, especially in the middle of the night,” the owners wrote.

“We are naturally very distressed that our dog could ingest something so dangerous, especially so close to home, and any dogs could be at risk.”

13 dog breeds that need to wear a jacket in winter

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.