A greedy Dalmatian was left needing emergency vet treatment after gorging on buns, chocolate and 36 dog chews while her owner was out.
Mischievous Molly (8), from Middlesbrough, sniffed a bag of food shopping that owner Kerry Buck had put away safely – or so she thought. Molly gobbled up 36 Dentastix, eight sultana buns and a packet of mini eggs. When Kerry (28) returned home she was horrified to find her beloved Dalmatian seriously ill with sickness and diarrhoea.
Kerry said: “I’d only popped out for 25 minutes. When I got home, it was absolute chaos – Molly had been sick everywhere. I rushed over to her, she was frothing at the mouth and very lethargic. I could see what food she had been eating so I rang PDSA straight away.”
Not only did the stolen food stash make Molly unwell, but her very life hung in the balance as sultanas and chocolate are highly toxic to dogs.”
Molly was given immediate treatment at PDSA’s Middlesbrough Pet Hospital to stabilise her condition.
Steph Williams, Head Nurse at PDSA Middlesbrough, said: “Molly ate a potentially lethal cocktail of ingredients. Sultanas affect kidney function and can lead to organ failure, while chocolate contains a substance called theobromine, which attacks the central nervous system and can be life threatening.
“It never ceases to amaze me how pets can get themselves into trouble and get their paws on food – even when it’s supposedly out of reach. Thankfully for Molly, seem to be no lasting effects and she has made a great recovery.”
Molly’s treatment was funded by PDSA, which provides free vet care for sick and injured pets belonging to people in need. The charity only exists thanks to the support from animal lovers around the country.
Kerry added: “I’m really grateful to PDSA. Molly means everything to me and without them I wouldn’t be able to keep her. I’ll certainly be keeping a very close eye on her in the future and will make sure any food is locked away!”