Cautionary Tale

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We received very sad news from Debbie, our friend in Alaska. Her wonderful Siberian husky, Sapphire, was romping in the parking lot at school where Debbie works. She sipped some tempting liquid on the ground and continued on. Unfortunately, the tasty liquid was antifreeze from a car that was parked there at some point. Sapphire immediately became very ill. Debbie suspected that her beloved dog was having a stroke due to her peculiar behavior and her age. She took her to the vet at once only to learn that Sapphire had ethylene glycol poisoning which attacks liver and kidneys. Sapphire did not survive. We are all very sad. Please, when you are with your dog outside, be aware of puddles. They could contain this tasty poison. The puddles don't just come from those who carelessly flush their cooling systems. Sometimes, a neighbor's or your own car has a small leak in the radiator or a heater hose that you might be unaware of. It does not take much ethylene glycol to be lethal. It only takes a momentary lapse of attention for our dog (or toddler) to take a deadly slurp.

Due to the high number of cat and dog deaths that result each year from this type of poisoning, the following simple yet crucial warnings apply:
- NEVER leave an open bucket or bottle of new or used antifreeze around the house, garage, or car.
- Make SURE your car's cooling system is regularly inspected and free of leaks.
- If you are working on your car and dealing with antifreeze, keep your pets away and remember to hose off the areas near your car, the road or driveway where some antifreeze may have spilled. Remember cats and dogs LIKE the taste of this poison!
-There is on the market, a lesser known type of antifreeze made from propylene glycol (PG) instead of ethylene glycol (EG). It is generally regarded as safer for pets, kids and the environment. Try using this product instead. It is made by several companies including Prestone.

For more info, check out this website: http://dogs.about.com/od/healthandwellness/qt/antifreeze.htm

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