Frantic East Lothian dog owner rushes sick spaniels to vets after park 'poisoning'

Two dogs in East Lothian were rushed to the vet after chowing down on a substance suspected to be marijuana while on a walk with their owner.

Veterinary fees for their urgent treatment left their owner over £900 pounds out of pocket.

While both dogs have thankfully made a full recovery, they were put on liquid charcoal for poisoning and treated at Links Vet in Haddington after developing life-threatening symptoms.

READ MORE - Edinburgh activists target New Town SUVs overnight and say they 'won't stop'

READ MORE - Edinburgh nightclub boss shuts down sick rumours he is victim of Cowgate incident

Nell Hogg told Edinburgh Live that her partner Aaron walked their two spaniels, Evie, 13, and Archie, 10, along a nearby railway path in Pencaitland on Tuesday, October 29.

The dogs are suspected to have eaten the contents of a blue surgical glove found along the path. Two hours after the walk they began showing concerning symptoms at home.

Archie and Evie flinched and jumped whenever Nell made movements. Evie was disorientated and unable to stand.

On Wednesday morning, the symptoms persisted with Evie having the “zoomies” around the garden and crashing into things, despite having had surgery on both her back legs.

Archie seemed to have eaten most of the substance and his symptoms were much worse. His bladder was paralsyed and was unable to urinate. He was also dehydrated, cold, and had no reflexes - when vets stuck their fingers in his throat he did not react.

Archie’s heart rate was also dangerously low at 60 bpm. A normal heart rate for medium-sized dogs sits between 80-120 bpm.

Vets at LinksVet Haddington told Nell that Archie and Evie’s symptoms were consistent with marijuana ingestion.

The dogs were put on IVs and prescribed liquid charcoal to prevent their stomachs from absorbing the poison.

Archie was hospitalised overnight due to the severity of his condition. The vets even asked Nell for plans for rescusitation if his condition took a turn for the worse.

Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.

Fortunately, both dogs made a recovery but the harrowing experience took a toll on their owners.

Nell said: “I was really angry that it happened and really sad that [Pencaitland] is such a nice village but there are other dogs this has happened to.”

She said other dog owners in the area reached out to her on social media saying their dogs had similar symptoms.

Nell continued: “Because we didnt know what it was, we had no idea of the outcome. Being so ill, we might’ve had to put Archie down. It was the fear of knowing that was the worst part.”

She said she was “absolutely delighted” that Archie and Evie made a full recovery but is now “wary of how we walk them”. Nell and Aaron bought the dogs muzzles until they felt safer walking the dogs in the area.

She added: “It might be over the top, but we’re just paranoid now. They’re the most beautiful natured dogs we’ve ever had, I’d be devastated beyond belief if they’d died.”

Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox