Pub trip leaves Aussie dog fighting for life: 'Heartbreaking'
A pet dog has almost died swallowing a party drug at a dog-friendly Aussie pub, prompting the owners to be more vigilant about training and protecting their beloved animal.
Owners Patrycja and Ben Hannagan said they were at a popular pub in Broome in Western Australia for two hours before they noticed something was wrong with Zen, their border collie.
They told the ABC two-year-old Zen started vomiting, stumbling around and seemingly choking on something.
"Then he started acting as if he was about to collapse, like his back legs gave up," Ms Hannagan said to the publication.
"And he was doing something weird with his mouth — constantly licking his face and almost coughing."
The Brisbane couple rushed the border collie to a vet who confirmed that he hadn't been bitten by a snake, however his heart rate and temperature were dangerously high.
Dog swallowed meth on pub floor
Further toxicology reports revealed Zen had consumed methamphetamines, with the vet believing he had found it on the floor.
The vet then said she'd "do (her) best" to nurse Zen back to health, with Mr and Ms Hannagan being left on edge about whether their dog would survive.
Ms Hannagan, who had been travelling to professionally paint murals for a mental health campaign, described the moment as "heartbreaking".
"We're crying because we travel with him and we're extra careful, and do everything right," Ms Hannagan said.
After two days in the clinic — in which Zen was crying and quite stressed — he managed to fully recover. But Ms Hannagan said it would've been a different story had the dose of the drug been larger.
"He would have died because his heart would not handle it," she told the ABC.
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The stressful experience has made the couple more vigilant about protecting their pet, saying they had "already taught (Zen) 'drop it' or 'leave it" but would now do more.
"It's another worry now and it's definitely made us more conscious of the risks that are out there," Ms Hannagan said.
Vet says this has happened in Broome before
Zen swallowing a party drug is not a stand-alone incident in Broome, with the vet telling the couple this has happened five or six times a year on average.
"Dogs will find some party drugs, mostly on the beach after people party there and lose them in the sand," Ms Hannagan explained to the ABC.
"Then in the morning people go with their dogs for a walk and the dog finds the drugs."
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