Pet owners have been urged to be vigilant after a dog died following a suspected poisoning, and pills were scattered outside a veterinary clinic in a separate incident.
Dutton, a strong, healthy two-year-old retriever, went into acute kidney failure last week after visiting beachside areas.
His owners believe he was poisoned at Ann Street, Dicky Beach, or Point Cartwright as “these are the only locations the dog had been in the days before going to the vet”.
“The likeliness of (the) situation being true comes from the vet, who suspects it (poisoning) as a cause of death due to kidney failure being only related to a few specific items – Ibuprofen, antifreeze, grapes – none of which our dog had eaten or was around the house,” said the owners, who did not want to be named.
“The likeliness, from the vet, also comes due to dogs being impacted with kidney poisoning in the same way from water bowl poisonings in the past.
“This cause of death is as very out of the ordinary to be acute (sudden onset rather than occurred over time).”
In August 2022, nine dogs fell sick, of which five died, following suspected poisoning at Buddina.
Another two and possibly three were suspected of being poisoned in the same area in December that year but investigations were unable to establish the cause.
Karen Shield, who bred Dutton, posted on social media that people should be aware of the recent suspected poisoning of dog water bowls.
“Please be vigilant and carry your own bowls and water at this time,” she said.
The Moffat Beach Vets has urged dog owners to be on alert following the latest suspected poisoning and after some unidentified pills were found on the footpath outside the clinic early on Monday afternoon.
A nurse from the clinic said about 12 to 15 pink, white and blue pills about the size of a “half a pinkie fingernail” and with no identifying markings were found.
“We had a client who found them and we went out on the path and picked them up, and raked them, and collected what we could, and are tossing up whether or not to get them tested,” she said.
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The nurse said no dogs had been brought into the surgery after ingesting pills or suffering from poisoning but it had issued a warning as it was “better to be safe than sorry”.
“With recent reports of potential poisonings in water bowls around Dicky Beach, we urge everyone to stay extra vigilant during walks,” the clinic post said.
“Please ensure your pup doesn’t eat or drink anything when out in public.”
Dutton’s owners have suggested the council drill a small, “slow-release” hole in the bottom of every public dog water bowl to prevent the possible water poisonings.
Councillor Terry Landsberg, whose division includes Dicky Beach, said on Monday that council staff, acting on a social media report about a potential poisoning in the area, had checked water bowls in the area.
“We’ve requested any CCTV from residents. As a precaution, the staff went out there and cleaned all the bowls,” he said.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said suspected pet poisonings should be reported directly to the lead agency for complaints of this nature, the RSPCA, on 1300 ANIMAL.
The spokesperson said pet owners should keep their dogs in sight at all times in off-leash areas, ensure their dogs respond to voice commands so they could be called away from unknown food sources, and contact their vet at the first signs of any symptoms such as gastro upsets, breathlessness or listlessness.
