Dog dies due to poisoning in White River

A two-year-old Labrador was found dead in the yard of a White River home this morning, November 13, following a suspected poisoning incident.

White River Community Policing Forum’s Dawie Bronkhorst, who is also the owner of Blackwater Defence RSA and the neighbour of the pet owner whose dog was reportedly poisoned, said a child’s bicycle was also stolen from the property.

He said the incident occurred at a house on Impala Street just before 06:00 this morning. It is suspected the men who poisoned the dog lifted the electric gate off the tracks, dropped the poison in the yard, stole the bicycle and then fled.

Bronkhorst said his neighbour was in the process of making a police report.

He added that there had been reports of a second dog that had been poisoned at another house in Impala Street, however, this could not be confirmed at the time of publishing.

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Dr Graeme Harman of Lowveld Vet @ White River confirmed that one of the poisoned dogs was brought into the hospital this morning. He said it was already dead by that time.

He said it was a two-year-old Labrador. It had been lively and eating earlier in the morning, before it was found dead in the front yard a few hours later.

Harman said there was evidence of hypersalivation and vomiting.

He said he suspects the poison used was something similar to ‘two-step’ or Temik, a common agricultural pesticide which causes a very rapid onset of symptoms such as muscle tremors, seizures, extreme salivation, vomiting and staggering.

“It is a horrendous poison and a nasty way for a dog to die,” said Harman. “If you think your dog has been poisoned, it is advised that you get it to the vet as soon as possible. We are fully prepared and ready to treat them, and the sooner you bring them in for treatment, the better.”

He advised pet owners, farmers and others who live further away from town to get their dog in the car and on the way to the vet as soon as possible, and to attempt to induce vomiting by forcing a small handful of washing powder down the throat.

“The bottom line, however, is that there is usually no time to waste and one shouldn’t struggle trying to self-administer anything, but rather to get the dog to professional medical care as soon as possible.”

ALSO READ: UPDATE: Mbombela K9 Anti-terrorist Task Team’s dog poisoning suspect released

White River Animal Hospital said that with most of the toxins used for malignant poisonings, it is beneficial to induce vomiting and then give activated charcoal, but only if the animal is compos mentis (mentally aware and able to vomit/swallow). This is to prevent anything from going into the lungs as this can be a difficult complication to treat.

The hospital advised people to still get their animals to a vet as soon as possible to ensure all poison is out and start with treatment.

“There are many steps that can help prevent a pet from eating something with poison in. We recommend animals being kept inside at night as they can still wake you if an intruder is around. We then recommend owners checking their yard for any foreign food/objects that they did not put there, and remove it before letting pets out. If your dog is outside during the night and you hear barking or your dogs making strange sounds, go and check on them immediately,” he said.

Bronkhorst added that it is extremely important that if you do find any strange items, to not to touch them with your bare hands as they are also dangerous to humans.

“It is also advised that people keep their gardens well-lit at night,” he said.

Harman added that the last time the area had seen a large spate of dog poisonings was two years ago, when up to five or six houses were targeted on the same street and about eight dogs were killed.

He also urged pet owners to report these incidents to the police so that there is a record of them, and efforts to catch the people responsible can begin.

Should you suspect your dog has been poisoned, contact Lowveld Vet @ White River on 013 004 0283 or 084 077 8048, or the White River Animal Hospital on 073 963 2748.

Lowvelder had previously reported in September this year that about nine dogs had died due to poisoning in the Steiltes area in Mbombela.

A K9 Anti-terrorist Task Team was formed following the incidents, and on October 3 the team caught man and handed him over to Nelspruit SAPS. The 45-year-old man was arrested for possession of housebreaking instruments, but did not appear in court due to insufficient evidence.

According to the spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, the suspect did not appear in court on the said date and was released.

“The matter was not enrolled due to insufficient evidence and he is legally in South Africa, although he is originally from Mozambique. He was found with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers while walking in the street, not in anyone’s premises,” she said.