3 weeks after lily's overdose on metacam, she's now back in the vets on a drip after eating 7.5 rimadyl tablets. i only had them in the house because im looking after my mum's dogs next week and she gave me the tablets in advance in case she forgot. they were in a childproof bottle, in a sealed plastic box in the back of a cupboard. whilst i was in college this morning she climbed on a box, got in the cupboard, opened the plastic box and destroyed the bottle. she's got to stay on the drip 24-48 hours again and then more blood tests to see if she's damaged her kidneys or liver... she had only just started growing her hair back again after last time :( i feel like such a crap dog owner and the vets must think i'm stupid and irresponsible. and i can't stop crying and i've got no one here to hug me and i miss my little girl

sarah

Sarah please don't beat yourself up, these things happen to all of us, we try our hardest to protect our dogs, kids etc., but they often take matters into their own hands, and no matter how hard we try they get into trouble.  Remember the most important thing is you have got professional help to deal with Lily.

Her is a BIG HUG from me (((((((((((((((((HUG)))))))))))))))))))

Love Chris

Don't worry Sarah, these things do happen!  Hope everything goes OK.

Sarah.

sarah your not a crap owner. Sending you a big hug.

I hope she's ok Sarah.  You're not to blame, you can't help it if you very intelligent dog can open cupboards and bottles that the rest of us struggle with!  Let us know how she gets on.  Thinking of you.

Simone

Hi Sarah

I've written a very strong letter to Pfizer about the packaging of palatable Rimadyl tablets.   

I had much the same experience - our Birdie was on them, and I was keeping them in the original lightweight plastic drum that they come in, up high , so I though no-one could get them.    In came Damson, who has a very acute sense of something yummy, and helped herself to the plastic tub and about 30 Rimadyl - the palatable scent had obviously got round the outside of the container, and was very attractive.

So she was into vets and on drips and blood tests,; luckily she seems fine, but our vet phoned up the poisons unit, who said they have had 50 cases of similar Rimadyl poisoning.

I am a very careful owner, but accidents do happen, and the packaging was certainly not dog-proof by any manner of means.    If they were foil-wrapped, rather like Synulox, they might be safer.

Have had no reply, but am in the process of sending them my vet's bill

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

HI Sarah how are you and Lily? She certainly is one determined little dog. Dont condemn yourself, you took precautions. HOpe all is well soon. (())

i called the vets at 6 and apparently she's very lively still which is good. i was a bit soppy and asked the nurse if she would choose her a cuddly toy and add it to my bill. i don't like to think of her in a little cage all on her own :(

sarah

Sarah, don't blame yourself- I was a lot less careful than you were, and my Whippet, who had never stolen anything before, got into my handbag and ate about 20 Ibuprofen tablets! Although I made him sick within about an hour, he still ended up with acute kidney failure and the vets didn't think he'd survive.
I'm happy to say he made a complete recovery with no long term after-effects, but I am sooo careful now with any medication. It sounds like your dog was very resourceful and determined to get the Rymadil, so there's not much more you could have done to prevent it, other than putting it in a safe!!
I hope your girl makes a speedy recovery and is back home soon.
Liz x

I'm so sorry :( Don't beat your self up it could happen to anybody...Praying that she is ok :)

Cannot always be held responsible to your dog intelegence, earlier this week Britney ate my mobile phone and that was not even in the same room as she was when I went out and the lounge door had a dead lock on it and somehow she still got in.Some things are accidents and some are acts of god as any insurance company, Hope you have better news soon

Hope she is OK

Lindsay
X

just called the vets, she decided to remove her drip overnight so she'll have to stay in a little longer :( but they've given her something to eat and hopefully she'll manage to keep it down. i have to call at 5 to see how it's going and whether i can collect her today or not... i hope today :(

sarah

Will keep everything crossed that you get her back very soon.

i've got my little girl back ! she's got an appointment tomorrow night for a bloodtest to see if any damage has been done :(
she did a big wee when we got her but now she keeps doing lots of tiny wees which is odd, her kidneys are obviously doing something, which is good, just seems odd though. anyone got any ideas ?

sarah

Would get as much liquid as pos into her now she is off the drip every pint of liquid she drinks is a pint of liquid flushing her kidneys.

Some dogs just have a knack for getting into mischief :)

Plenty of her favourite stock - warm and smelly, I'd be mixing it in with her food too so she gets the extra liquids (I do this with my elderly cat too as she doesn't drink enough)

Hope she's better soon :)

I don't know if this would help but after several similar trips to the vets my bro fitted the fridge, freezer and every other cupboard in the house with child safety locks to keep his one weim out of mischief - seems to have worked (so far ;) )

Regards
Dill

i've been giving lily lots to drink and she's peeing for england now :)
she has got ever so sore little leggies now (both front ones shaved !) they had to put the drip in about 4 times cos she insisted on removing it a few times ! she looks all bruised and pink. when i collected her they took me through to the cage where she was kept and she looked ever so sorry for herself (she was hugging her new toy that they had given her) but it was nice to be able to see where she had been - she was in the main room where they do the operations and stuff so that they could keep an eye on her and keep her company (she whinged on her own) they are all ever so nice at her vets and i'm so glad i found them (i did ever so much hunting and research for vets before i got her) :)
thanks for everyone's good wishes, i just hope everything goes well with the tests now

sarah
(and lilywoo)

just been for the blood tests and her urea is fine but her creatinine is high :( it's supposed to between about 40 and 159, she was 70 at her last test and 162 now :( we've booked another appointment for 2 weeks time for another test :( and we've been given a spaceage looking wee pot device to collect her wee the morning of her test - should be fun !
fingers crossed :(

sarah

Hi Sarah,
It sounds like she's definitely going in the right direction- the creatinine level is high, but the more fluid you can get into her, the quicker it will flush out of her system.
I've just checked back to my posts over Xmas 2002, when Alfie took his 'overdose' (had a tear in my eye as well, reading all the lovely supportive posts from fellow Champdoggers who helped me through it!)
At his worst point, his creatinine level was 450 (!), but after 3 days on a drip (he also kept taking his drip out!) it had gone down to 178 and he was allowed home. A week later it was normal.
Give her a hug from me and tell her not to be such a silly girl in future.
Best wishes,
Liz x