A grieving woman has issued a health warning to all dog owners in the UK after her pet passed away last week.
Gemma said the trauma is “just unbelievable” following the death of her four-legged friend Pip. The situation all feels “unreal” and the speed of everything also made it “harder to process”.
In a TikTok video she went on to detail the “heartbreak and shock” that has ensued since four-year old Pip’s routine walk lead to the most tragic of circumstances. “She was full of life and just a great little character and loved running around,” Gemma said. “She was running around on Wednesday night (July 15), but had sickness on Thursday morning – but that’s not unusual.”
On this occasion, however, Gemma revealed something seemed different with Pip, as her vomiting continued alongside other symptoms related to her breathing and drooling. After seeking advice from a vet, she was told that as long as her pet was walking around and not suffering from diarrhoea there wasn’t too much cause for concern.
“Within about 45 minutes of that phone call she took a drastic turn for the worse and she started with really watery, bloody diarrhoea,” Gemma continued. After a second call to the vet, she took Pip in as an emergency for an examination. And it was there the extent of the pooch’s problems quickly became apparent.
“She was lethargic and had collapsed on the floor,” Gemma elaborated. “They let me in about half-an-hour before their opening time and they were brilliant and saw her straight away.”
Gemma admitted she thought Pip must have simply caught a gastroenteritis bug and might require fluids and antibiotics, but sadly that wasn’t the case. “She was on every treatment going, we tried everything, but lost her by the end of the day,” she revealed.
Mourning Gemma believes Pip became unwell after consuming “goose poo” in the park 48 hours earlier. “I didn’t realise goose poo can be toxic,” she confessed. “We’d also been to the beach that week and she breathed in sand which can create micro-cuts in the intestine… I think [those two issues combined] was the perfect storm.”
Gemma closed by warning others: “Please, if your dog has been around any poultry… geese, seagulls, pigeons… it can all be toxic for them. If your dog starts being sick within 24 to 48 hours, even if it is just once, go get them checked out.
“If I had known – would it have been different? I would have taken Pip the first time she was sick. It’s just been a massive shock and I’m still in disbelief. I don’t think I will ever get over the trauma of seeing her like that.”
Goose Masters explains online: “Because goose poo can have dangerous bacteria, parasites, and other infection causing contaminants it is important to keep a close eye on your dogs if they have been eating geese poop to see if their illness can be taken care of at home or if they need a veterinarian to treat their symptoms.”