Man speaks out after saltwater poisoning kills his dog
For Chris Taylor, it started out as a normal day. The Florida man and his black Labrador retriever, O.G., went out to a local dog beach for some fun in the sun.
The two stayed for hours soaking up the sun, but just hours later Chris noticed something was wrong.
Chris told his pup began having stomach issues the night they got home. Two days later, O.G.’s health suddenly deteriorated. The lab wasn’t eating and wasn’t responding, so Chris rushed him to a veterinarian, but it was too late.
Chris’ best friend was dying of saltwater poisoning. Saltwater is extremely dangerous to animals, WFLA reports. Large amounts of saltwater can cause dehydration, seizures and severe brain damage.
“Salt poisoning in dogs and cats results in clinical signs of vomiting, diarrhea, inappetence, lethargy, walking drunk, abnormal fluid accumulation within the body, excessive thirst or urination, potential injury to the kidneys, tremors, seizures, coma, and even death when untreated,” according to the .
That’s what was happening to O.G.
"I saw him last night, and he was convulsing, and I asked if he was in pain, she said I don't even think he knows where he is," Chris told the station.
"They told me, there's nothing we can do right now," he said. “I thought, ‘This is my son.’ I don't have children of my own."
Veterinarians say if you take a pet to the beach, try to limit the trip to a few hours. Make sure to take breaks and have plenty of fresh drinking water for your furry friends.