Sophie is one lucky puppy.
The four-month-old Entlebucher mountain dog has made a full recovery after ingesting drugs multiple times while out on walks in Chemainus. She required emergency vet treatment in Nanaimo three times in less than a month, starting on Boxing Day evening.
The Chemainus Ball Park and downtown鈥檚 Waterwheel Park are now off limits, just in case.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 go up there with her anymore, I don鈥檛 want to take the chance,鈥� said owner Michele Yeoman, who doesn鈥檛 plan on ever making a fourth emergency trip.
Sophie got into remnants of cannabis and amphetamines left on the field.
鈥淗er head started bobbing and she got wobbly on her feet,鈥� noted Yeoman. 鈥淚t was actually frightening. You don鈥檛 know if your dog is going to live or die and how much they鈥檝e ingested.鈥�
Each occurrence when Sophie showed problematic symptoms was at night.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a very bad experience,鈥� Yeoman indicated. 鈥淔rom what I鈥檝e been told by the vet three hours after they鈥檝e ingested they begin to show signs.鈥�
Sophie saw three different vets during her emergency care. The presence of Benzodiazepine or Benzos, for short, was detected in Sophie鈥檚 system the last time she went to the vet.
One test she was given involved the injection of liquid charcoal. Once her poop came out black, it was an indication everything was functioning normally again. The charcoal was administered once at home and twice in the emergency bed.
Sophie didn鈥檛 eat a whole joint or anything, but it was obviously enough to cause concern and vets are seeing a rise in these cases with pot being legal.
And trips to the vet for emergencies aren鈥檛 cheap. Yeoman said the three treatments cost her more than $1,000 and it would have been a lot more if any overnight stays were required.
Sophie was nine weeks old when Yeoman obtained her from a breeder. The tri-coloured Entlebucher mountain dog is a medium-sized herding dog, the smallest of the four regional breeds known as herders in the Swiss Alps. The dogs are determined movers of cattle and happiest with a job to perform.
You鈥檒l see Yeoman and Sophie walking downtown, at the beach or on the Cowichan Valley Trail alongside the Mount Brenton Golf Course. Yeoman walks the dog 2-3 times a day.
鈥淪he has to, she has so much energy,鈥� said Yeoman. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see where I鈥檓 going, I鈥檓 watching her. Half the time I wouldn鈥檛 know if she picked something up. Puppies are so quick.鈥�
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