Man Warns Other Owners After Dog Dies From Saltwater Poisoning


It is a sad day when you lose your dog and a man is experiencing that sadness but he is also warning others. His dog experienced an untimely death because of salt water poisoning.

Chris Taylor, a 29-year-old Florida resident took his young dog for some fun at the beach. The heat can be quite overwhelming in Florida so he thought that a nice splash in the water would be good for both of them.

The last thing that Chris expected was it will be the last time they got to play together.

Chris met his Labrador retriever mix when he was at the University of South Florida. His dog was only a puppy at the time. He fell head over heels in love with him and adored his playful, fun-loving nature.

He named his new best buddy O.G. and he recalls in an interview with WFLA how much he adored coming home to his goofy dog.

“He always wanted to be doing what I was doing. He’s my family. he’s just so goofy and just always excited to see me when I came through the door.”

They bonded so tightly that Chris was always looking for a way they could spend time together at the beach.

O.G. absolutely loved the water, which is no surprise to anyone who has ever had a Labrador in their life.

When Chris got home, his dog would be so excited and could barely hold his excitement while he waited at the door. He just knew that he was going to go to the beach and enjoy some time in the waves.

Seven years later, the Labrador mix still felt the same way about the water and he still waited for his dad to take him to the beach.

Chris took his dog to Honey Moon Island on July 9 last year. In South Florida, it is a popular destination for anyone who has a dog that loves the water.

Everything was going perfectly with lots of fun playing in the water and on the sand. Unfortunately, the day would end quite differently.

O.G. started to show some signs later that evening that something was seriously wrong.

It started out with an upset stomach and then turned to a terrible case of diarrhea. Before long, the dog was vomiting. Things continued to get worse the next day.

Chris was worried about his dog and he wanted to do something to make him feel better. He even made him chicken and rice for breakfast, his favorite meal.

O.G. was just too out of it to enjoy the meal and by Wednesday, his health came crashing down even further.

Rather than being goofy and hyper, he was now listless and just stared off into space. He would not take any food or water.

In addition to not eating, the dog was not attentive to his father and that was something that had never happened before. At this point, Chris realized that something serious was wrong so he raced his dog to the vet.

Unfortunately, it was too little and too late. O.G. had saltwater poisoning and it had already done its damage. Chris recalls the final moments with his friend:

“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.”

The dog had consumed too much salt water and died from severe dehydration. Saltwater poisoning is a horrible death, causing brain damage, seizures and ultimately, brings an end to life.

Chris was still grappling with his feelings.

“It still feels surreal. It doesn’t feel like reality. I [have] to get a grip on that and realize that it is real and he’s gone.”

He had lost his best friend to something that he had always considered safe. Now he is warning other dog owners about the dangers of allowing pups to play in the saltwater. He tells them to pay extra attention to their dogs when they are at the beach.

Kelly Meyer, a vet at Tampa Bay Emergency, also says that you should never have your dog at the beach more than a couple of hours. You should also provide plenty of fresh water every half hour so the saltwater is diluted.

Those simple tips can make the difference between your dog enjoying a good day at the beach or suffering the same fate as Chris’s dog.

h/t: Relieved.co


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