Ollie the collie went looking for lollies

By John Morgan | Dated August 30, 2017

Oliver’s family have been renovating their house, and as you may have experienced yourself, one job leads to another and then another, and before long the chaos has taken over the whole property. So last week, while his owners had to pop out for an hour, Oliver was left in the house because the yard was not safe for him.
When his mum returned, it was immediately apparent that Oliver had done his own rearranging and decorating. Unfortunately in the process he had also discovered a bottle of Nurofen tablets and eaten 15 of them. Now those bottles have a childproof cap, but not Border Collie proof. His savvy owner phoned us immediately, and before we knew it, Oliver was at Gordon Vet and was being made to vomit.

The bottle was not border collie – proof

Nurofen is a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Dogs and particularly cats are very sensitive to its side effects. Unfortunately Oliver had consumed a dose that carried a real risk of stomach ulceration and kidney failure. With prompt treatment however, the prognosis is good. He was placed on a drip immediately, and after he had emptied his stomach, he was given further medication to bind the toxin and speed the passage of any remaining Nurofen through his intestines to limit its absorption.

Ollie the Border Collie

Oliver spent two days with us while on the drip, and took medication to treat any potential stomach ulceration. His follow up blood tests have been perfect and we are all relieved to say that Oliver’s little indiscretion is behind him now.
It is worth noting that if your pet does ever eat something potentially toxic, their chances of a full recovery are greatly improved if we see them as soon as possible, particularly within an hour of eating it. So, just like Oliver’s owner, please don’t delay seeking treatment or wait to see if they become ill.