Is someone POISONING our pets?!?!?!?!

[DragonEggs]

See thats the funny thing about our cats. I have had WAAYY too many bad experiences with outdoor cats so for the past few years all of mine have been indoors. This one had been an indoor cat for 6 years with only the occasional sneak out but we catch them up and bring them right back in. Usually because they never go outside they sneak out a door that was left open a crack, look around and realize that they have NO IDEA where they are and that everything is strange and new so they stand frozen, usually at the corner of the house, just frozen looking around. Makes it easy to catch them up.

This is the first time in 6 years she snuck out and no one noticed for about 30 minutes when we heard her whining at the front door to come back in.

One vet DID call me back today. She is some famous vet that wrote a book and gives free phone consultations. She says the symptoms sound like some kind of natural poisoning. Some plant, animal or insect. Others are blaming it on the toads in the area. Ive been keeping my eyes open for the nasty things and have spotted one hanging around.

Just before we move I'm going to catch a hundred of those things nd drop them on my neighbors front porch... Talk about a plague.....

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Here's some info on our local toads http://floridagardener.com/critters/BufoMarinus.htm and their affect on pets who come in contact with them http://www.healthyhomesforkidsandpets.com/articles/bufo.html I can only hope they're doing their share of eating pesky bugs in order to achieve their great size, but I'm really not very fond of the ugly things.

I hope your dogs get well soon!

 

[Sierra pachie bars]

Oh how awful. Saddens me to know people are so crazy to poison animals. Only someone not right in the head could do such a thing. I love me nieghbors even more after reading about awful people. If you can move , do. Although you said you can't afford to. Not sure what state you are in , but there is a house across the street from me for rent or sale. I live in a city that is very animal friendly. Everyone seems to love animals. But guess they wouldn't move in this area if they didn't. lol
I agree with other posters , go to vet and ask for tests. Let them know what you think has taken place. Good luck and hoping for your furry babies to be ok. Sorry about your cat

 

[ellend]

This is very odd. I'd find it unlikely that, within 30 minutes outdoors, your cat ate something that the dogs do too.

Since you rent, would you know about any chemical spray residues inside the house?

Any mold on pet food?

Keep in mind that if dogs raid the litter basket (yum!

) they are recycling anything the cat ingested; yet your dogs are large. Anything that gives them diarrhea should kill the cat if it's "second-hand." They could share giardia and other intestinal cooties. Is rodent poop or rat urine available to all three?

Water source? Well water? Do humans in the house drink the same untreated\\unfiltered water as the pets?

Phenolic cleaners for floors? (Anything that turns white when poured into water) Phenolics (many floor cleaners) are toxic.

Plants inside the home that might get nibbled on, especially lilies or dumbcane\\Chinese evergreen? Datura or Angel's Trumpet, or Oleander or Castor Bean, wisteria seeds? If anybody makes indoor flower arrangements, MANY yard flowers are toxic. Go to Google for extensive lists.

Yard sprays, brush sprays, cleaning agents? My ferret will lick Woolite bottles... Had carpets cleaned in the past few months?

Cats are strongly attracted to marijuana, and dogs that eat it will get diarrhea, sometimes neurotoxic looking symptoms. Your teenagers will think you're psychic if you catch the cat INTENTLY sniffing their fingers, and ask them where their stash is...

Anybody giving the dogs chocolate for a treat? Any spoiled food/compost they can get into?

This is a puzzle, but since both dogs AND cat are involved, my best guesses barring accessible toxins is a contaminated water supply (wells are a prime source, along with afternoon toilet martinis) or intestinal infection from giardia, cryptosporidia, or secondary infection after parasitic infection.

Good luck. Keep us posted!

 

[ellend]

Mrs. Smith;

What city is remarkably animal-friendly? Portland, OR is, but I would like to know about others...

 

[ellend]

Just re-read your first posting. Should'a done that first.
The cat's decline could be entirely unrelated (a "red-herring") to the dogs' problems. The cat might have chewed on a plant at some time, that caused the damage. Liver failure can be chronic until the liver just can't compensate any more, and then suddenly you see symptoms. Or, it can be acute; like poisioning from chewing on lilies in a flower arrangement. If your cats were adopted, you have no way of knowing if one had partial damage before you got it, which just became evident now. 30 minutes outdoors isn't long for a cat to get into a lot of trouble unless there are pools of antifreeze or spray toxins that it licks off it's feet or coat; dogs race for "food", cats are more visual and will spend more of their time seeing the sights.

Very sorry about your cat. It's hard. Hope you can later look at it that your cat got great years that so many others never get.