The tragic death of two-year-old golden retriever Dutton has shocked dog lovers across the 4551 postcode – raising urgent questions about the safety of shared dog bowls and the presence of malicious criminals in our midst.
Dutton died abruptly of kidney poisoning last week after accessing a public water bowl at either Ann St, Dicky Beach or Point Cartwright Walkway.
“Our loss has absolutely gutted our family, especially with him being so young and with so much life ahead,” the owner said.
“We never want to see this happen again.”
In a statement to the Sunshine Coast Council Dutton’s owner urged them to install small, slow-release drain holes in public water bowls to ensure that each dog drinks from fresh, untampered water
The vet who treated Dutton believed poisoning caused his death, pointing to kidney failure linked to specific substances Dutton hadn’t been exposed to.
Moffat Beach Veterinary Surgery were on high alert after the incident, with a staff member confirming a number of unidentified pills were found outside the surgery on the footpath by a client on 6 January.
SuncoastVet veterinarian, Michael Woodcock said their Battery Hill and Caloundra surgeries had seen similar incidents in recent times.
“Including a toxic water contaminant that caused the deaths of several dogs with kidney failure,” Dr Woodcock said.
He said dog owners should be cautious when in public with their pups.
“Symptoms of toxicity include vomiting, diarrhoea, inappetence, tiredness, panting, breathing difficulty, wobbliness, abdominal pain, shaking/shivering, coma and even death,” Dr Woodcock said.
“If suspected toxicity with any of the symptoms above or actually seeing your pet ingest something foreign – seek vet attention ASAP.
“SuncoastVet is always ready to accept emergencies for triage at all of our clinics.
“We will have our vet and nurse team available in these situations, and bringing along the toxic material can often help, or at least a photo can sometimes assist.”
Dr Woodcock said dog owners could consider using their own collapsible water bowl to reduce contamination from shared water sources.
“Infections can be spread by close contact, coughing, in shared water bowls and food sources,” he said.
“Remaining on lead when on walks gives control of whether your dog can access potential sources of toxins.”
Dutton’s breeder and Ayaimah Kennels owner, Karen Shield, said Dutton was in perfect health before being struck down from acute kidney failure.
Ms Shield urged pet owners across greater Caloundra to be “extremely vigilant”.
“Dutton was owned and loved by a very responsible young couple – Dutton was their dream dog,” Ms Shield said.
“It appears that there has been a past history into “suspected poisoning events” like this happening on the Sunshine Coast dog-friendly beaches and I would support the owner’s suggestion of Council drilling small leak holes into the public dog bowls so that the water does not remain stagnant in any bowl for longer than a few minutes.”
Sunshine Coast Council encouraged all reports of suspected pet poisoning to be referred directly to the leading authority for complaints of this nature – the RSPCA Queensland.
Council encourages pet owners to:
• Keep dogs in sight at all times while in off-leash areas
• Ensure your dog is responsive to voice commands before letting them off leash so they can be called away from unknown food sources
• Contact their vet at the first signs of any symptoms such as gastro, breathlessness or being listless.
“We urge dog owners and vets to report these instances or any relevant information to the Queensland Police Service or the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL,” a council spokesperson said.
