Winchester vet highlights dangers of anti-freeze to pets

Sophie Dormon, an internal medicine resident at Linnaeus-owned Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists (AMVS), near Winchester, has spoken out after dealing with a recent case involving a young puppy called Souki.

Sophie is keen to alert animal lovers to the fact that car antifreeze and windscreen de-icer, which contain ethylene glycol, are toxic to pets and can cause serious kidney damage.

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Sophie is making the warning after Souki (pictured) became ill after coming into contact with anti-freeze (Image: Anderson Moore's Vets)She said: “A lot of pet owners aren’t aware how toxic antifreeze is for pets and that’s why we have acted to highlight the potential dangers involved.

“We’d urge people to be alert to the problem and make sure they prevent their pets from drinking from water sources outside the home which may have been contaminated with antifreeze.

“We’re also urging pet owners not to leave bottles of open antifreeze unattended and to wash away any spillages as soon as possible to protect both their own pets and any other passing animals.

“The warning signs are gastrointestinal, like vomiting, wobbliness and increased thirst or urination which can occur within 30 minutes of ingestion.

“However, by the time certain signs are seen some damage can be irreversible, so it is always better to be safe than sorry and go to your vets if you are concerned your pet might have had exposure to antifreeze or de-icer, as the quicker they receive treatment the better.”

That’s exactly what Souki’s worried owners did, with prompt treatment leading to the poorly pup making a full recovery.

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Sophie added: “Souki was diagnosed with ethylene glycol exposure and possible toxicity as a result.

“This can lead to acute kidney damage which can take up to seven days to show up in any blood tests. Souki’s tests were clear but we still didn’t take anything for granted.

“She was put on an ethanol IV drip and monitored closely before being allowed home and she was checked again a few days later with more blood tests taken to double check for any impact on the kidneys.

“Happily, it seems Souki had only ingested very small volumes of antifreeze so escaped any serious complications and hopefully long-term damage.”