A Fife pet emergency service is warning dog owners to be vigilant after a puppy was involved in a hot tub accident.
One-year-old labrador Cooper was saved by specialists at Vets Now after a day in the garden turned to horror for his owners.
Cooper’s owner Joanne McGovern says: “We’ve always been really cautious with the hot tub, but Cooper has never shown any interest at all in going near it.
“It was a lovely Sunday and my partner had topped up the chemicals, put the hot tub jets on and popped into the house for a moment.
“I was in the living room and Cooper came in like he was gasping for breath.
I ran into the garden and saw water on the steps by the tub. I realised he’d licked the foam with all the chemicals.
“It was so scary,” Joanne continues. “We phoned Vets Now right away and they said to get him to them as fast as we could.
“It was longest journey of my life. I was crying all the way and kept talking to him to make sure he was still with us.”
Vets Now operates more than 60 pet health centres across the UK from its headquarters in Dunfermline.
Joanne was able to tell staff which cleaning products were used in the tub and read out the chemicals they contained, including chlorine.
“When we did the examination, Cooper was making noise similar to reverse sneezing,” says vet Nicole Laws.
“We have seen numerous cases involving pets almost drowning or suffering an extreme reaction after inhaling treated hot tub water into their lungs.
“Owners should always keep their dog away from them or cover them when not in use.”
The Vets Now team treated Cooper and monitored his condition for a few hours before a relieved Joanne took him home with medication for his airways and eyes.
The pup has made a full recovery, but mum-of-two Joanne knows things could have been different.
“Even though I knew we’d got him to the right place, it was really frightening,” she says.
“It happened so quickly. I would never have left my wee girls unattended by the hot tub and you’ve got to be every bit as cautious with dogs.”
Vets Now are open seven days a week for pet emergencies and their services include online video consultation for non-emergencies.
