A Lanarkshire dog owner has issued a warning of the dangers of rat poisoning after her pet swallowed the chemical and was given days to live.
Nicole Hanley's Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross Zara had to be rushed to the vet after she picked up a dead rat in the garden and ingested poison.
The 28-year-old from Motherwell said North Lanarkshire Council had laid down bait boxes to deal with a rat infestation while local residents also put down poison of their own in June last year, the Daily Record reports.
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Nicole said: "There was a rat problem in the area and some neighbours had taken it upon themselves to place down rat poison.
"Zara was in the garden and the next minute she had this dead rat she thought was a toy. She ingested the poison from its body.
"I rushed her to Vets Now and she was given charcoal and an injection to make her sick, with the hope it would clear the poison from her body.
"Three days later I spotted that her gums were red. She has a white coat and I noticed what looked like bruising on her back.
"I took her back to the vets and they told me the poison was shutting down her organs and she had just days to live."
Nicole was told Zara may have to be euthanised before further blood tests and scans found the poorly pup could be treated with steroids.
Just a few months ago, Zara's condition eventually began to improve but she will need lifelong check-ups. Nicole was forced to sell her car to fund the dog's initial veterinary treatment and will need to fork out £400 a month for medication, as well as £4,000 for an MRI scan.
Nicole continued: "Most dogs die when they eat poison, Zara is extremely lucky to be here. The poison caused her immune system to attack itself.
"She has now been diagnosed with immune-Mediated Thrombocytopenia (IMT), and calcinosis cutis - all triggered by the rat poison.
It's a chronic illness that will never go away and she will be on medication for the rest of her life."
She added: "Zara isn't a pet, she's like my baby. Losing her would have broken my heart.
"It was tough selling my car but the vet bills needed to be paid.
"I want to raise awareness to other pet owners - if you know rat poison has been placed down in your local area, be alert. For some owners, the only option is to put your pet down. Zara is happy but she has long-term health issues as a result."
Pals have set up a fundraising page to help pay for Zara's treatment. Donations can be made by clicking here.
A spokesperson for North Lanarkshire Council said: “When our pest control team are responding to reports of rat issues, we are committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents, their pets, and other animals."
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