Dog owner regrets not getting pet insurance after pet eats human poop containing meth
Posted May 4, 2023 8:49 pm.
Last Updated May 5, 2023 11:40 am.
A Vancouver dog owner saddled with thousands of dollars in vet bills was thinking twice about her lack of pet medical coverage, after her French bulldog experienced seizures while on an Olympic Village walk last year.
This all comes after her dog consumed human feces that was contaminated with drugs.
A Vancouver dog-owner says her Frenchie had seizures after eating human feces on an Olympic Village sidewalk. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)
Chloe Lerner says the incident took place back in November while she and her dog Rizzo were out for their routine nightly walk.
“She was having seizures. She couldn’t stand upright, she just flopped over to her side and was shaking. Rizzo is a healthy, strong dog, but this is a dog that had no control over her body.”
Lerner says she rushed Rizzo to the 24-hour pet hospital, where a veterinarian went straight to testing.
“Results came back, and that’s when I found out that she had tested positive in her bladder for methamphetamine.”
Lerner says the bill was almost $2,000 because she didn’t have pet insurance, a type of coverage she now wishes she had. “I thought maybe this is something I don’t need, but I was really wrong,” she said. “It’s a dog owner’s worst nightmare.”
Dr. Sarah Armstrong, a veterinarian in Olympic Village, says in her career she’s seen dogs eat just about anything, even underwear.
“Dogs, in general, are scavengers. They will go for anything stinky but Frenchies are generally food motivated,” she said. “I absolutely recommend pet insurance, it’s a great safeguard, vet bills can range from $1,000 to $10,000.”
“With the cost of vet care rising and a lot of that has to do with inflation, vet bills are getting more expensive,” she added.
Dr. Armstrong says if you don’t have a few thousand dollars laying around, insurance could make a major difference.
“It’s a minimal amount you are paying into monthly, and it is great coverage for emergencies.”
In the Olympic Village area, most pet owners told CityNews they do have pet insurance.
“Frenchies are prone to health issues so better safe than sorry,” one local said.
“Just the amount of debris in this area, they can swallow it and rupture their stomach, and that’s just expensive,” another added.
“I think this is a lesson I learned and other pet parents could profit off of that information,” said Lerner. “But yes, having pet insurance would have been a lifesaver.”
Luckily for her owner, Rizzo is now fully insured and a happy healthy girl.
