Clean up after setting off firecrackers – they can be poisonous to pooches
Discarded firecrackers can be dangerous for dogs, says the letter writer.
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The Editor,
The residue inside used firecrackers is incredibly toxic to humans and animals. My family found this out first-hand when our puppy was poisoned the morning after Halloween.
She found a used firecracker in our fenced and hedged backyard and chewed on it. We can only guess that the firecracker made it into our backyard from the main street, which is two houses away.
Just by chewing on the firecracker and ingesting a small amount, she suffered tremors and a lowered heart rate, and was unable to walk. Fortunately, we got her to the vet within a short time and the wonderful vet and staff at Port Coquitlam Animal Hospital quickly looked after her by inducing vomiting and setting her up on IV fluids to flush out her system.
Chemicals in the firecracker can cause seizures, neurological damage and even paralysis. We spent a very tense Sunday waiting to find out if our puppy was going to be okay and thankfully she is. She will require follow-up blood work to make sure that her system is entirely back to normal.
This is my request and the reason for writing this letter: In future, if you are going to light firecrackers, please, please, be careful where they are directed and please clean up the pieces that are left littering the ground. It is horrible that our backyard, my puppy’s safe haven, was intruded upon by leftover firecrackers and it is disgusting to go out the morning after Halloween to find the streets and yards covered with firecracker debris.
Not only is this litter unsightly but it is also incredibly toxic to toddlers and our furry companions.
The Fletcher Family, Port Coquitlam
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