Callum Sanders with his and mum Sherryn Rowe-Quate's dog Lexi, next to Saltwater Creek - which could be linked to a mysterious seizure Lexi had on the weekend. Photo / Warren Buckland
Callum Sanders with his and mum Sherryn Rowe-Quate's dog Lexi, next to Saltwater Creek - which could be linked to a mysterious seizure Lexi had on the weekend. Photo / Warren Buckland
The Napier City Council has ruled out algae poisoning from urban waterways as the cause of at least two dogs falling ill.
Sherryn Rowe-Quate said she was grateful to the council for their investigation but now worries about what could have caused her dog Lexi to suffer an "horrific" mysteryseizure over the weekend.
The council announced on Tuesday they were testing urban waterways as two dogs had fallen ill and were taken to a vet, after coming into contact with them.
However, a council spokesperson said levels of the algae microcystins, nodularins and anatoxin were below the limit of detection at the sites of the two incidents - Saltwater Creek, immediately downstream of Avondale Rd and Westminster Ave, and in the swale along Orotū Drive opposite Aoraki Drive.
"The waterways where the issues were alleged to have occurred did not have a quantity of toxins which registered and therefore would be unlikely to have caused the dogs any harm," the spokesperson said.
Rowe-Quate said the outcome of the investigation was unfortunate as she was hoping for a definitive answer to rule out the possibility of a malicious poisoning.
"I am still pleased they did that investigation, it will help put lots of pet owners' minds at ease to know that it is not the waterways and my girl can go for a run along her favourite place and it is not a problem," Rowe-Quate said.
"It is still worrying that it is not as simple a thing as the water."
Lexi, a 6-year-old fox terrier-corgi cross, had loved to play and scavenge around the Saltwater Creek Reserve near Rowe-Quate's property on Avondale Rd near Westminster Ave in Napier, before she fell ill a few days ago.
"It was Saturday afternoon when she came into the house and started seizing and fell over," Rowe-Quate said.
"She definitely wasn't foaming at the mouth, but she was constantly drooling. It was horrible, absolutely horrible to see that happen to her."
Lexi coming home after a two-night stay with the vet, following a seizure for which no cause is known yet. Photo / Sherryn Rowe-Quate
"Her eyes were flickering like she was in fear more than anything, probably because her whole body didn't know what was happening."
She said they took Lexi straight to the vet, where she had to stay two nights after arriving in a critical condition and close to death, if it weren't for the efforts of the vets.
"That was traumatic, that was horrific, that was horrid," Rowe-Quate said.
She said her first thought was that Lexi had accidentally eaten bait intended for rats as she hadn't entered the water of the creek.
Rowe-Quate said she had two dogs, but the other one wasn't as much of a "scavenger" and was still healthy.
Her son Callum Sanders said he was very concerned by the incident.
"She was full of life the day before, the day of, and then she was on death's door really, it was quite scary. We had to save her, we couldn't let her go," he said.
"She is like my best friend."
The council spokesperson said people could now return to walking their dogs around urban waterways without concern.
The spokesperson said the council has asked local vets to contact them if they see any further cases.
