Guss sick as a dog

Julie Haskell with Guss, whose nervous system was damaged. Photo / Greg Bowker

Black labrador Guss is like a "wobbly foal" learning to walk again, after a trip to Browns Bay beach left him with serious damage to his nervous system.

Owner Julie Haskell did not see what her normally bouncy pet ate before he began vomiting, convulsing and lost the ability to walk.

After more than a week in and out of the vet clinic and uncounted vet bills, the 8-month-old could walk a few steps and go to the toilet by himself but was "still not right", she said.

The vet who treated Guss immediately after his beach outing, Reg Gregory, said he had never seen such severe poisoning and the dog arrived showing "serious neurological symptoms".

Guss vomited a lot of seaweed but nothing resembling fish, he said. The source of poisoning remained a complete mystery.

Ms Haskell said Guss ate dead pilchards with no ill effects on Long Bay beach the week before he became ill, on a walk between Waiake beach and Browns Bay. MAF had told her Guss would be tested only if he died.