Dog becomes 14th to die from 'poisoning' in New Forest

A five-year-old retriever has become the 14th dog to die from a suspected case of a killer toxin in the New Forest since December 2012.

Coated retriever Erin contracted the illness after a walk at St Catherine's Hill near Christchurch, Dorset, reports the Bournemouth Echo.

Her owner Tracey Graham became panicked when she saw lesions appear on Erin's feet.

She immediately contacted the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) and took Erin for blood tests at the emergency vets.

Nothing showed straight away but follow-up tests four days later showed high levels of toxicity in her blood.

She was then sent to specialists Anderson Moores as her kidneys began to fail.

Ms Graham was on her way to London to put Erin on a kidney dialysis machine, when the dog started vomiting blood, and she made the decision to have her put down.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ms Graham said: "Unfortunately nobody told me to get her blood tested every day after she became ill.

"It may have picked up the toxin earlier and who knows - she could have been saved."

It is believed this could be another case of 'Alabama Rot', a toxin produced by E.coli bacteria that causes acute kidney failure in dogs.

The exact cause of the illness is still unknown.

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