When you have as many dogs as I do, you expect emergencies from time to time. However I don’t think anything could have prepared me for this one. I was (for once) actually graced with a relaxing weekend which consisted mainly of reassessing some of last years gardening choices. Two of these new hopefuls where beautiful pink azalea bushes.. Planted on either side of the gate in my backyard. I went to bed that night proud and accomplished of the job well done. The next morning I let the dogs into my backyard so they could enjoy some fresh air while I got ready for the day. Left alone to their own devices the Dobermans decided the azaleas would make perfect playthings. They then proceeded to dig them up and shred them branch by branch. By the time I returned to check on them there was nothing left. Not so much as a leaf i could actually mourn. I didn’t think to much of it, as I am use to their clever antics. However about three hours later my little guy Finn (a five pound chihuahua) starting feeling pretty bad, and vomiting profusely. So off to the vet we went. Come to find out Azaleas are highly poisonous, a fact I had never came across before. The poisons had almost completely infiltrated his little system by the time we got to the vet and where beginning to cause kidney and liver damage, on top of severe dehydration. He was given mass amounts of fluids and medication after they did some blood work, put him on baby food and pedyalite to hopefully help give him back some of the electrolytes he had lost. The little guy was back to his former self about three nightmarish days later, and I thank god for it. Luckily the other three never so much as flinched… But it Shows the massive size difference at best I would say. It was a hard and scary lesson to learn. I don’t think I will be doing any gardening without consulting the experts again. Who knew azaleas where so dangerous?
