It was a regular Friday night for the Thornton family.
Derek Thornton took the family dog, a chocolate Labrador retriever named Charlie, out B次元官网网址渇or a quick pee breakB次元官网网址� before bed, around 8:30 p.m., near Morgan Crossing in South Surrey.
Then, around 9:15 p.m., ThorntonB次元官网网址檚 son called him over, as he noticed Charlie was not acting normal.
B次元官网网址淢y son called me over and said B次元官网网址楥harlieB次元官网网址檚 acting weird,B次元官网网址� so I went and looked at him,B次元官网网址� Thornton said.
B次元官网网址淗e was whimpering abnormally, and lying down as if he was sleepingB次元官网网址� his eyes were sort of glassed over, sort of cloudy and flickering B次元官网网址� not normal eyes,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淪o I start calling his name and snapping my fingers and shaking his head, but he was totally unresponsive. His body, at that point, was pretty limp and lifeless, so I yelled for my wife to find me a vet thatB次元官网网址檚 open.B次元官网网址�
Fortunately, a local veterinarian was open until 10 p.m., so he and his wife carried Charlie B次元官网网址� who is 80 pounds B次元官网网址� down the hall, to the elevator, and to the car.
B次元官网网址淏y the time we put him in the back seat, weB次元官网网址檙e both a bit panickedB次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檙e thinking weB次元官网网址檙e putting a dead dog in the back seat to go to the vet to get pronounced,B次元官网网址� he recalled. B次元官网网址淥ur kids are upstairs bawling their eyes out, having watched this.B次元官网网址�
They got to the vet and the vet wanted to know what happened, but Thornton didnB次元官网网址檛 know how to answer.
B次元官网网址淚 didnB次元官网网址檛 know what to tell them. I didnB次元官网网址檛 know what I was looking atB次元官网网址� I donB次元官网网址檛 know what he got into, I donB次元官网网址檛 know if he had a seizure or stroke, he didnB次元官网网址檛 eat anything.B次元官网网址�
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The vet was able to help stabilize CharlieB次元官网网址檚 vitals B次元官网网址� his heart rate was down to 40 and his breath rate was down to 3, B次元官网网址渨hich is extremely low,B次元官网网址� Thornton said.
They called an emergency veterinary hospital in Langley, as Charlie would likely have to transfer there, and the veterinarian there asked them if they happened to have any Naloxone, Thornton said, and when the local vet said they had two doses, the Langley vet told them to try that and call back in 10 minutes.
B次元官网网址淪o they gave him the first dose, and his breath rate went up to 20,B次元官网网址� said Thornton.
B次元官网网址淭hey gave him a second dose five minutes later, and he stood up. In five or six minutes and two doses, he went from the brink of death to B次元官网网址業B次元官网网址檓 back!B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
The Langley vet explained that Naloxone is a test and cure at once B次元官网网址� if it doesnB次元官网网址檛 work, theyB次元官网网址檙e looking for something else and if it does work, it only works on opioids, Thornton said.
Charlie stayed overnight in Langley for observation, and a toxicity screen B次元官网网址渆ffectively confirmed a fentanyl overdose.B次元官网网址�
Thornton and his wife were asked if they have anything in the home, which they definitely do not, said Thornton.
B次元官网网址淲here on Earth could he possibly have gotten into fentanyl?B次元官网网址� he queried the vet.
B次元官网网址淪he said itB次元官网网址檚 happening pretty commonly nowB次元官网网址� she said cases as bad as his, sheB次元官网网址檚 getting once a quarter.B次元官网网址�
THC overdoses are more common, but Thornton was shocked at how easily it can happen.
B次元官网网址淭here was nothing abnormal about the walk. It was such a regular walk. It couldB次元官网网址檝e just been some powder spilled on the grass, and he couldB次元官网网址檝e just grazed over it while he was sniffing for a spot and snorted up some fentanyl B次元官网网址� and thatB次元官网网址檚 all it takes,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nothing we couldnB次元官网网址檝e done. We canB次元官网网址檛 let him not sniff.B次元官网网址�
Smaller dogs and young children in the neighbourhood often walk in the same areas, Thornton noted.
B次元官网网址淭he day before, on the very same route, we were following a two-and-a-half or three-year-old (child) doing bear crawls down the sidewalk, because itB次元官网网址檚 fun for (a kid that age) to doB次元官网网址� what if he put his hand in a pile of fentanyl, or touches his newborn baby brotherB次元官网网址檚 hand after? ItB次元官网网址檚 so upsetting, to know that thereB次元官网网址檚 absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚t can happen to anybody. It can happen anywhere.B次元官网网址�
They went and got a Naloxone kit right away, in case something similar ever happens again.
B次元官网网址淧harmacies are giving them away for free, so we went and got one and now we have one in the house.B次元官网网址�
Thornton, who posted to Facebook about the ordeal, just wants parents of children and fur-babies to be aware the issue exists.
B次元官网网址淥bviously, this is a bigger problem than just usB次元官网网址� bigger than a lot of people know.B次元官网网址�
