I have a friend whose Kerry Blue (four years old) just
died from some unnamed ailment. Clio had a
“quiver” that would run across her body. It got
worse and worse and then she started panting.

After taking her to the emergency clinic she was
pronounced as very dehydrated and was put on IV
fluids. Tests revealed nothing although she seemd
to have a tender abdomen. She finally could not
stand up and was unresponsive . . . all this after
numerous tests and two days in the hospital. Any
ideas what could have caused this? Thanks for any help
unraveling this mystery.

K.T.
Albuquerque

Wow. What a terrible story. I am very sorry for your friend’s loss.

It is shocking when a healthy young pet suddenly falls ill and passes away. And it is incredibly sad and frustrating for all of the people involved when nobody can determine what happened.

If the vets who worked on Clio were not able to tell you what happened, then you should not take anything I say as a proven fact. However, based upon your description I am suspicious that Clio may have consumed something toxic.

There are millions of potential toxins in the world. Some, such as pesticides and household chemicals, are manmade. Others, such as certain mushrooms and molds, are natural.

Blood tests sometimes indicate that poisoning has occurred. For instance, pets poisoned by melamine during the massive pet food recall that occurred in 2007 tested positive for kidney failure. Pets that consume certain types of mushrooms may test positive for liver failure.

However, many toxins do not cause any changes in blood values. Many of these same toxins can cause vague and progressive symptoms that ultimately may be fatal.

There are, of course, other possible causes for Clio’s sudden illness. But I feel that toxin ingestion is a very likely culprit.