A dog owner in California is shaken after his beloved Alaskan husky was poisoned by meth while walking the homeless-infested streets of San Jose.
Loki, a 10-year-old husky, became ill after he had sniffed and explored brush on a walk that officials believe had traces of meth, according to a report.
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David Espinal, Loki’s owner, said he thought his dog might have consumed some of the drug because of his erratic behavior following exploration of the brush.
“We come home. Eats his dinner. About 30 minutes later, he begins to pace around our apartment,” Espinal said.
Espinal took Loki to receive medical treatment, where the dog was diagnosed with meth poisoning, the report noted.
“When I first saw the thing, I was like, not my baby!” Espinal said.
Loki managed to fully recover after a night in an animal hospital, but, if left untreated, he would have likely experienced seizures, tremors, and eventually death, the report noted.
Animal meth poisonings are increasing in the area, MedVet Silicon Valley Hospital Director Terra Schropp said.
“Historically our doctors would see a handful of cases a year,” Schropp said. “And now our doctors are seeing one to two cases per month.”
The pervasiveness of homeless camps fueled by the drug is likely causing the uptick in incidents of poisoning, Schropp said.
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“You have to be super vigilant,” Espinal said. “You can’t even let your dogs rummage through bushes.”