Lead Poisoning in Pit Bull Mix

Background

Even the best-behaved, most well-cared for dog can fall victim to a strange accident. That's what happened with Inara, a Pit Bull mix in Cleveland, Ohio. Inara's pet parent, Liz W., is an experienced dog trainer and handler, so she's pretty savvy when it comes to keeping dogs out of harm's way. She's also passionate about canine health and nutrition, feeding Inara a raw venison diet. But, despite her best efforts, Inara got herself into a bit of a pickle.

Inara, a normally energetic pup, wasn't acting like her usual self, so Liz took her to the emergency hospital just a few days before Christmas. It would be weeks before a diagnosis was made and Inara suffered from weight loss and vomiting. Ultimately, Inara found herself undergoing an endoscopy.

What did they find? There's no hard proof, but it looked like a bullet, potentially used to kill the deer that Inara ate. Whatever it was before it entered her system -- the lead was making Inara sick.

Nowadays, Inara is back to her fit and active self. Liz, after 7 long, claim-free years, found herself submitting her first accident claim. In the end, her vet costs included two emergency visits, the endoscopy, surgery, and follow-up care for lead intoxication.