It was a regular Friday night for the Thornton family.
Derek Thornton took the family dog, a chocolate Labrador retriever named Charlie, out 含羞草研究社渇or a quick pee break含羞草研究社� before bed, around 8:30 p.m., near Morgan Crossing in South Surrey.
Then, around 9:15 p.m., Thornton含羞草研究社檚 son called him over, as he noticed Charlie was not acting normal.
含羞草研究社淢y son called me over and said 含羞草研究社楥harlie含羞草研究社檚 acting weird,含羞草研究社� so I went and looked at him,含羞草研究社� Thornton said.
含羞草研究社淗e was whimpering abnormally, and lying down as if he was sleeping含羞草研究社� his eyes were sort of glassed over, sort of cloudy and flickering 含羞草研究社� not normal eyes,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淪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 that含羞草研究社檚 open.含羞草研究社�
Fortunately, a local veterinarian was open until 10 p.m., so he and his wife carried Charlie 含羞草研究社� who is 80 pounds 含羞草研究社� down the hall, to the elevator, and to the car.
含羞草研究社淏y the time we put him in the back seat, we含羞草研究社檙e both a bit panicked含羞草研究社� we含羞草研究社檙e thinking we含羞草研究社檙e putting a dead dog in the back seat to go to the vet to get pronounced,含羞草研究社� he recalled. 含羞草研究社淥ur kids are upstairs bawling their eyes out, having watched this.含羞草研究社�
They got to the vet and the vet wanted to know what happened, but Thornton didn含羞草研究社檛 know how to answer.
含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 know what to tell them. I didn含羞草研究社檛 know what I was looking at含羞草研究社� I don含羞草研究社檛 know what he got into, I don含羞草研究社檛 know if he had a seizure or stroke, he didn含羞草研究社檛 eat anything.含羞草研究社�
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The vet was able to help stabilize Charlie含羞草研究社檚 vitals 含羞草研究社� his heart rate was down to 40 and his breath rate was down to 3, 含羞草研究社渨hich is extremely low,含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淪o they gave him the first dose, and his breath rate went up to 20,含羞草研究社� said Thornton.
含羞草研究社淭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 含羞草研究社業含羞草研究社檓 back!含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
The Langley vet explained that Naloxone is a test and cure at once 含羞草研究社� if it doesn含羞草研究社檛 work, they含羞草研究社檙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 含羞草研究社渆ffectively confirmed a fentanyl overdose.含羞草研究社�
Thornton and his wife were asked if they have anything in the home, which they definitely do not, said Thornton.
含羞草研究社淲here on Earth could he possibly have gotten into fentanyl?含羞草研究社� he queried the vet.
含羞草研究社淪he said it含羞草研究社檚 happening pretty commonly now含羞草研究社� she said cases as bad as his, she含羞草研究社檚 getting once a quarter.含羞草研究社�
THC overdoses are more common, but Thornton was shocked at how easily it can happen.
含羞草研究社淭here was nothing abnormal about the walk. It was such a regular walk. It could含羞草研究社檝e just been some powder spilled on the grass, and he could含羞草研究社檝e just grazed over it while he was sniffing for a spot and snorted up some fentanyl 含羞草研究社� and that含羞草研究社檚 all it takes,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 nothing we couldn含羞草研究社檝e done. We can含羞草研究社檛 let him not sniff.含羞草研究社�
Smaller dogs and young children in the neighbourhood often walk in the same areas, Thornton noted.
含羞草研究社淭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 it含羞草研究社檚 fun for (a kid that age) to do含羞草研究社� what if he put his hand in a pile of fentanyl, or touches his newborn baby brother含羞草研究社檚 hand after? It含羞草研究社檚 so upsetting, to know that there含羞草研究社檚 absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淚t can happen to anybody. It can happen anywhere.含羞草研究社�
They went and got a Naloxone kit right away, in case something similar ever happens again.
含羞草研究社淧harmacies are giving them away for free, so we went and got one and now we have one in the house.含羞草研究社�
Thornton, who posted to Facebook about the ordeal, just wants parents of children and fur-babies to be aware the issue exists.
含羞草研究社淥bviously, this is a bigger problem than just us含羞草研究社� bigger than a lot of people know.含羞草研究社�
