Warning to dog owners after Labrador nearly dies from eating mouldy bread on Ilkley Moor

Ashlands Veterinary Centre in Ilkley saved Indy - a previously healthy and strong six-year-old black Labrador - from the brink of death after he ate mouldy bread found in an abandoned rubbish bag on Ilkley Moor.

Indy had briefly disappeared into some bracken during one of his walks but reappeared soon afterwards to join his owner, Kerry Gibbons, as she returned home.

But 30 minutes later, Indy started shaking and almost collapsed. Kerry immediately rang Ashlands Vets in Leeds Road, and a veterinary team was waiting by the door when she arrived.

Ashlands Veterinary Centre vet Stuart Black, with Kerry Gibbons, her Labrador Indy who was left fighting for his life after eating mouldy bread, and veterinary nurse Megan Fowler. Picture: Ashlands Veterinary Practice

Indy was hospitalised and kept anaesthetised for 72 hours, with one-to-one nursing care throughout the weekend by veterinary nurses, Steph Ellis and Samantha Holmes, because of the severity of his seizures.

Indy’s condition suggested he was suffering from tremorgenic mycotoxicosis (Mycotoxins), caused by fungi which causes neurotoxicosis in dogs. The life-threatening condition causes symptoms such as vomiting, ataxia (loss of co-ordination) and seizures. Further diagnostic work supported that theory.

The whole team at Ashlands was dedicated to Indy’s survival and then recovery. Intensive, round-the-clock nursing care consisted of regular repositioning to prevent bed sores, a complex medication schedule, maintaining bodily functions and intravenous fluid therapy, bed washing, constant monitoring, urinalysis and blood analysis, physiotherapy and massaging.

Once Indy’s seizures were under control, the team worked on his recovery, initially feeding him through a nasogastric tube until he was well enough to be tempted to eat and drink on his own. After 10 days, Indy returned home to build on his recovery as an outpatient.

Indy: Ashlands Veterinary Centre vet Stuart Black, right, and veterinary nurse Megan Fowler with Indy, the six-year-old Labrador who underwent intensive care after eating discarded mouldy food. Picture: Ashlands Veterinary Practice

Kerry and her husband Paul have paid tribute to the team, led by veterinary surgeon Stuart Black, for their dedicated care.

They now want to warn others to be aware of the dangers for dogs scavenging food, and are urging picnic-makers to take their rubbish home with them.

Kerry said: “A lot of dog owners were surprised to hear that eating mouldy bread could be so devastating and life threatening.

“I retraced our steps to where Indy had disappeared and found a dustbin liner-sized bag full of very mouldy bread. I phoned Ashlands straight away and Stuart, the vet who looked after him the most, said it was that without a shadow of a doubt. The mould is very toxic.

“Indy had such a large quantity, that’s why he was so poorly. If he had been a very small dog, or a dog already poorly with existing health conditions, it could have been a very different outcome.

“Indy was extremely poorly for a very long time. The vets were amazing with the care they gave him and keeping us up to date - it is when you are kept in the dark that you start to panic. They were really level-headed in what must have been a very stressful situation. Indy was having severe seizures so they had to keep him in an induced coma for a good few days.

“It took time for the toxins to work through the system and the team supported his body while that was happening.

“He was too weak to eat despite being a Labrador. He had no energy. He didn’t have any food for about a week. When we visited, he didn’t react to us at all. The vets couldn’t give us reassurance that he would pull through; they hadn’t seen a case this bad before.

4 Indy: Kerry Gibbon and her Labrador Indy, at Ashlands Veterinary Centre in Ilkley with veterinary nurse Megan Fowler and vet Stuart Black, who helped saved his life. Picture: Ashlands Veterinary Practice

“The vets treated him as if he was their own dog. They were amazing and went above and beyond. It was a real team effort.

“It was one of the worst times of my life. Indy is a very much-loved member of the family. It was such a huge gap in the house with him not being here, knowing he was so poorly.

“We brought him home after 10 days. We had to carry him around in a blanket initially. We were worried about that but Indy has now made a full recovery.”