A woman is warning fellow dog owners of the dangers of baby paddling pools following the sudden death of her puppy.
Winter the 18-month-old border collie had a "freak accident" two weeks ago while playing in the garden.
The sweet dog was splashing about in four inches of water for less than an hour, and suffered accidental water intoxication then passed away that day.
Owner Jessie Weninger, 30, from Canada, US, is honouring her best friend's life by raising awareness of the rare condition ahead of hot summer months.
Jessie told The Mirror : "What happened to Winter was a rare, freak accident. He was playing in his baby pool like he often did many times last summer, with no issues, and somehow this time became fatal."
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Jessie describes Winter as the "most affectionate, loving and cuddliest boy I have ever met".
She said: "He followed me everywhere, and always had to be sitting directly beside me - just enough to be touching.
"He was an incredible border collie and my best friend."
On Saturday 11 June, Jessie watched Winter splash around in his blue paddling pool for around 60 minutes.
Afterwards, he was playing fetch in the garden with Jessie's best friend when she noticed he was tired, panting and his gums looked more pale than normal.
"He took a few steps inside and then threw up water - the amount was about the size of a round dinner table," Jessie said.
"I immediately knew something was wrong and called the emergency vet.
"In the meantime, Winter had walked a few more steps and collapsed on the ground. He was drooling, shaking, and whining."
Jessie ran outside to start the air conditioning in the car and when she returned, Winter "could not even stand".
"My best friend sat in the back seat with him as I drove to the emergency vet," Jessie said.
"He was going in and out of consciousness and she was trying to keep him awake. At this point, his eyes started to glaze over."
Following the eight-minute drive to the emergency clinic, Jessie picked up Winter and ran inside.
"I put him on the ground pleading for someone to help. He was unresponsive," she said.
Medics intubated the border collie and performed CPR for 15-20 minutes with no results.
"I remember my heart sunk, and I just started crying," Jessie said.
The vet explained to Jessie that all of Winter's symptoms were consistent with water intoxication, a rare condition where pets ingest more water than is healthy in a short space of time.
This can happen through drinking, swimming or playing in shallow water.
Symptoms of water intoxication include lethargy, nausea, bloating, vomiting, glazed eyes, light gum colour, excessive saliva and lack of coordination.
If you suspect your dog is displaying any of these symptoms, it is advised to stop them from consuming water immediately, call your vet and give your dog a salty snack, such as xylitol-free peanut butter or dog-safe jerky.
"As heartbreaking as it is for me to share Winter's story, I feel like I have an obligation to do so to help spread awareness on the dangers of water intoxication in dogs," Jessie says.
"You never think something is going to happen to you, until it does. He was my best friend.
"I cannot stand the thought of having someone else go through the amount of pain and loss that I had to experience.
"I want Winter's story to help educate pet owners, not scare them."
Jessie describes Winter as a "water dog" and says she couldn't keep him out of water even if she tried.
"I would never ask anyone to deprive their dogs of water and the joys of playing in water. I only hope to bring this awareness to other owners so they have the knowledge to help prevent this from happening," she continued.
"I cannot advise other pet owners to not use baby pools because Winter had previously played in his for numerous times last summer, for longer durations, with no issues.
"I think people can make the choice for themselves and their dogs as to how they choose to cool them off this summer.
"All I ask is for dog owners to please be careful."
Do you have a dog story to share? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
