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SALT LAKE CITY — When the Johnson’s added a chocolate lab to their family two years ago, they knew they were going to have their hands full. They say nothing keeps the 2-year-old dog away from the water.
“Millie loves swimming and loves the outdoors,” Travis Johnson, Millie’s owner said.
This weekend, the family took her up to Dog Lake in Mill Creek Canyon, a popular spot for dog owners, to cool off. Their routine trip took a turn for the worse when she fell violently ill.
“At first, it was great. Millie loved playing in the water once we got to the top,” Johnson said. “But as we were leaving, something wasn’t right.”
Johnson said on the hike down Millie started vomiting and her pupils began to dilate.
“She was basically limp,” he said. “She was breathing very shallowly and just so much salivation.”
Millie collapsed about a mile from their car. Johnson picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. The family rushed her to the vet hospital where she was tested for water toxicity.
"They were able to rule that out but weren't able to say, did she eat a mushroom? Could there have been some algae possibly up there? They said unlikely given the elevation, but still possible," Johnson said.
So, the vet's best guess is that Millie ate something on the trail that made her sick. She is expected to make a full recovery after taking medication for the next week.
“At the first thing you notice that’s not normal, pay close attention, because I let her go a little bit longer than I probably should,” Johnson added.
The Johnsons said they posted their experience of Facebook only to learn of another dog who went up to the same lake Sunday and had the same symptoms.
