Need ideas NOW!

This really belongs in health and is posted there, but the matter is urgent,
and we can use all the input we can get.

A fellow volunteer just called to say that his brother's dogs got into some
grass clippings that had been sitting around for a couple of weeks, and got
really sick from it. One of the dogs (a boxer mix) died from it, and his
145 lbs. GSD is at the vet's and barely hanging on. The vet has started the
dog on IV antibiotics, and is doing blood tests. I don't have a lot of
information, but the symptoms appear to be lethargy, vomiting and blood in
the feces.

Phenolic acid, benzoic acid and hydroxyphenylpropionic acids can all be
released during plant decay, but they shouldn't be in large enough doses to
kill 60 pound dogs. It's been warm here the past week, and it's possible
there were mushrooms mixed in there that could be causing this. Don't know
if there could be some other fungus or mold that could cause these symptoms.

The dog can't be impacted if it is still passing stool, can it? I've asked
the owners to check the grass to see if there is anything growing in there,
and to call poison control for how to deal with that if they find anything.
Any other ideas?

Suja

Suja wrote:
> This really belongs in health and is posted there, but the matter is urgent,
> and we can use all the input we can get.
>
> A fellow volunteer just called to say that his brother's dogs got into some
> grass clippings that had been sitting around for a couple of weeks, and got
> really sick from it. One of the dogs (a boxer mix) died from it, and his
> 145 lbs. GSD is at the vet's and barely hanging on. The vet has started the
> dog on IV antibiotics, and is doing blood tests. I don't have a lot of
> information, but the symptoms appear to be lethargy, vomiting and blood in
> the feces.
>
> Phenolic acid, benzoic acid and hydroxyphenylpropionic acids can all be
> released during plant decay, but they shouldn't be in large enough doses to
> kill 60 pound dogs. It's been warm here the past week, and it's possible
> there were mushrooms mixed in there that could be causing this. Don't know
> if there could be some other fungus or mold that could cause these symptoms.
>
> The dog can't be impacted if it is still passing stool, can it? I've asked
> the owners to check the grass to see if there is anything growing in there,
> and to call poison control for how to deal with that if they find anything.
> Any other ideas?

Pesticides? Weed killer? Fertilizer?