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Raisin Hell!

Pup in dash-to-the-vet drama after swallowing dried fruit

Ragnarr the puppy is back to his normal bouncy self thanks to the UK's leading vet charity

An eight-month-old puppy called Ragnarr lived up to his Viking name when he swallowed potentially fatal raisins and had to be rushed to the vet.

The young crossbreed had been with his owners at a family party in Glasgow when he unwittingly polished off a box of raisins that had been knocked on the floor.

Ragnarr - so named by his owners Cameron Hay and Jen Bower, because of his fearless nature and their love of the TV series Vikings - was completely oblivious to the danger he had put himself in. Raisins can be poisonous to dogs.

Cameron was alerted to Ragnarr's illicit snack by his young nephew and quickly rang vet charity PDSA for advice, who told him to take his beloved pet to their out-of-hours clinic immediately and provided emergency treatment.

42-year-old Cameron, from Glasgow, said, "The call handler could hear the worry in my voice and calmed me down. Jen and I were so worried about our wee guy, yet terrified of his treatment costs, as we know how expensive vet care can be. We're both full-time students working part-time jobs to keep us going, so money is extremely tight."

Treatment For Pets In Need

PDSA provides free or low-cost care for pet owners struggling with financial hardship - and is supported by players of People's Postcode Lottery.

Cameron's quick actions and the veterinary team in Glasgow helped save Ragnarr's life. He was treated for raisin ingestion and has since made a full recovery.

Cameron said, "If it wasn't for PDSA, we would have had to pay for private vet care, so we wouldn't have been able to afford our rent that month. We probably would have had to turn to food banks too. We're very grateful they stopped us from getting into a difficult financial situation."

Kieran Grey, a Nursing Auxiliary at PDSA Glasgow Shamrock Street Pet Hospital, said, "Cameron absolutely did the right thing in calling us. Raisins, grapes, currants, and sultanas are all part of a family of fruit called 'Vitis vinifera', which can cause gut and kidney problems in dogs. Sadly, the effects can vary from dog to dog and can be fatal. It's important that you contact your vet immediately if you believe your dog has eaten any harmful foods - do not wait for symptoms to develop."

Every year PDSA looks after around 400,000 pets in its 48 pet hospitals across the country. The £79 Million annual cost of treatment is met entirely by public donations.

Players of the People's Postcode Lottery have raised £16.7 Million for the PDSA's vital work over the past 10 years, helping pet owners like Cameron and Jen access life-saving vet treatment they couldn't otherwise afford.

Ragnarr is now back to his normal bouncy self - much to his owner's delight and relief.

Cameron said, "Neither Jen nor I could imagine our life without Ragnarr. We dote on him, as do many of our friends and family. He's a lovely wee pup who likes nothing more than meeting new people and dogs, sniffing around, and chasing after a ball. We cannot thank PDSA enough. Our lives would be poorer without him."

Making A Difference

People's Postcode Lottery players are helping deserving causes like PDSA make a difference every single day. Read more about the range of Charities that our players support.