The death of Cruz

So a dog got poisoned, or at least the owner thinks so.  Whats the big deal?  That was an everyday occurrence in Texas.  When you are trying to kill feral hogs or coyotes sometimes bad things happen.  This dog poisoning was covered by the New York Times.  This dog was a prized pure-bred Samoyed that competed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last month. 

Typical dog story.  An evening meal of steak and then spending the night at a midtown hotel.  The morning an uneventful show.  But just a few days later falling extremely ill vomiting blood.  Rush to veterinary hospital where the dog expired.  The vet thought it looked like rat poison.    

Rat and mouse poison commonly contain anticoagulants.  Substances that are intended to change the way your body clots resulting in the animal bleeding to death.  Early rodenticides contained warfarin.  The same warfarin that is a common drug to prevent clot formation in people.  Warfarin inhibits vitamin K clotting factors (II, VII, IX, X) plus anticoagulant proteins C and S.  Specifically the C1 subunit of vitamin K epoxide reductase.  In people use of warfarin comes with very close monitoring of clotting times.  In addition, patients have to be very careful with their diets and physical activities.  Fall and bump your head while on warfarin; the result can be catastrophic.  Second generation rodenticides contain a super-warfarin.  A substance that is extra potent and lasts for a long time in the body.  It also takes some time to act.  Its cumulative effect is devastating.  An effect rodenticide. 

When a dog eats the rodenticide a similar course takes place.  Nothing happens at first as the body burns up its stores of the clotting factors.  But slowly, over a few days, the animal bleeds internally.  Breathing becomes difficult and movement painful.  All due to blood being where it shouldn't be.  Eventually, without treatment, the animal dies.      

Was this an accidental poisoning or murder?  The owners think the later while to vet believes the former.  Was it a competitor?  Was it an animal rights group?  Was it just a dog eating the rat poison in the subway?  We will never know.