This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s Pet-Lebrity News column on Pet360.com as: My Fears Confirmed After Amanda Bynes’ Dog Soaked After Driveway Fiery.
In writing my first Pet-Lebrity News article about Amanda Bynes and her dog (see What Breed of Dog Is Being Toted Around by Amanda Bynes?), I strove to focus on the health concerns commonly faced by Bynes’ dog breed, the Pomeranian.
Read More: All About Pomeranians
Yet, in writing the article, I had significant underlying concerns for the welfare of Bynes’ dog.
Her Pomeranian is often photographed being carried around (instead of permitting the dog to actually walk on her four legs) and even used as a face shield to block the omnipresent glare of the paparazzi lens.
Now, an unfortunate situation which I was hoping would be avoided has occurred. Bynes put her dog’s safety at risk and the petite pooch may have been injured or suffered illness after she allegedly set a driveway fire in Cali. last week.
The Incident that Sparked More Concern
Things have taken a turn for the worse, as Bynes was recently institutionalized on a 5150 psychiatric hold after exhibiting a variety of erratic behaviors, including allegedly starting the fire with gasoline on a driveway in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Ventura County Sheriff’s Office Captain Don Agular stated that Bynes was involved in a “disturbance in a residential neighborhood” and that “Ventura County Fire Dept. also responded to this incident in reference to a report of a gas can on fire in a driveway.”
TMZ reported news of the incident leading to Bynes’ hospitalization, including reports from an eyewitness who stated, “I saw this girl laying down right here with her left pant leg on fire. I quickly pulled over and there was this gas can right here and it’s trailing fire,” he said. ” I pull over, went to go help her and the flames, by then, extinguished out. She went over there to get her dog — she had a small like Chihuahua . . . She was really frantic like she wanted to get out of there. She was like, ‘My dog has been burnt.”
Additionally, video footage obtained by TMZ shows Bynes carrying her dog into an “Employees Only” area of a nearby liquor store which showed her rinsing off the dog in a sink. Fortunately,TMZ released a statement on 7/24/13 “7:18 AM PT — THE DOG IS SAFE!!!!! Law enforcement officials tell TMZ … Amanda’s dog was claimed by her parents after she was placed on a 5150 hold.”
My Hope for the Future of Bynes and her Dog
I’m so glad to hear that Bynes’ dog is now with her parents while Bynes receives mental health evaluation and treatment. Yet, we don’t know if the dog suffered any illness or injury as a result coming into contact with gasoline. Not only can gasoline cause life-threatening burns when lit, but there can also be associated inflammation of the skin upon contact and toxicity to the lungs and digestive tract (if inhaled or swallowed).
An article on petMD, Petroleum Hydrocarbon Toxicosis in Dogs, provides information on the clinical signs (and treatment for) petroleum product exposure, including:
-Pet smells like a petroleum product
-Fever
-Diarrhea
-Dizziness
-Confusion
-Depression
-Difficulty breathing (i.e., choking, coughing, gagging)
-Abdominal pain
-Blue-purple colored skin/gums
-Excessive salivation
-Pawing at the muzzle
-Champing the jaws
-Head-shaking
-Instability/trouble walking (ataxia)
-Tremors and convulsions (rare)
-Irregular heartbeat
-Respiratory arrest
-Loss of consciousness/comatose
-Loss of all body functions
Hopefully, Bynes’ dog was minimally exposed to gasoline and the efforts to rinse off the fuel paid off in reducing the likelihood that ingestion, inhalation, or contact irritation occurred. Additionally, the dog should have underwent physical examination by a veterinarian shortly after the incident and received appropriate treatment.
I wish Bynes well in returning to a better state of mental health. Perhaps she’ll eventually be reunited with her dog upon proving that she’s ready to be a responsible pet caretaker.
Photo via Facebook
Thank you for reading this article. Your questions and comments are completely welcome (I’ll respond).
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Copyright of this article (2013) is owned by Dr Patrick Mahaney, Veterinarian and Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist. Republishing any portion of this article must first be authorized by Dr Patrick Mahaney. Requests for republishing must be approved by Dr Patrick Mahaney and received in written format.
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