Dog owners have issued a warning after their pet nearly died when it chewed a blue salbutamol inhaler.

Jamie Spencer, 25, a security officer and Mathew Newton, 30, a crane operator, rushed their one-year-old dog Willow to Furness Vets on Market Street, Dalton, on Sunday.

Their dog, a Cyprus rescue dog and believed to be a Kokoni crossbreed, started to develop some sudden and unexpected symptoms.

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Jamie said: "It was around 11am on a peaceful Sunday morning. I was cooking sausages in the kitchen and I noticed Willow wasn't around my feet as she usually is. 

"I went to find her and she was lying on the floor panting with her eyes bloodshot and shaking.

"I spotted the lid of the blue inhaler which had been on the bedside table.

"I rushed her to Furness vets who discovered her heart rate was 170 and was out of sync with her pulse - her potassium levels were also at zero."

(Image: Jamie Spencer) The vet administered activated charcoal immediately to decrease the absorption of any remaining poison in the digestive tract.

According to Animal Poison Line, the UK's only 24-hour specialised emergency telephone service ran by the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS), you must always seek medical attention immediately if you suspect your pet has inhaled a salbutamol inhaler.

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The helpline stresses on its website that it has seen an increase in dogs chewing and piercing inhalers which can cause adverse effects in pets.

These include increased heart rate, panting and distress. There is also a risk of injury to the mouth and heart.

Jamie added: "Willow hadn't even pierced the canister, she had simply ingested some of the residue and almost died.

"My partner is asthmatic and we always knew to keep the inhaler away from the dog however we didn't realise just how extremely dangerous and toxic to pets they are.

"If we hadn't have realised it was an inhaler that she chewed, or if we'd have gone out shopping that morning, as we usually do on Sundays, there's not telling what might have happened.

(Image: Jamie Spencer) "We were incredibly lucky that we caught the early signs and got her checked out so soon. We wanted to warn others of the dangers as it almost took her life - and it was just a small bit of residue."

Willow was kept in overnight and monitored before being released to Jamie and Mathew. She has now made a full recovery.

Jamie added: "Thank you to Furness Vets for caring for her overnight and getting our girl well so quickly. It's time for plenty of cuddles and I can stop crying now."