Warning to all dog owners after spate of pet deaths

Dog owners have been warned to look out for a potentially poisonous plant after it was linked to several pet deaths in Northern Ireland.

The hemlock plant contains alkaloids which attack the nervous system and can cause breathing difficulties, paralysis and death in pets. It is also harmful to humans.

The roots of the plant, which is also known as the Hemlock Water Dropwort, are the most toxic part.

The plant was linked to the death of a dog in Lough Neagh…