Question About the Horrors of Pet Poisoning

Question
Hi there, Mrs. Schiavone-Brensinger:

    This is sort of a tough question to ask.  Being an animal-lover myself, the answers to this question aren't particularly something I LOOK FORWARD to knowing, but please keep in mind that the ONLY reason I am asking these things is because I am a writer who needs these details for my latest project.  Obviously I want to make the story as realistic as possible, no matter how "uncomfortable" the scene may turn out to be . . .
    So here goes . . .

    If a dog is poisoned, how would the owner immediately know that this was the case?  Basically, for the story in question, I need to know a specific poison a demented person might use to do such an evil deed (for the record, the dog in my story is a 5-year-old Golden Retriever); I am wondering what chemical would take effect almost immediately after ingestion, so my narrator would not have time to even get his beloved retriever to the vet to save him.  Plus -- and here's the really hard part -- it would be great if you could help me with specific details regarding the dog's reaction.  Physical symptoms, the way he would act and look and sound as the poor thing slipped away, etc.  And what about the legal ramifications?  I'm assuming that even if a vet did help, the police would be useless in such a situation if there were no proof as to who was responsible for such a crime?  Do vets have an obligation to report it anyway?

    I guess that's it for now.  Again, I apologize for throwing such a disturbing question your way, but I do appreciate your help more than you will ever know.  I will gladly list your name in the "Acknowledgments" section of my novella when it is published as gratitude for your help, if you wouldn't mind that.  :)


    Take care, have a great day, and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.


    James Newman
    www.james-newman.com

Answer
Hi James!
Ahh! This is really hard for me to answer!  I know the answers you are looking for, but I just can't help but be leary...not that I don't trust you or anything...it's just hard to know for sureeee.  A very close friend of mine had all four of her dogs poisoned to death by a horrible neighbor man.  I can't get that out of my head to answer these questions with not knowing for sure if this is really for a book! I checked out your website and everything, but you have no idea how many people have done things like this and ended up only posing as that person...again, not saying that you aren't who you say you are...I just have become a bit neurotic and paranoid about situations like these!  I am also afraid to answer this question on a public site, as anyone can look up the answers and I would never forgive myself if the information I would give you would be found by some sick person reading all of the question in the question index of this site.  If you wouldn't mind, could you please email me at my personal email address?  It's rainincatzandogz@aol.com.  We can talk more about this privately, if that's okay with you.
Thanks for understanding.
Hilary