(NECN/NBC News: Lynda Baquero) - Ginger's a lovable 3-year-old Pomeranian. You'd never know now that she was recently very ill.
"I noticed her abdomen was very red. You couldn't really touch her. It seemed like it would hurt her skin to even contact," says Ginger's owner Laura Hughes.
Laura took the dog to the vet. After giving Ginger medicine and bringing her back home, the dog only got worse. By the time she saw Dr. John Fondacaro, Ginger was in trouble.
"Her x-rays show edema everywhere. She had so much blood in her lungs. We just weren't sure... And they said she may not make it. We're gonna do the best we can," says Laura.
"In this case, Ginger's case, it definitely could have been fatal," says Dr. Fondacaro.
How did Ginger end up this way? Laura blames a reaction to the shampoo used by the dog's groomer.
"Since this product that I've now looked at the ingredient list, includes this D-Lemonine in it, which is recognized to cause both topical reactions and can create a reaction like this, it's the most likely offending agent," says Dr. Fondacaro.
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So what is D-Limonene?
"D-Limonene is a botanical extract, an oil extract," says Dr. Fondacaro.
In a veterinarian medical manual, Dr. Fondacaro points to a statement reading, "Septicemia, which is a serious, life-threatening infection, was reported in a 2-year-old cat following application of a D-Limonene containing insecticidal shampoo."
The Environmental Protection Agency has said: "active D-Limonene is not recommended for use on dogs or cats."
Dr. Fondacaro recommends testing a patch of skin on a pet before applying any product containing D-Limonene.
