September 22 /08
A friend sent us this article about a Boxer from Michigan named Loni who had an appetite for more than just dogfood. There's a lesson to be learned here, especially for us bigger breeds, whose mouths are large enough to eat just about anything we see.
Loni is a one year old Boxer, and if she was a cat, she would have only eight lives left.
It's been a tough year for Loni. She was picked up as a stray by the Michigan Humane Society in November.
But things started to turn around when Beth Moody rescued the young dog.
"(They) gave her to us (and she) started gaining weight. (We) thought she was going to be fine," Beth said. "We got her spayed and we thought she was going to be fine and then she started throwing up leather."
So Moody took Loni to Westwood Veterinary Hospital in Mt. Morris Township. Dr. Christian Miller x-rayed Loni's stomach.
It's hard to imagine, but the doctor says the dog swallowed a rope bone and two leashes.
"When I looked at the stomach I could see it looked like a purse in there," Dr.Miller said.
And here's what was in Loni's stomach: leather leashes, parts of a collar, a purse handle, hair ties and a plastic something or other.
Moody thinks Loni may have been carrying the contents of her stomach for at least a month. And they are lucky they realized Loni was sick when they did.
"It stayed in the stomach," Dr.Miller said. "It did not head through the intestinal track. Had it done that, (there would have been a) major problem."
This is an x-ray of another Boxer who ate 208 1-3 inch rocks!
This post isn't going to win me any popularity contests among you. But let's admit it, boys and girls - we'll eat just about anything. I know I would. And it's especially dangerous if your mouth is as big as a garage like mine. You may get mad at me for this but I really do want all my friends to be safe and healthy. So here goes:
When I was a pup, I twice ate my Papa's socks which I found on the floor. Both times, I was lucky enough to poop them out. I'm also into unravelling and eating toilet paper and eating pillows, and heaven knows how much of that stuff could have gotten clogged up in my gut if I hadn't been lucky enough to be caught in the act.
Key word: lucky. Because over the last couple of years, we've heard several horror stories about dogs who ate clothing, dish towels, underwear, a jar of Vaseline, medication, and other stuff you'd never dream of, that ended in tragedy.
So I thought I'd post a refresher course about the dangerous things we dogs should avoid. We're already aware of most of them and I've left out the obvious ones. But there are some that may not have occurred to you. Others are worthy of a reminder.
This dog ate 14 golf balls. Can you imagine?
As far as toys are concerned, just because they are marketed for dogs, it doesn't mean they're safe. Here is a list of things that we can swallow that can harm us: ( ... just saying. )
Tennis Balls: You wouldn't think it, but larger breeds can swallow them whole with dire consequences. Also, a German study suggests the glue used in tennis balls is very damaging to a dog’s tooth enamel. Not to mention we dogs can chew through a tennis ball pretty easily and the small pieces can be swallowed too. Other studies say the dye used to make them colourful can also harm us. Tennis balls are simply not made for dogs. (Sorry but it's true.)
Cat toys: Balls, sticks with feathers, catnip pouches , bells, etc. are far less resilient than dog toys and pieces can break off easily. They also tend to be small and easily swallowed.
Squeaky and plush toys: Many dogs have ingested the squeaker from these toys and it can require surgery to remove them. Stuffing or the toys themselves can get wadded up and cause intestinal blockage. Supervision by our parents and vigilance is required. Avoiding them is better. (It's rotten tomatoe time, I know.)
Rawhide chewies, bully sticks and Greenies: Large pieces have been known to break off and be swallowed, causing obstruction in our esophagus or digestive track. Again, vigilant supervision or avoidance. (I feel the splat of an egg coming any time now.)
Tug toys with strings or rope: The string can lodge in our intestines. Rope can cause our intestinal track to fold up on itself and rupture.
This dog swallowed a duck toy, whole.
This one has a diamond ring lodged inside him.
And this one ate a Wii control!
Vets and experts generally agree that Kongs and Nylabones are the safest toys for us dogs, as long as they're big and can't fit in our mouths.
This cat ate a sewing needle.
We may not like it much, but it really is best that we're crated or gated in a safe room, rather than have run of the house when no one's home. There's no telling what we'll eat, even if our parents have removed everything in sight . You'd be surprised how many humans think it's cruel to crate their dog. I used to hate being crated but now I don't mind. At least I'm safe. And when the family is home, the door to every room is shut so I can't find bad things to eat. And someone is always checking on me to see where I am and what I'm doing.
Because face it, we can sniff things out from under beds, behind furniture, on shelves, under rugs ... anywhere. And we can spot pins, coins, elastics, paper clips, and chewing gum ... anything. We can also help ourselves to a leftover cup of coffee, or a glass of beer, or food left on the table or counter or in the sink. We've been known to eat cutlery! The list is endless. We're just not to be trusted, no matter how obedient we are, and even if we've never eaten anything dangerous before. You just never know.
This dog swallowed a knife.
And this one ate a fork.
I just know they are good dogs like you and me. But they did a mischief, like all of us do. It wasn't their fault. Someone just wasn't careful ...
Besides the ones we all know about, this is a list of some of the foods that can harm us.
Alcohol: Even in relatively small amounts, it can cause intoxication, coma, and death.We should never be allowed to take sips of alchoholic drinks.
Acorns: These contain tannic acid, which, when eaten in certain quantities, can be toxic to a dog's kidneys.
Raw or cooked bones: These can be extremely dangerous if they're swallowed and they splinter. And round bones can get caught in our lower jaws. Even if our parents are supervising, they can't really see if pieces of bone are breaking off in our mouths. If they do allow it, they should throw away the last three inches so we don't d try to swallow it whole.
Chocolate, coffee, tea, colas: Caffeine contains theobromine, or theophylline, and can affect our heart and nervous system, which can be fatal.
Fatty or greasy foods : These can cause pancreatitis. Pancreatitus can become chronic, or even toxic which can become fatal.
Human vitamins: Supplements containing iron can damage our digestive system and be toxic to our liver and kidneys.
Liver: In certain quantities this can cause a Vitamin A toxicity, which affects our muscles and bones.
Macadamia nuts: These contain an unknown toxin, resulting in damage to our digestive and nervous systems.
Peanuts and peanut butter: (Believe it or not.) These can trigger allergies in a dog, just as in a human. We should first be fed a small test quantity to determine if we have a peanut allergy.
Milk and other dairy products: Adult dogs do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose in milk. This can result in severe diarrhea and intestinal distress.
Mushrooms: These can contain toxins, which may be hazardous to multiple systems in our bodies, cause shock, and result in death.
Small seeds: Seeds, such as those from persimmons or pomagranates can cause intestinal obstruction and enteritis. Pits from peaches and plums can cause obstruction of our digestive tract.
Apple seeds: In unknown quantities, these contain a compound that, when metabolized, becomes cyanide and could result in death.
Potato, rhubarb, and tomato leaves: These contain oxalates, which can affect our digestive, nervous, and urinary systems.
Raw eggs: These contain an enzyme called avidin, which decreases our absorption of biotin (a B vitamin). This can lead to skin and coat problems. Raw eggs can also contain salmonella, leading to digestive upsets and diarrhea.
This article was published in http://www.starexponent.com/:
Recently, a leading manufacturer of veterinary X-ray products held a contest to find the oddest swallowed objects. Some of the winners included a Labrador with 14 golf balls in his stomach, a Boxer with 208 rocks of various sizes, and a Pit Bull puppy who swallowed an 11- inch steak knife.
One 7-month old Pug puppy demonstrated expensive taste by swallowing his owner’s 2-carat diamond ring.
The winner of the dog category went to a Samoyed who had eight batteries of differing sizes, from a “D” cell all the way down to AAA, a plastic raccoon, seven rocks, a marble, two broken light bulbs, machine parts, and a variety of staples.
What perplexes many owners, and many veterinarians, is why the dogs are eating these objects in the first place. Some items can be obvious, for example, pieces of glass from a broken spaghetti sauce jar could easily end up in the abdomen of a dog hurrying to finish off the tasty treat. With others, such as the sticks and rocks, it is less obvious as to why they were eaten.
It is even more puzzling to figure out how many dogs are able to swallow dangerous items without damaging themselves and why they continue the habit.
In one Indiana veterinary emergency hospital’s submission, a single dachshund had emergency exploratory surgery four times during his 12 years of life!
Cats are extremely fond of string-like objects and will often present after a day or two of vomiting with a “linear foreign body” on x-rays. Cats need to be watched with rubber bands, bread ties, tinsel, or any object that can be batted around and swallowed.
Amazingly, every one of these pets left their veterinarian’s hospital wagging their tails and anxious to head home. However, even with successful outcomes, none of these cases should be considered happy endings. All of these pets underwent painful surgeries and their owners suffered anguish and worry as their dogs were treated. In most cases, each surgical retrieval cost more than $1,000.
Those are the pooches who survived ...
So there you have it. Scary stuff, huh? Something to chew on, for sure.
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AWARDS
On a happier note, many thanks to my big buddy George who sent me this award yesterday. I love your blog too, George. It's so creative and fun to read.
The rules of the award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you have nominated.
I'm sending the award off to:
The 4 Bs, Abby, Ben, Peanut, Moco, Sophie Brador, and Sherman
Another "I Love Your Blog" award has arrived from Happy. Thank you so much, Happy. And I love reading your blog. It is so interesting and inspirational .
Here comes another one, this one from Little Mango. Thank you, Mango. This is quite an honour. Your blog absolutely lifts my spirits too.
I want to pass this one on to: Dewey Dewster and The Texas Sun Dogs
Whoa! Here's another one. this time from Rambo. Thanks, Ram. I so love your blog too. It always makes me smile.
And another one from Gus, Louie and Callie. Thank you my Blue Heeler buddies. Yours is a blog I love to read.
And yet one more from sweet little Abby.Thanks Abby. It is quite an honour to receive this award and you deserved it too.
Com o Prêmio Dardos, se reconhecem os valores que cada blogueiro mostra cada dia em seu empenho por transmitir valores culturais, éticos, literários, pessoais etc. que, em suma, demonstram sua criatividade através do pensamento vivo que permanece intacto entre suas letras e suas palavras.“Este selo implica duas regras:a primeira, linkar o blog do qual recebeu o prêmio. A segunda – escolher blogs para entregar o prêmio.
Rough translation: The Premium Dardos Award recognizes the values that each blogger shows in his/her commitment to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values that demonstrate creative thinking through words.
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Mama is heading into a very busy time at work and won't be able to help me post to my blog for awhile. So take care, everybody.
xox
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