Attention all dog and cat friends .... they ate what?? / Awards

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.

n n n

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.

n n n

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

38 comments:

the many Bs said...

hey Chef, you are barking a lot of good information here, but we don't like hearing it one bit. and please say it's not true about the tennis balls - our most favoritest toy on earth. we won't swallow them, we promise.

thanks for the award. we are honored that you gave it to us.

woofs.

Cocoa the Beagle said...

woah what strange appetite!! That's really scary. Congrats on the award Chef!

Niamh said...

Great post Chef. None of us dogs like to think that our chewing may be restricted but look at all the horribly dangerous things those dogs ate. I once at a stick of string cheese with the plastic still on it!

Thanks for trying to keep us safe.

Your friend,
Niamh

Sophie Brador said...

Thanks Chef! It's really nice of you to give me this award, even when I have hardly been blogging lately. You are one cool dude Boxer boy.

xo
SB

Gucci said...

Aww CheffieWeffie,

This post made me sad. :[

I'm glad you get crated too. I don't like when people are mean to my Mommy and say things like, "omd I can't believe you don't let your dog run free in your house, what a bad owner." Sighhh hoomans just don't get it.

Make sure you give your Mom extra kisses and snuggles to help her destress from working so muchos!

xxxoo.
gucci.

Pedro said...

Chef,

That's a really informative post. My mom worries about Ziggy some times because my toys are small for me and he is a big dawg. He's never been a chewer or eater though, luckily. Mostly I just play with his big toys. Congratulations on your award!

Pedro

Ferndoggle said...

Aw shucks Chef! I love your blog too. Thanks for the great award!

Sherman

Rambo said...

Chef,
thanks for all the good info! You are such a smart boxer dog and a good friend for looking out for all of us!
thanks buddy!
Rambo
ps. you are right about the humans having to keep an eye on us doggies. Midget had rat poison in her mouth one day and if G-mom hadn't been there she would have eaten it and died.

Mack said...

Dang - Even I have never swallowed any of those things before!!

Congrats on the award!

Abby said...

Hi, Chef...

No wonder my Mom is always taking stuff away from me...

She always says, "Where do you find this stuff?"...

Congrats on your Award, & Thanks for passing it along to me...I'll be posting about it this week...

Abby xxxooo

Eric said...

Hey Chef, Good post buddy. We all know how, um...hungry we can get for a snackie or twenty.

Those stories were dog-a-blogging-fur raising. My Lab buddy ate the contents of a full bottle of paracetemol, luckily he was sick and survived but was at the dogtors for over a week..then another time when I was at the dogtors a puppy was having surgerey to remove a complete string of Christmas tree lights complete with bulbs!!!!!

Bad news on your Mom working so hard Chef. Take care of her with extra licks and loving. Will miss ya- see you soon.

Wiry Wags, Eric

Oh and sad to hear bout your garden Chef,and the Elm trees. Mom says all ours were lost some years ago too:(

i said...

Hi Chef, thanks for sharing this info! It sure is very helpful. Didn't know dogs can swallow so many things!

I have an award for you. Do come by to pick it up when you are free.

BenTheRotti said...

Good Grief!! I can't believe some of the things those pups managed to ingest!! Personally I'm not one for eating things I shouldn't.. unless you count butter.. and after reading that I don't think it is a hobby I will be taking up either!

I do however shread my tug ropes up quite often so Mum says she will be keeping a close eye on that in the future!

Thank you so much for the award buddy.. we LOVE your blog over at our house so this is truly an honour to get this from you, I shall be dispaying it with pride on my blog as soon as i can scratch at Mum to do it.


love, licks and tailwags,

Ben xxxxx

Toffee said...

Chef,
Thank you so much for your caring and informative post! If only Riley had paid attention before eating 2/3 of a dark chocolate bar!! (mom completely forgot about it in her running bag). Thankfully, Riley had an uneventful recovery with the exception of being denied the last 1/3 when mom realized he was up to no good!

Mango the Maltese kiddo said...

Whoa, my mom put on her x-ray glasses to see thru us after she had read your great post.
Thanks for sharing that buddy.
Please come by my blog to pick up the Award " You Lift My Spirit".
You did, you just didn't know it, Chef!
Cheers!

Rambo said...

Chefster,
I have a present for you. Check out my blog for details.
Rambo

Sami & Baylee said...

wow chef very informative post! Nice to meet you!

Sami

JB's Big and Small Worlds said...

Those xrays sur scared me! I told my mom to never leave stuff around that we might eat. Good post. Hope to see you when your mom gets unbusy. My mom is starting a new job soon, so I know how it will be!
--JB

JB's Big and Small Worlds said...

I am scared of all those xrays. I told my mom to put everything away that could hurt us in our house if we ate it. Good post!
--JB

Dewey Dewster said...

Gee Chef...

That was a good report....yep ya have ta be careful what ya eat....now when we chew up one of our stuffed toys...Gram tries ta get it right off us and all the stuffin' too but at times we have eaten some before she knew it.....fortunately fer us it comes out in the poo or we threw it up.....I hope we never eat anythin' like the rest of those doggies and cats did...the porcupine incident was enough excitement fer the next few years...thank ya very much... Gram wants a dull Fall fer sure....

Dewey Dewster here....

The Puppies said...

Very informative and helpful post Chef! Thanks for the info.. even if we didn't like to hear all of it!! Marshall once ate (this was before my time so i am just going on his recollection) like 15 chicken wing bones!! He snuck them out of the trash one afternoon while mom and dad were gone! they rushed him to the emergency vet (he was fine but had to get x-rayed to make sure!!) Now we are crated at home!!
xoxoxox,
Opal

Clover said...

Hi Chef,

Thanks so much for reminding us of that important info and for telling us those stories.

We will remember to be careful!

Love Clover xo

Anonymous said...

Wow,
Must be why mom and dad were so grumpy about my chewing when I was little.
Our fried Bosco ate everything and had to have emergency surgery. His insides were all blocked up by part of a ball.
Those x-rays are scary.
be careful guys,

Gus, Louie and Callie said...

You need to check out our blog we have and award for you..

Big Sloppy Kisses
Gus, Louie and Callie

Dewey Dewster said...

Gee Chef...

Thanks fer the award....we really appreciate it and will treasure it just like we treasure your friendship.....don't eat any toys or other bad stuff cause we need ya around.....

Dewey Dewster here......

Moco said...

It is sad that we are always eating something that isn't good for us. Dawson eats ear plugs all the time, but Grammie finds them in the yard.
Come on over and enter my gotcha day contest.

Anonymous said...

Chef, this is important info. thanks for sharing it with us. Mom didn't know that potatoes could be dangerous to me. Great article!

Mom always leaves me in the kitchen with a baby gate closing me in. I have plenty of room but can't get into trouble in the rest of the house!

Barklove,
Rusty

Abby said...

Hi, Chef...

I gave you an Award...

Please stop by my Blog when you get a minute & pick it up...

Abby xxxooo

Peanut said...

I eat stuff all the time I shouldn't. Mom tries to keep it safe for me but sometimes it just happens. Lucky for me I've always just thrown it up. Thanks for the award.

Dexter said...

Chef -
Thanks for the public service announcement. I, too, ate a sock once, but was fortunate to poop it out. We had a foster aire-gal for a few months and she ate an elastic support bandage which came out both ends at once.

Momma is always patroling for stuff I might eat. I like rocks and pee-wee tried to eat a nail. Yikes!

Slobbers,
Mango

Sweepy said...

Woofy, Chef!

I'm sure that was my big brother's Bogart's xray! BigB eats EveryThing that stands in his way. I'm surprised he has not eaten Me!

But that is a Cool Post and want to link to it. Please bark if its Ok.

Woofy thanks.

Crikit, Sparky, Ginger! said...

Chef! oh we missed visiting you. We got a computee to use till ours is fixed but it doesn't open all the pictures but the ones is did lets us know you got so way more handsome!

great post and congrats on all your awards!

Lots of Love Licks xoxo we'll be back to catch up ~ we've missed a lot!

Gucci said...

CheffyWeffy I'm at Mom's Mom's house until tomorrow sooooooooo I haven't been able to check the mails. :[

Mom says I just need to be patient and that I'll get my pressies soon.

I'm not really the patient type and it's driving me crrrrrrrrrrrrrazy.

Hrfmph!!

xxxoo.
kissesNsnuggles
gucci.

Hero said...

Hey, Chef! Thanks for visiting my blog and thanks for giving us all that info. I've been lucky in that I haven't swallowed anything I'm not supposed to, but this entry is a good reminder to my mom to be extra vigilent in making sure that nothing bad ends up inside my tummy. May I link your blog on mine so that I may keep up with your adventures?

Jans Funny Farm said...

Well, you've just scared Jan. She's seen us eat some strange things. We wish you hadn't told her about the acorns, though. We get tiny acorns out front and they're good.

Sam: I ate a tug rope recently. Jan was a nervous wreck. There's a trail of colorful poop along our walking route.

After seeing those x-rays, Jan's afraid to find out what is in any of our stomachs.

thimbles bobbins paper and ink said...

Chef, while scarey to read, we appreciate this great and informative post.

Willow and I would like to add two more items to your list:

1.) Grapes and raisins - do NOT eat them. We are big dogs but nevertheless there is some bad thing that happens in dogs when grapes and raisins are ingested.

2.) Corn cobs!! I know...they are easy to sneak off a plate or out of the garbage but DO NOT eat them. Too many cases of cob swelling in the abdomin, blockage in colon...even death. It isn't that the corn will kill ya, it is that corn cobs aren't meant to go through our doggy systems.

Thanks again, buddy!

WOofs and slobbers from your Newfie pals,
Gabe and Willow

Sunny,Scooter, (sometimes Jamie) said...

Hey Chef! We finally got back. Thank you so much for thinking of us for an award. We apprecite it.(We have to try to get caught up-5 days is a long time to be gone in blog world!)
Hugs & Hi 5s
Sunny&Scooter

The Zoo Crew said...

Scary, scary, scary stuff!! But a good reminder to all of us pups and our humans!

Willow