By Ashley Watson
I suppose I should start by explaining the title to this week’s post. Today, the people in the Marketing and Web Design department here at Vetri-Science® of Vermont were discussing all the things our pets have destroyed and/or eaten. I decided to take a quick poll and ask what the most expensive or strangest items that pets consumed and what the owner did in response. Most of the answers involved poop—either poop that had been ingested, or poop containing the incriminating evidence.
Here are the answers I got from a few people in the office. After their stories, be sure to read about what to do in a pet emergency. While some foreign objects will pass through the digestive system, there are occasions where you may have to you’re your animal to the vet or your local emergency veterinary clinic.
The most expensive: Original French doors at my parents’ house. It was almost $1,000 to fix. Carpet would be next, then Coach Bag, and lovely leather boots. Of the food variety, Achilles [Adrienne’s Siberian Huskie] ate an entire Rotisserie Chicken, bones and all; he washed it all down with a stick of butter. In my life, the proof is in the poop, so I usually watch for things to pass 1) to identify the culprit and 2) for safety’s sake. I only called the vet about the chicken.
-Adrienne Bombard, Market Research Analyst
My dog Hinckley ate half a bag of potting soil once. Plus poop. Lots of poop.
-Sara Phillips, Strategic Brand Manager
My dog ate half of a $100 dollar bill that my grandma gave me for Christmas. I found the other half a few days later when she went to the bathroom. Luckily the U.S. Treasury understood and sent me a replacement.
-Jillian Grenier, Private Label Coordinator
Let’s see, on one occasion we were taking care of a friend’s pet frog, and Gatsby [Jordan’s cat] decided to eat an entire canister of frog food. Gatsby also enjoys eating plastic grocery bags, tape and pork rinds (yes, he loves pork rinds)!
-Jordan Davis, SEO Coordinator
Mel [Sean’s female greyhound] ate a whole package of jiffy pop. She has an iron stomach, and she just pooped out lots of kernels.
-Sean Cater, Graphic Designer
Remus (my cat) likes to eat tissues. It is a completely harmless habit, but can be frustrating when you reach for a tissue and half of it is missing.
Dora [Amber’s Miniature Pinscher] once ate a fake poinsettia plant that had a Styrofoam bottom. Luckily it passed, but her poop had little white balls in it for days.
-Amber Webster, Graphic Designer
Luckily, aside from eating part of a non-poisonous plant, my own cat, Nella, has only chewed through two expensive items: A phone charger cord, and the cord to a pair of $40 headphones. Because she just chewed through it and didn’t actually eat part of the cord, I didn’t need to take her to the vet. However, it’s a good idea to know what to do in a potentially dangerous situation.
For instance, a friend of mine has taken her dogs in several times for ingesting harmful toxins or foreign objects, including an entire bottle of Tylenol and half of a tennis ball, which landed her dog in the vet’s office for a costly yet life-saving surgery. Don’t assume that your pet cannot get to certain items. When Jordan’s cat got into the frog food, it was in the back of a cabinet with the door closed.
One important note to consider if your animal does ingest something that can be harmful, the ASPCA charges a $65 dollar fee for consultation over the phone. We recommend having the number to your vet and the local after-hours clinic in a central location, such as taped the fridge or by the phone. They will let you know if you should take the animal in or not. It could save your pet’s life.
What strange item or food has your pet eaten? Share your stories with us on our Facebook page.
