Pets Swallow the Strangest Things…
Keeping your pet safe from hidden hazards in your home
Stones, babies’ dummies, socks and even kebab sticks are among the weird and wonderful items our vets surgically remove from pet patients every year.
Pets are naturally inquisitive creatures, and our homes and gardens are full of potential hazards that can cause serious harm. Seemingly innocuous clothes, accessories, and household objects can become dangerous if they are accidently eaten by your pet.
A foreign body is anything in your pet’s body that shouldn’t naturally be there and these often cause problems. Most foreign bodies are swallowed and get trapped in the stomach or guts. Some foreign bodies can become lodged under the skin, in the ear or eye, or are breathed in to the lungs.
PDSA vet Olivia Anderson-Nathan says: “Vets regularly see a huge number of pets who have eaten things they shouldn’t. Dogs are particularly prone to eating all kinds of weird and wonderful household objects.”
Some common foreign bodies seen by PDSA vets include sticks, peach stones, balls, socks, stones and coins. Other bizarre objects vet staff have removed have included tent pegs, knives and radio aerials.
“Dogs often like to use their mouth to investigate objects and sometimes a pet will swallow an item by mistake,” says Olivia.
“Once the pet is recovered and well, the fact they’ve swallowed some of these objects can seem quite comical, however ingestion of foreign bodies is incredibly dangerous and can even prove fatal. If an object moves along the digestive system, it can cause a life-threatening blockage or tear.
“If you have pets, try to keep anything in the home that’s dangerous or easy to swallow out of paws’ reach. Only let them play with suitable pet toys and supervise them as much as possible to avoid any accidents. If you do suspect your pet has swallowed something you should contact your vet for advice immediately.”
Olivia also added that socialising and training pets from a young age can help to curb their temptation to chew objects, and teaching basic commands like ‘drop’ and ‘leave’ can also help avoid any mishaps.
PDSA is the UK’s leading vet charity. We’re on a mission to improve pet wellbeing through prevention, education and treatment. Support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery helps us reach even more pet owners with vital advice and information. www.pdsa.org.uk
I lost my cat Leonard to PICA ?
I’m so sorry to hear that. 🙁
?
I once caught laser trying to swallow some thread with a needle on the end. My Mum had left her kit for mending clothing on the side of the sofa and Laser had gone to investigate. Luckily she didn’t swallow it. I’ve always kept my sewing equipment in cases or tins so they can’t accidentally eat anything – the odd bit of string gets found in poos now and then though.
? that must have been scary.
My one cat used to think every thing was food I guess. He still acts like it at times. Once, when my husband dropped a dish, no food in it, the cat ran over and started to try to eat the pieces! Now we are extremely careful about stuff on the floor.
LOVELY KITTIES! 🙂
Thanks 🙂
Oh my gosh! This is so true. My cat Heals (who sadly passed away from cancer several years ago) once ate a toy snake made of rubber. I am serious. I noticed the snake getting smaller, but I didn’t think she was actually eating it. Until she started vomiting often, which was very unusual for her. So I took her to the vet and they took X-rays. And that’s when they found a significant blockage in her intestines. She had to have surgery and stay at the animal hospital for a week. The bill was more than $2,000 U.S.!
Our cat Lucio tried to eat a jingle bell off off a cat toy once. I pulled it out of his mouth before he swallowed it.
? you wouldn’t believe how many “jingling” cats our local charities and vets have to deal with…
Oh no! Poor Heals.
It is amazing what they will swallow, especially knives.
I know right… makes you wonder about how they get on in the wild at times… ?
I think unlike cats, dogs can’t survive in the wild. I think when you breed an animal to be cute, you breed out intelligence.
We wondered why the corners of the crocheted blankets my mom made were disappearing. It turns out Sammy thought it was a wonderful meal. Thankfully it passed through him. Now he only gets fuzzy blankets or ones made from cotton yarn.
? Renegade likes to eat blankets too. But preferable made of polyester…
I’m lucky my two will npt entertain if it does not come in a pouch and smell meaty or fishy.
? lucky