Limiting your dog's access to harmful items may not be easy, especially if your dog is intelligent or crafty. But it's worth the effort if it keeps your best friend safe and healthy.
*****************************
Animals make the news for all sorts of reasons, for performing heroic deeds or winning awards. Benno the dog made the news for what he ate – bullets – 23 bullets. It seems his owner, Larry Brassfield, left the bullets in a sack by his bed, where Benno found them and decided to eat a few. When the dog got sick to his stomach and threw up a couple of bullets Larry realized what had happened.
Benno is a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, a breed that resembles a shepherd. His owner says that his dog is notorious for eating all sorts of inappropriate items, including clothing, marbles, Legos, a hairbrush, the TV remote. Larry used a couple of child gates in his house to try to confine his pet. Benno didn't jump over them; he figured out how to unlock them. That’s an intelligent dog.
Beginning in puppyhood, dogs often eat items that do not even resemble food. They use their mouths to explore the world around them. They are curious, so they sniff and lick and nibble and chew on something to see what it is and if it’s edible. It’s not unheard of for dogs to occasionally eat something odd. National Geographic Channel even has a show entitled, “My Dog Ate What?” showcasing the crazy, funny and amazing items pets decide to swallow.
The problem is that eating non-food items can jeopardize a pet’s health, and possibly its life. In Benno’s case, the bullets could be explosive, they could be toxic and they are each almost three inches long. If they moved out of his stomach and into his digestive tract, it could be deadly. Larry Brassfield didn’t waste any time. He rushed his dog to the veterinarian where x-rays showed a large number of bullets still in Benno’s tummy. The vet saved the dog’s life by performing emergency surgery, removing 17 well-chewed rounds.
Benno’s prognosis is good, for now. Oftentimes, dogs like Benno – intelligent, active dogs – are bored. They may need more play time and exercise, even a job they can do that keeps their mind occupied. And they need owners who puppy-proof or dog-proof their surroundings, to keep their best friend out of trouble. That’s just part of being a responsible owner, when we’re speaking of pets.
__>^..^<__
