Food for thought: The dangers of what pets can eat

A few years ago, our dog Elliott ate a brand-new rope toy. Elliott is a very large dog, and we’ve always been careful not to give him toys that he could tear apart. However, this rope toy seemed sturdy and was of a well-known reputable brand. The reason we had purchased it was because we had seen him and our other dog, Sara Lee, have a blast romping and playing with it at our dog trainer’s place. So we assumed the toy was safe.

Within hours of being given the new rope toy, we realized Elliott was finding it difficult to go to the bathroom. He was whining, clearly in pain. With a little more investigation, we realized Elliott had a sliver of rope hanging from behind as he attempted to poop. We also realized most of the rope in the toy was shredded and missing.

Elliot had eaten the rope.

When we gently “tugged” at the rope from his behind (which you should never do, as this can do further damage), Elliott winced in pain. The situation was serious.

Unfortunately, it was late in the evening, and our veterinarian’s office was closed. We called the local Animal Emergency Clinic, the only vet’s office that would be open at the time. We explained the situation to the staff who advised we bring Elliott in immediately and not to try to remove the rope ourselves.

That night, Elliott underwent major surgery to remove the rope, which had unraveled inside of him. The surgeon later told us she had removed several feet of rope from within, and that Elliott might not have survived had we brought him in any later. After a horrific night at the clinic, a couple thousand dollars, and several grueling weeks of healing and recovery, poor Elliott finally got better.

So, what should you do when your pet — dog or cat — eats a foreign object? And what should you watch out for?

Here are some tips from Dr. Les Mulligan of Peaks View Animal Hospital.

Surprisingly, soft objects such as cloth, rope and anything long tend to be the most dangerous when ingested. Soft objects, such as cloth and rope, tend to swell and if they unravel when swallowed (as in the case of Elliott), are highly dangerous to the pet’s organs and intestines.

When a pet ingests a soft item (as opposed to a metal object), it can also be harder to diagnose the problem. Soft objects do not show up on X-ray scans, are harder to identify and localize once ingested, and can be more challenging to remove during surgery.

Metal objects, such as coins and batteries, can be identified and localized using an X-ray scan. However, metal objects, such as batteries, are dangerous when swallowed since their chemicals may leach into the body if not removed promptly.

Intermittent vomiting in a pet may be an indication she may have swallowed a foreign object. If you suspect your cat or dog has ingested something toxic or undesirable, contact your veterinarian immediately and provide the history of the pet’s symptoms and activities. Do not try to induce vomiting in your pet without your vet’s advice, as this will likely exacerbate the problem.

Sometimes seemingly harmless items can be the most dangerous. For example, articles of clothing, especially socks — a favorite chew toy among many pets — can become life-threatening when ingested because they don’t always pass when eaten.

Cats should not be given string, yarn or tinsel to play with.

Dr. Mulligan informed me that in addition to all the stones, socks, ropes and batteries the vets at Peaks View have removed in surgery, they once removed 18 hair scrunchies from a cat. I do know a few cats who love human hair and the scent of shampoo — it’s hard to say what our pets might be attracted to.

As for Elliott, he’s never been allowed to play with any kind of rope toy since this accident, and any toy he does get to play with now is always under our strict supervision and a watchful eye.

--Rasanayagam is a volunteer board member of the Lynchburg Humane Society.