PHOTOS: Pets eat the darndest things
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Version 0 of 1. Veterinary Practice News recently released the winners of their 2014 X- ray contest. The annual contest, appropriately titled “”They Ate What?!,” showcases “humorous situations veterinarians and pet owners can face as well as the clinical advances available through digital radiography.” The entries, sent in by veterinarians across the country, are judged by the publication’s editorial team and board members — and the winners receive cash prizes. Marilyn Iturri, Veterinary Practice News editor and the contest’s creator, said: “This year’s entries featured some of our old standards, such as cats eating hair ties and hair bands, threaded sewing needles and other shiny objects … Dogs often seem to eat golf balls, small rubber balls, rubber ducks and clothing items, plus a variety of metal objects not meant for consumption.” What stood out to Iturri this year was the amount the animals has consumed: “One dog had swallowed five duckies and one of our top three winners ate 43.5 socks … That broke our socks-eaten record. And a pug ate a package of sewing needles, which previously we saw only cats do.” You can read more about the contest on their Web site. Here is a selection of the winners and honorable mentions: Shawn Messonnier, DVM, Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, Plano, Tex. An exotic-frog owner observed his pet eating small ornamental rocks in his cage. After a radiograph and surgery, more than 30 small rocks were removed. The frog recovered, and the rocks have been removed from the frog’s habitat. Tim Gossman, DVM, Gulf Breeze Animal Hospital, Gulf Breeze, Fla. Marley, a neutered male German shorthaired pointer, was brought to the vet under the suspicion he had eaten a shish-kabob skewer. The owner said she left the skewers “just for a moment” and, when she returned, the kabobs and the dog were gone. After a search, the owner was only able to recover one of the skewers, so she brought Marley in for a radiograph. And there it was in the dog’s stomach. Marley recovered. Dove Lewis Emergency Animal Hospital, Portland, Ore. A 3-year-old Great Dane was brought to the vet after repeatedly vomiting and retching. The radiograph revealed a large quantity of “foreign material.” Surgery revealed the dog has eaten 43.5 socks.
Christy McCratic, DVM, Golf Rose Animal Hospital, Schaumburg, Ill. After vomiting for two days, Cody, a 10-month-old, 58-pound golden retriever, was taken in for a radiograph. The X-ray revealed a light blub, which passed through Cody’s system after the dog spent a day on intravenous fluids. Andrew Rambo, DVM, Gladstone Animal Clinic, Gladstone, Mo. Concerned that her bearded dragon named Dragon wasn’t eating, the pet’s owner brought it in. A radiograph revealed a small object in the shape of a banana. The owner’s granddaughter: said “That’s where Barbie’s banana went!” The girl frequently played with Dragon in Barbie’s Dream House.
Next year’s contest begins in April 2015 and will be announced on the Veterinary Practice News Web site and in the magazine. |