So, you're in and out of the house all day and occasionally you pause for a snack. Or maybe you were watching TV and snacking in front of the set. Either way, if it were chips, crackers or cookies, anything that comes in a cellophane bag, chances are you just rolled the bag up and left it on the counter or table.
If you have a dog, you might not want to do that again.
Suffocation Risks for Pets
That's what a Texas couple found out recently when they came home to find their three-year-old pit-mix, Petey, in an unresponsive state with a chip bag covering his snout. They sped him to the vet, but there was nothing that could be done upon their arrival.
While their veterinarian could not say with a hundred percent certainty, the theory is that the bag may have gotten stuck on the dog's head, perhaps by getting hung up on its ears, and suffocation was the outcome.
Attractive Nuisance
Chrissy Young, one of Petey's owners, told KTRK News, "We had the bag of chips that's a fairly slim bag and was made of cellophane, and it had been on the countertop. We had been snacking on them. We had come and gone throughout the weekend and he never messed with them."
Pet Proofing Your House
Of course, most of us try and keep things up and out of sight of our pets when we know it will do them harm. A bag of chips or crackers, while worthy of dog shaming after the fact (with pictures and a sign, please), is not normally one of those things you think might seriously hurt them.
Inconvenience you, yes, and make a mess, most certainly, but kill, no — unless it was a bag of dark chocolate. Whatever the case, this is just another example of how we can't take things for granted and we need to remain ever vigilant in our pet- and childproofing efforts, so take heed and spread the word.
