Protect your pets from plastic snack bags

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Labrador Bandit 282 2012

Dogs are curious and rely on their noses for lots of information, including finding food. If you’ve ever had a trash raiding dog, you know how tempting old snack food, cereal and dog food bags can be. Any bag with food inside or crumbs or even a little bit of salt in the bottom is a tempting appetizer to even the most restrained dog.

Dogs that grab a bag of chips – or an empty bag – are eating and trying to lick out the bottom of the sack. Unfortunately, the bag often gets stuck on the dog’s head and then the dog panics. Veterinarians say this type of accident has happened over and over and a number of dogs have died.

Dogs will put their head inside a bag trying to eat, but then they panic. As they breathe harder and harder they essentially become enclosed and even trapped in the bag and they have a very difficult time removing that. This can happen with any snack, cereal, pet treat or pet food bag.

The bag creates a seal around the animal’s head, and no air can get in. Once the bag is stuck on the animal’s head, they are continually breathing in and out that same air which gets higher and higher in carbon dioxide levels.

No matter how strong the dog is, once the seal forms it is virtually impossible to get the bag off and it may only be a matter of minutes for a dog to suffocate in this situation.

The danger of Mylar chip bags to pets and children is not widely known, but there is a growing number of people working to bring this issue to chip manufacturers and hopefully that will lead to education and perhaps warnings on the bags, with the ultimate hope of a change in bag material.

Like many dog owners, I had no idea something like this could happen until it happened to a friend’s beloved dog. There are some simple solutions that you can employ to save your dog’s life.

  • The simplest solution is to tear off the bottom of the bag before you throw it away.
  • Cut the bags into smaller pieces so there is no chance of the bag becoming lodged on an animal’s head.
  • Keep food bags and boxes stored out of your dog’s reach.
  • Keep trash can lids secure.
  • Use a trash container in your house that has a dog-proof lid.
  • Keep you trash container in a slide out drawer or behind a closed door with a child-proof lock.

Links:
Pet Hazards of Snacking | Broad Ripple Animal Clinic Blog
Family Warns Of Dog Treat Bag Dangers After Losing Pup  « CBS Minnesota
Prevent Pet Suffocation Facebook page
Pit Bull Suffocates Inside Potato Chip Bag – Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

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This article first appeared here: Protecting your pet from plastic snack food bags | Riley Rants – Licking Calcutta

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