Humans love potato chips, nachos, marshmallows and other snacks from grocery stores.
But those chip bags left on counter tops, computer tables or anywhere inside the house can kill your pet.
Andrea Powell, in “A Common Mistake Killed Her Dog, Now She Is Sharing His Story To Save Others,” said it is common for pets to suffocate due to an opened chip bag because the dog tried to reach for the crumbs, and inhaled while doing so, making the bag tighter. This subsequently led to suffocation.
“Christina Young had to endure the sudden loss of her beloved dog, Petey, after a common mistake was made. This could be happening in many homes right now!” Powell said.
She narrated: “Young’s boyfriend, Christian, came home one day expecting Petey to greet him with a wagging tail and wet nose, but that didn’t happen. When he entered their home and Petey was not at the door, he became alarmed. Christian went further into the home, where he found their best friend, lifeless on the floor with a chip bag over his head.
Powell said Young, in a post on Facebook, shared: “He was able to get them off the counter [and] we will forever blame ourselves for leaving [them] out. He ate every chip out but, of course, went back for crumbs…. With there being nothing left inside, every time he would go for more he would inhale, making the bag tighter and tighter around his head…ultimately resulting in suffocation .”
Powell said Young could not believe Petey could not get the bag off his head with his paws, thus, Young decided to do extensive research about this. She found out that this is common in households where opened chip bags are left by humans on countertops and other areas.
Young learned “3-5 pet suffocations get reported every week, and 42 percent of those occur while the owner is in the next room. It only takes about 3 minutes for their oxygen to drop to fatal levels.”
Please remember this: Any bag with food has to be kept in places that your dog can not reach it.
Here are some tips from Young and Powell:
1. Put all your food in a cabinet when you leave the room or the house. “Dogs are very intelligent and love to eat, so they will amaze you at what they are able to get to do. “
2. When have eaten the content of the bag, please cut the bottom off and put directly in the trash bin.
3. It is best to keep trash cans out of reach of dogs too. Make sure your dog cannot get into the trash. (Editor’s note: You can choose to buy trash cans with a cover. )
“Baby locks work great if you have a curious pup. Help spread this story and save other dogs, “ Powell said.
It will also help if you will read up on what food are toxic to dogs. Please avoid leaving this food around the house or where dogs can reach them. Discard toxic food by putting them inside a plastic bag, then tie the plastic bag at the top. Please throw this in the trash bin outside your house.