Food bags can KILL!
In memory of a loving friend. This is NO JOKE. We almost lost our first dog this way. It is a common FATAL accident. Cut bottoms off food bags and keep all of them out-of-reach of even a determined unsupervised dog.
NOTE: "On the counter" is not "out of reach", especially if you have a cat to knock things down.
See comment below 12/14/11 re. corgi fatality from chip bag left on a tabletop.
I'd thoughtlessly kept this dog food bag without cutting off the bottom, thinking it might be useful:
"Like, he really owes me for this..."
Sorry if this is kind of shocking. It's meant to be, so we'll remember.
Learn to look at a plastic bag and see a loaded gun. We almost lost our first corgi this way -- there was a hole in the bag, just big enough.
Watch your children and guests -- they don't know!
FYI, if you're handy, it's not too hard to cut those swinging panels in the cabinet doors. They're attached with strong spring-loaded hinges. The cabinet doors are held by only a magnet, so I added turnbuttons (top photo) to keep out even a determined dog.
Babyproof your home. Many things kill both children and pets (Venetian blind cords come to mind). Beware of choking hazards, like bones, too (we DID lose our dog that way).
Let's keep this discussion concise. I may edit to keep it quickly readable. Practical safety suggestions are welcome.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by steve smith on
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Thanks for the reminder. I will keep doors closed and locked. They are pretty smart. Still keeping Dino out of the frig for now.
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Permalink Reply by Priscilla, CARLY, and Frankie on
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HAHA seriously you make things fun with those darling subjects you have... Good to know
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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My house doesn't have a closed cabinet type place for a garbage can, so this past summer I bought something similar to this at a craft fair. It was expensive IMO, but it would be very difficult for a dog to knock it over or get into it as it's quite heavy and the door does not open easily. Honestly at the time I wasn't thinking of "dog safety" but I am very happy I have it now.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/62549887/new-oak-wood-kitchen-trash-gar...
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Another good idea and it looks good also. Glad we have such caring corgi lovers.
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Permalink Reply by Lucy & Ricky (Wendy/Jack ) on
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@steve smith - you're right, it's a good idea AND it looks great, unlike my garbage can drawer!
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Markley on
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We went out yesterday and got child locks for the door where the dogs food bag is kept. I love the garbage can too! Might have to invest in that. I'm also going to start cutting the end off the bags. What happened to Teddy should never happen to another corgi.
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Permalink Reply by Gail and Ashton on
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Don't forget to cut up those plastic soda can rings! Also keep your yarns, strings and even dental floss away from the critters. They can cause intestinal blockages if eaten and strangulation as well.
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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on
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The chief defect of Henry King was eating little bits of string.
At length, he swallowed some which tied itself in ugly knots inside.
Physicians of the utmost fame were called at once, but when they came,
They nodded as they took their fees, "There is no cure for this disease.
Henry will very soon be dead." His parents hung about his bed,
Lamenting his untimely death, when Henry, with his latest breath, said,
"Oh, my friends, be warned by me that breakfast, dinner, lunch and tea
are all the human frame requires." With this, the wretched child expires.
-- Hilaire Belloc
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Permalink Reply by Cindi & Twinkie on
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You furkid is sweet to be your model in this public service announcement. It's an important lesson. Someone just posted asking what they need for their new puppy. I wrote back that a trashcan built like Fort Knox seems a must in light of what happened to poor Teddy.
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Permalink Reply by CorGeek on
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Seriously, a family friend lost a poodle to a empty Pringles can. Be careful with your trash. :(
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Permalink Reply by Elisabeth Spector on
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John, thanks so much for the post. Those pictures are a stark reminder of what can happen, and I was shocked to read about the poodle and the Pringles can in one of the responses to this thread. I've known about the dangers of clingy plastic bags from having kids, but I have to admit that I underestimated the dangers of things like stiffer bags and carboard cans. Just a couple of weeks ago, I found a large, empty foil chip bag in my son's room that had been there for at least a couple of days. A friend of his had left it there and it still had crumbs in it. I can't figure out why Betsy didn't find it before I did, as she is the type of corgi who will run from the other room and catch a crumb of food before it even hits the floor. She could so easily have found that bag and been discovered by us only some time later. :-( And your picture with the Wellness bag also hit home, as just a week ago we had a Wellness bag just like that sitting nearly empty on a kitchen chair for a couple of days. Either of the dogs could easily have knocked or dragged it off the chair and crawled into it.
Oh...and your reminder about choking hazards in your earlier post to Rebecca is also good. (So sorry to hear about Siri's untimely death with the turkey neck, BTW--how tragic.) One thing we stay away from now are the rawhide bones. Fred had one last year and had chewed it down to a medium sized gooey piece. All of a sudden, he started staggering around, wide-eyed and not making any noise. He continued this way for 10 or 15 seconds before we noticed the bone was gone. It wasn't in his mouth and we suspecdted he was choking on the last piece. (I think his throat was completely blocked so no air could pass to allow any sound). I tried not to panic and attempted a doggie version of the Heimlich maneuver. I squeezed upward and outward several times on his belly below the rib cage and, finally, out popped the piece of rawhide. (It was just like you read about with choking victims where the piece of steak goes flying across the room.) I can only imagine what might have happened if we hadn't been watching him. (Heck, he was so quiet, I'm sure he could have choked just feet away from us if we had our backs turned.) Dog collars are another hazard I would never have thought too much about, though we always keep them off when we're in the house. I think there were a couple of threads about those a few months back.
I'm not generally a worry-wart or a fear-monger, but I do think it's wise to be aware of these common household dangers that can be avoided, or at least mitigated, by a higher level of awareness and some simple changes to our habits. I'm still SO thankful to Rebecca and dear, sweet little Teddy, and to you, John, and others who have relayed their personal stories. I wish we had a sticky or a FAQ of some sort where some of these tips could be listed and where people could post real-life close-calls (or, sadly, even worse outcomes) to educate our fellow corgi lovers.
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