Dogs can choke on kibble too. Anything a dog gnaws bits off of can be choked on -- anything that goes in their mouth has the ability to block their airway, even if only through freak accident.

I know many dogs can eat Pig Ears safely, but my dog tries to break off and inhale huge pieces of it so I stopped buying them for her. Now I only give her Bully Sticks, which don't splinter. She is a small dog, so it wouldn't take that big of a fragment to cause problems. Depending on a dog's size and 'chewing style', certain type of crunchy chews may be inappropriate for them.

I agree though, the company here could put 'choking hazard' on their labels, and perhaps could've done a better job of expressing sympathy to the owner.

Pai September 19th, 2009 12:50:41 PM

I think that ALL chewing products (whether they are edible or not) should carry strong choking warnings.  Pat is correct, dogs can and do choke on almost ANYTHING but there are many pet owners who do not realize this.  Even bully sticks (which I do believe are safer than most chews and I give them to my dogs) can cause choking. 

Companies certainly have a lot of responsibility - to produce non-toxic chews that don't break down in some egregious way that makes choking highly likely.  But other than that I think the responsibility falls to the person supervising the dog.

However, the company SHOULD have apologized profusely and sent a condolence letter.  How heartbreaking to know that you accidentally caused your beloved dog's death because of something you gave him to enjoy!  My deepest and most heartfelt condolences go out to Bobbie!

Barb September 19th, 2009 01:10:43 PM

This is a great post. As a vet tech I have seen the damage that various chewies have caused.I'm not sure the company that manufactured this treat can be held accountable though. ALL chewies, bones, food and toys could potentially cause a health issue, even death. I always tell my clients to give these treats under supervision only and remove them once the treat reaches a size that could be swallowed whole. Not to make Bobbie feel worse, but seeking veterinary care sooner may have made a difference in this case (though many people, including myself at one time, would think the crisis over once the dog is breathing again). Anytime a dog chokes on one of these chewies and you are not able to retrieve the whole thing,you should call your vet. If it had not lodged in the trachea, it may have lodged in the esophagus (the swallowing tube). Esophageal foreign bodies, while not usually imediately life threatening, can cause tissue necrosis (tissue death) of the esophagus. This type of injury is very difficult to repair surgically and often ends in euthanasia.

Pai, I have seen three dogs with esophageal foreign bodies in my 7 years as a technician, all of them were bully sticks. The smallest was a 4 lb yorkie, the biggest was a 70 lb Golden Retriever. Bully Sticks, like all dehydrated treats, swell once they have been inside the esophagus for awhile, making retrieval with an endoscope very difficult (if your vet even has an endoscope). These FB's always get stuck in the chest as the esophagus narrows as it passes the heart.In some cases, these dogs will need surgery to remove the FB from the stomach after pushing it further down the esophagus.

Meghan RAHT September 19th, 2009 01:36:26 PM

Very interesting post.

Dogs can choke on almost anything. Here at home we banned rawhide, for instance. I would strongly advise every pet owner to take a first aid course that teaches students how to dislodge objects from a pet's throat. I am certified by the Red Cross.

Here are some useful tips on emergencies: http://www.thedailytail.com/health-tips/health-tip-be-prepared/

Daniela Caride September 19th, 2009 01:47:32 PM

Please accept my condolences on Nikko's sudden passing.  In my experience, pet treat companies have been sympathetic and helpful, professional and investigative when a pet is harmed or dies after partaking of their product.

I recently treated a 6 pound Pomeranian who cracked both of his carnassial teeth (the large upper back teeth) while eating a chew bone.  His daddy heard a cracking sound and saw the pieces of enamel fly!  He picked them up and brought them to me.  Both of the teeth suffered pulp expusure and needed root canals.  He was devastated.  I suggested he call the company and explain what happened.  I said, "I'm sure they don't intend to sell products that destroy dog's teeth, after all, they are human, too!"  They paid over $2,500 -- the full cost-- for a veterinary dental specialist to fix the Pom's teeth!  (He's doing great!)

Orkin just paid $800 for medical care, evne though they were not sure their roach paste killed my 3 year old shih tzu patient, who was sick for 5 days before his parents sought care (and perhaps you could argue they were part to blame.)  The parents also did not want to pay for an official autopsy and toxin tests toprove what happened.  But Orkin paid their bills anyway after a short, painless investigation.  The case manager was very sympathetic and kind to them.

Petsmart paid my client $2,600 toward her cat's medical care when he suffered kidney failure from the Melamine-cyanuric acid-laced food from China.  She gave the Petsmart manager her vet bills and the can that read "satisfaction guaranteed," and said, "I'm not satisfied."  She had a check within a week and an apology from the manager.

I'm so sorry you had to loose Nikko.  I'm also sorry you seem to have been treated in a brusque and defensive manner.  In my experience, there is also a lot of kindness in the world.

Dr. Truli

Dr. Truli September 19th, 2009 02:13:52 PM

1. I lean towards no. I think all chews have an inherent choking risk.

I have seen the trachea treats, bought one once, and decided they did not seem safe enough to meet MY paranoid standards. I go for a bit of overkill when selecting chew products. The only rawhide I buy today is a retriever roll from Wholesome Hide, after reading an article in the Whole Dog Journal. It is extra thick, one single piece, and made in the U.S. -- this doesn't eliminate risk, but reduces it. I still supervise. I buy super thick bully sticks, because the regular ones disintegrate so quickly. When I see a piece of rawhide or bully stick get all floppy and gross, I cut it off. If the stick gets short, I throw it out.  I think all such treat should warn that supervision is advised.

 I did not feel safe with the trachea, but I do not feel comfortable declaring that it is defective. I do think a warning label is advisable.

A breeder I know who takes obsessive care of her dogs recently lost one to choking on a yam treat. It lodged in the dog's trachea -- she got it out, but not before the dog had suffered a stroke. A week later, after much effort to treat the dog, she was PTS.

When I had a bulldog and I allowed her to have rawhide, it was not uncommon for me to reach down her throat and retrieve a chewed up chunk. She had the jaws of death. I supervised her pretty closely, but distractions always happen.

2. No, I don't think they acted responsibly. They should have responded promptly, even if just to tell her that they were terribly sorry about her dog, but natural chews all carry this risk, etc. Something both sympathetic and indicative that she had been heard.

3. Fair? I'm not sure the word applies. I think it is incredibly foolish. In this age of electronic communication, their name will be spread around the internet far and wide. Four Paws is probably still getting  angry letters about the dog which lost its tongue due to a defect in its pimple ball last year. It initially dug its heels in and denied all fault and liability, but then the owner posted graphic photos and a detailed letter from her vet that was just devastating.

4. Yes.

5. With sensitivity and compassion, and by taking the time to carefully investigate the facts. Even if the company has no fault at all, it would cost the company next to nothing if, for example, they were to send the owner a card expressing its sympathies signed by bunches of employees, with a personal message from someone high up. A little thoughtfulness can go a long way.

Susan September 19th, 2009 02:31:19 PM

I certainly add my condolences about Nikko's death. It must have been horrible to find the dog dead in the morning and I hope you are getting help or support concerning your part-for what it's worth, I don't see you at fault; most of us humans would not have known the thing could still be in the dog's throat.

I outlawed all chews some time back after hearing stories about choking. My dog now gets other types of treats, also not including bones. They can chip off and cut the dog's stomach or other places. My dogs have done just fine without them.

I think there are several factors at work here vis the companies. I don't expect many will write notes, etc. b/c they might be seen as admitting fault by doing so. The stories above about some of them making it right are refreshing. Dr. K's questions are good ones. There are others. Sometimes if a product cannot be made safe, the issue is who had control over the manufacture of the product; usually the co. In that sense the product is something wanted that carries inherent danger--then the co. may be responsible, not b/c of fault, but b/c it had the control. So fault is not an issue, this is strict liability. But if dog chews are made inherently dangerous, the price will go up b/c the cos. wil have to pay for the few times dogs are harmed by them. If it turns out that many dogs are harmed many times by the chews, then it might be best to take them off the market. But then the owners no longer have the choice to give them and adequately supervise their dogs.

Dr. K's questions seem to deal with negligence, which basically weighs the cost/benefit of the product and looks at % fault of the parties. And if the danger is openly there, then the owners should bear some responsibility. It's like cars. We all want to have our cars, while obviously cars/driving them causes great harm in accidents of all types. But we don't make the laws of accidents strict liability b/c then cars would be made like tanks, go two miles per hour, and guzzle gas--yes we would be safer but the price would be sky high. So we keep our cars and all of us insure against the risks. However, in some instances, like the Ford Pinto, lots of people were harmed by a defect in the design of the car that they could not have realized was there. So Ford had to pay, and the Pinto was no more.

So here, unless there is some special quality to the chew that the ordinary dog owner could not be aware of, the risk of harm is more on the owner to supervise, b/c chews can choke dogs--a relatively known risk. It may be more effective for the cos. to put warning labels on chews than to remove them entirely.  Plus , that is most cost-effective for the chew cos. if we still want to have chews.  The instance of the the food toy is distinguishable b/c the design of the toy created a risk that ordinary dog owners would not know about until something bad happened. That product was defective.

So unless dog owners are willing to give up all chews, it would seem that both the cos., and the vets that know the harm that comes from chews-sometimes, could help by better educating dog owners as to these risks. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who don't know these risks.

As for fairness, well, Nikko's owner has every right to tell her story and express her opinion. She may point to this particular treat as long as she is telling the truth about it--but may be at some risk if she publicly goes beyond her facts and opinion about this particular product. 

Yes there could be more regulation of dog stuff, including medication. But before we call for the animal FDA, we should be certain which products truly need regulation, and which carry enough obvious risk that dog owners should bear some responsibility for using them. Otherwise, the already extremely high prices of dog treats and toys will skyrocket, leaving less for us to choose from, using our own knowledge and common sense. If in doubt about anything you give to any animal--CALL A VET FIRST!! Every "pet" store I've ever seen has a number of entirely unsafe toy and chew products for dogs--don't buy them.

SH September 19th, 2009 04:41:17 PM

My deep condolences to Bobbie for the loss of young Nikko.

1.  Blamed?  Well, yes, for not having a warning label.  But I think choking is a hazard for anything a dog can get in their mouth.  Unlike human children who come in a small range of sizes for most ages, dogs come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.  It would be impossible for a company to do much more than put a warning on the label for choking hazard.  We'll all probably quickly ignore them but they should be there nonetheless.

2. No.

3. I don't see an apology or remorse or sharing some pain to be a form of compensation, merely a matter of common decency and there's just no excuse for not showing common decency even to customers, actually, especially to customers.

4. Oh yeah.  And, unfortunately sometimes stuff just happens.  If I'd thought the choking was resolved, the chew swallowed, I probably wouldn't have gone running to the vet.  In fact, I've dealt with several similar incidences over the years and not gone to the vet.  I always count my lucky stars because I know any one of those could be the fluke where the chew isn't really gone and something happens while I'm gone or asleep.  You do what you reasonably can and then you don't torture yourself with hindsight.

5. Empathize, sincerely apologize for the lose (without taking responsibility), investigate, change products and add or change warnings when appropriate.  If there is any responsibility or fault, take it on, apologize for it, open a conversation and find out what the customer wants.  If what the customer wants is reasonable and doable, just do it without balking.  If the company doesn't think it needs to make any changes after investigating, have the decency to follow up with the customer and explain the investigation and the conclusion.

Dr. Truli, You clearly have crazy mad cross over skills.  I hope you're teaching them somewhere!

PJBoosinger September 19th, 2009 06:14:42 PM

we banned anything but the huge edible nylabones here a long time ago. I buy the biggest ones made for tiny dogs and when it can fit in their mouth, it gets thrown out. NO other chew toys. But I am lucky, my dogs are not big chewers either.

my dogs did love those dehyrated chicken breasts, but since they are make in china, they too have been banned. Even fresh carrots have to be watched with the small dogs. I think sometimes people forget that big dogs can choke too..I know our big dog even got lamb leg bones, we never watched him knaw them down, and while he was safe, and lived a good long healthy life, we know better now..

I am sorry to read of Nikko's possibly preventable death and hope that a lot can be learned from this posting.

LorriM September 19th, 2009 06:42:05 PM

I'm down to nylabones too.  My girls just haven't been interested in chewing for years now but I keep the nylas around for the few occasions when they chew out of annoyance with something.  I ran across 2 edible nylas when I moved but should probably toss them, probably 6 years old!  And they get cat treats every once in a while.  Hard to get a cat to do anything without a treat so, when I have to give them out as bribery, the dogs bet for them too.  I used them as training treats when they were young and really obstinate about something.  Those tiny tarter control treats drive them wild and they'll do just about anything just to get a couple of them!

PJBoosinger September 19th, 2009 07:33:57 PM

I may just be the suspicious type, but those one Facebook may want to look at SitStay's page. It made me wonder whether they were getting blowback from this story, even though (according to this account) they weren't being accused of any wrongdoing. The timing seemed a bit coincidental. The gist - death by choking is always a hazard, but there's no point in blaming anyone.

Susan September 19th, 2009 07:37:45 PM

A breeder I know who takes obsessive care of her dogs recently lost one to choking on a yam treat. It lodged in the dog's trachea -- she got it out, but not before the dog had suffered a stroke. A week later, after much effort to treat the dog, she was PTS.

I know a French Bulldog owner who just had the same thing happen - in this case, she managed to remove the treat in time, and the dog survived.

In the past, I had to remove long pieces of rawhide from the mouths of choking Frenchies.

Now, the only treats we give are nylabones, and hooves - and hooves only under supervision. I think ALL treats should be assumed to carry a choking risk, but it wouldn't hurt if the packaging spelled this out, as well.

FrogDog Blog

FrogDogz September 19th, 2009 07:38:49 PM

@Meghan RAHT:  I'm assuming the bits you pulled out of the dogs was the end nub of a gnawed-down bully stick? Once those become worn-down small enough for a dog to fit most of the length of it in their mouth, they should be thrown away. That boils down to supervising the dog and knowing when they're getting close to having it chewed down that far.

Pai September 19th, 2009 09:49:07 PM

Susan, I don't think you're being overly suspicious and I think they're being pre-emptive.  Facebook Walls are for writing on :)

PJBoosinger September 19th, 2009 10:38:57 PM

SH, as a matter of fact, Ford *did* know about the flaw in the Pinto.  They factored possible lawsuit payouts on the issue into its price!  THAT is why they had to pay such a punitive settlement: because they >knew< and they put it out anyway; they knew people would die, and all they did was make arrangements to pay for it if they were sued.  That was NOT negligence.  When a company ignores danger to their customers/the public in favor of the bottom line or in favor of not changing a dangerous policy, it's entirely reasonable to make them pay a nasty punitive settlement.

(shrug)  I don't have enough info on the treat in question to have an opinion there.  But it's tremendously sad to lose a much-loved pet.

Galadriel September 19th, 2009 11:43:48 PM

Pai, the piece the little yorkie swallowed was at least 2 inches long!  Then it swelled to almost an inch in diameter. I was sure surprised at what a large piece a tiny dog could swallow.  The piece the golden swallowed wasn't much longer and still caused a problem, even in a much larger dog.

Meghan RAHT September 20th, 2009 12:07:27 AM

The dynamic Galadriel points to is one of the reasons that eliminating punitive damages in liablity cases is a bad idea.

There have been numerous circumstances in which it has been demonstrated that a company's internal studies showed a product flaw or adverse event, and that they ran the numbers and determined that the costs of paying out claims when they were dragged into court after preventible deaths/injuries were significantly less than the profit they would make if they sold the product as-is without disclosing or correcting the flaw.

In this scenario, all of us end up with prices on our heads, and our lives are merely numbers in someone's profitability analysis.

With our pets, since there is little or nothing to recover, the equation will always be on the side of "hide the flaw, market the product, take the profit, and laugh all the way to the bank."

Stefani September 21st, 2009 11:07:37 AM

I am sorry for your loss. Truly I am.

But at the same time, I don't see this company being at all at fault. Life is full of risks. We do a lot of fun things which are risky. We also do a lot of boring, dull things (like driving to work) which are risky.

Some dogs love to chew. I give my dogs raw bones for fun, relaxation and dental health ..... There's a risk that they'll break a tooth. There's a risk that they'll choke. I supervise, try to pick appropriate bones for their chewing styles & I accept that life is risky and that sometimes, crap will still happen.

If this company had sold a product which shattered into a bunch of small sharp shards - yes, that's a problem. If this company sold something that was laced with toxic chemicals - again, yes. But this problem was used as intended and it had an unintended consequence.

The same thing happens with high heel shoes and stairs - people fall down, sometimes they hurt their heads and die. Accidents happen. This was an accident. Very sad, but not everything needs to be blamed on someone.....

hornblower September 21st, 2009 01:21:36 PM

So you all know, Bobbie is pretty angry that I turned this topic into a larger debate and suggested that some people might not be sympathetic to his/her plight. I think it's at this point that I should apologize again.

Indeed, my pesonal opinion is that companies need to take greater responsibility for their products' potential damage to pets. And that corporations that trade on our love of animals should be held to a higher standard when it comes to expressing their feelings of remorse through constructive dialogue with aggrieved owners and meaningful change in their products or packaging when appropriate. And I happen to think it's appropriate for companies to point out that all chewies are a potential choking hazard. Regardless of what most of us here seem to think is a no-brainer, common sense concept, it's a fact that most of my clients remain in the dark about the possibilty of chewies as a choking hazard. Strange but true.

Sorry again, Bobbie.

Dr. Patty Khuly September 22nd, 2009 11:24:27 AM

To Bobbie: I am very sorry for the lost of your beloved companion, may he be with you in spirit always.

However, onto the rest:

1.The company is not to blame. Asphixiation is a risk that all chews, and anything else a dog can fit in it's mouth, carry. However, all toys and chews should carry a warning label to alert pet owners of this risk.

2.The company, however, should not have acted the way they did. It seemed as if Mr. Jones was trying to pass the buck, and from the response he gave, seemed very unsympathetic. He, as a business owner, should have been more aware of his words and should have at least offered his sympathies.

3.I don't believe it is okay for him to have not even offered a simple apology, however, I do understand him not offering monentary compensation. If there had been vet bills, then yes, an offer of compensation would be a good idea on behalf of the company. In a society where people have gotten sue-happy instead of accepting that s**t happens, there always seems to be an outcry, whether or not compensation is warranted.

4.The company can in fact claim that the owner should observe the pet during use of their product, and many companies do. All pet owners should keep an eye on their pets when giving toys or treats, and remove the item when it becomes too small or damaged. They could also claim the owner should have acted sooner in seeking veterinary care. In assuming your pet is fine after a choking incident without double checking, you are partially at fault should anything happen. You cannot just assume that an animal is fine, as they can't tell you if something hurts or is stuck. An owner in this situation would indeed be partially, if not mostly at fault.

5.I believe pet companies should have a department, or at least 1-2 people dedicated to investigating incidences where their product is believed to have caused harm. This would help insure product safety and responsibility on the company's behalf.

As the owner of several cats and my own small dog, I understand the owner aspect. However, as a pet owner I also know to watch my animals with anything that may pose a risk of choking, and to take them to the vet if an incident occurs. As for asking to take the product off the market, that is an unreasonable request. If every company took a product off the market after an incident like this, no company would survive, and we would be without many important things, for instance, medications. A much more feasable request would be the inclusion of a prominant label warning of the risk of aspiration and choking.

Jessi Pre-Vet September 22nd, 2009 12:42:57 PM

I'm posting Bobbie's response here at his/her request:

I was upset yesterday and want to fully respond to your questions:

1. Yes the company is to blame. First, if asphyxiation is a "reasonable" risk that chews carry then the product IS defective!  Jone's Natural Chews Company, Rockford Illinois not only advertises the Windee as "good chewing for ALL size dogs" they further claim that it is "fully digestible". This is absolutely misleading as it gives a dog owner a false sense of security that the chew is appropriate for a small dog (my shih tzu) and if its swallowed it will be digested.  What  they don't tell you is that choking can occur if a dog swallows it, that the chew can lodge in the throat if swolled and that asphyixiation and death can result.

2. The company did not act responsibly in the wake of this event as you can see in their letter and email message to me at the end of this response to you. 

3.  Compensation in the form of a simple apology or expression of remorse is NOT enough if a company does not take responsibility to address and correct the situation.  Either the chew should be taken off the market or ADEQUATE WARNINGS should accompany the chew such as choking can occur if a dog swallows it, that the chew can lodge in the throat if swolled and that asphyixiation and death can result. Creating a false sense of secuity that a product is completely safe when it is not is irresponsible.

4.  If a company wants to claim that owners should observe pets chewing behavior to ensure an ideal environment and mitigate the potential risk of choking then they should put that on the label.  Until then, they cannot claim any such thing.  As of now, they claim the Windee is "good chewing for ALL size dogs" and that it is "fully digestible".  No where do they tell owners they should observe the pet chewing or not leave the pet unattended while chewing.  Then they would to admit that there are potential hazards and put the appropriate and necessary warnings. 

As to acting more quickly and seeking veterinary care, had I known for one second the choking stopped because my dog had the chew lodged in his throat and was dead I would have put my whole hand down his throat to get it and ran him to the emergency room.  But rather, when the choking stopped, I believed he was ok and had just finished chewing.  There is no degree of fault Jones Natural Chews Company can claim I should share. 

5.  Companies should be more responsive, honest and forthcoming about the true hazards of their products. This Windee is obviously NOT "good chewing for all size dogs" and it doesn't matter if its fully digestible if it can lodge in the throat, cause asphyxiation and never made it to the stomach to be digested.  Put the appropriate warnings and the results that can occur.  Now that Jones Nautral Chews Company knows this hazard of their chew, take responsibility and advise and warn properly so it doesn't happen to another dog.

As you can see from their letter below there is no responsibility taken, no futher action anticipated and their letter continues to promote their products goal as "natural, safe treats for dogs to enjoy without extra preservatives."   As we have discovered, their treats are not "safe" and what in the world does natural and without extra preservatives have to do with my dog dying from it. It looks more like a CYA (cover your ass) letter not a genuine response to a dog's death from their chew.

JONE NATURAL CHEW EMAIL AND LETTER:

EMAIL:

Bobbie,

      I checked on the letter we sent and it was written on the 28th of August ( the Friday after our original discussion ). The office informs me it may have hit the post office on the 1st or 2nd of September.

     Because I am over production my days tend to be earlier . I am usually here around 6 am and try to leave around 3pm whenever possible. I was not pretending anything I simply was gone for the day.

     I am very sorry for your loss but I do think any further communication would not be productive.

Thank you,

Dean Jones

Jones Natural Chews Co

815/874-9500 ext 206

LETTER:

Jones Natural Chews Co

3450 Pyramid Drive

Rockford, IL 61109

September 14, 2009

Dear Bobbie Spiegel,

We are very sorry to hear about the loss of your beloved dog. As dog owners ourselves and having suffered the heartache of losing dogs, we understand how painful the experience is.

Our company goal is to manufacture and provide natural, safe treats for dogs to enjoy without extra preservatives.

We appreciate your contact regarding this incident and hope that you can recover quickly.

Sincerely,

Laura L Herr

Dean A Jones

DOES THIS SOUND LIKE COMPENSATION FOR CAUSING THE DEATH OF YOUR PET?

Thank you,

Bobbie Spiegel

Dr. Patty Khuly September 25th, 2009 11:01:26 AM

I think Bobbie isn't getting it.  Anything a dog chews on--from commercial chews to homemade treats to sticks out of the backyard, from food to toys to things you'd never think a dog would pick up--has the ability to get lodged in the dog's throat.  Doesn't mean it's defective, just that ANYthing can get lodged in a dog's throat.  It's the responsibility of the person ON THE SPOT to be aware of/take care of problems that may arise.

Dr. Khuly, I don't think you needed to apologize for making this post or for anything about it.  S/he sent it to you and asked you to post it.  There's no reason you have to agree with his/her (increasingly irrational) views.  Yes, it's very sad that s/he lost the dog.  Losing a dog is tremendously sad.  However, frantically laying blame everywhere is not at all productive; his/her claim was, initially, that s/he was trying to be productive (warning people about the treat, getting the company to be more responsible knowing there was a danger).  Now s/he's just trying to ... what, get the company to pay something for the loss of the dog?  I can't even tell.

Galadriel September 29th, 2009 11:57:44 AM

This is from Ms Bobbie - I am the owner of Nikko - Thank you Dr's k and Truli for you kindness.

Bobbie September 29th, 2009 04:42:44 PM

I am about to go pick up my Corgi puppy at the vet emergency clinic after his overnight stay for this exact issue!  I came to this discussion after Googling "bully stick choking hazard?"

He was chewing on a new 6-8 inch bully stick - the good kind, no added anything - when he somehow swallowed the entire thing.  I can't begin to imagine how he did it.  But, I was less than 3 feet from him when it happened - one second he was delightedly gnawing on it and the next second he was coughing and trying to throw up without luck.

He acted great, no respiratory distress, but over and over, he kept trying to cough it up.  After a few minutes of discussion (and searching the whole room for the bully stick, just to be sure), I took him to the emergency 24 hour clinic one town over.

So far as we can tell, he's A-OK.  The Xrays last night were shaddowy where the esophagus empties into the stomach, but, today the Xray was normal.

My mind absolutely boggles that this happened to him - he's a small dog and this was a long, intact, high quality bully stick!

So, $600 later, I'm coming away so grateful that our puppy's life wasn't in danger, and considerably wiser about chew toys.  Our dog loves chewing more than just about anything else, and when we don't give him chewies, he chews on the coffee table, so I'll be looking into the Nylabones.

Since this happened, I was thinking 'should they even be selling these things if they're so easy to choke on?' and that's how I ended up here.  Our little guy is fine, and I'm still feeling horrible, surprised and guilty - after all, I bought it for him and gave it to him!  If he'd died, I'd be beside myself and I'm not sure that I would react any better than Ms. Bobbie.  Ma'am, you have my sincerest sympathy in this matter.  I don't imagine that you'll ever get any sort of compensation from the company, nor do I think they'll put a warning on the package.  But you should still consider moving forward from this by making it your mission to communicate to dog owners that, even expensive, high quality, all natural and organic chew toys pose as much of a choking risk as any other item, from sticks to raw hides to real bones.  People will hear you and keep your story in mind when it comes to their own dogs.

My best wishes to you.

S in NY October 15th, 2009 01:48:27 PM

I'm really, really sorry for Bobbie's loss.  That's truly very sad.

I, too, believe that companies should put warning labels on their products.  A lot of things that should be common sense just are not.  Like has been mentioned here, some pet owners just don't think about that kind of thing.  They figure it's natural for dogs to chew or for cats to chase strings.  It is, but it's also potentially hazardous.   I'm an artisan and a retailer myself.  I see that it is a good thing for companies to err on the side of "overdoing" and put warnings on their products.

The above paragraph was not at all meant to shift blame to Bobbie.  I was just stating my point of view as a small business owner.

I also think that the company's response to Bobbie was HORRIBLE.  Unacceptable.  While I don't know that monetary compensation is on order--maybe a courtesy refund of the cost of the product--they certainly could have been more sympathetic.  Jeez-louise!  I won't buy anything from them, that's for sure!

When our cats play, I always watch them.  So many things can happen.  Pieces can come off.  Strings can beg wound around paws (or worse.)

Bobbie, I'm very, very sorry for the pain you are feeling. Please don't beat yourself up over this.  You thought he was fine.

:(

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Ugh.  That should have read "Strings can BE wound..."

Can't type today.

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