The one household item that drives thousands of vet visits a year, and we all have them
Key takeaways
- Socks, underwear, bones and rocks, these are some of the most common household items that send pet owners to the vet.
- Figures from Pet Insurance Australia revealed over 1,700 claims per year for foreign body ingestion within the last 2 calendar years.
- What's next: Ensure your pet is covered for almost every worst case scenario with a comprehensive pet insurance policy.
Over the last 18 months that I've had my puppy Maple, she's been given many nicknames. One of them is 'sock thief'.
I've been told it's a 'Cavoodle thing', but the sheer volume of thievery that goes on tells me it's more of a 'Maple thing'.
She pinches them from the laundry basket, benches, chairs — basically, anywhere her paws can reach.
Like a baby with a dummy.
And while it's fun to chase her around to get them back, I'd rather the game didn't end with a sock becoming a snack.
According to new figures from Pet Insurance Australia, over 1,700 claims were made to the insurer during the last 2 calendar years for foreign body ingestion.
Some of the most common objects our pups were chomping down include:
- Corn Cobs
- Bones
- Skewers
- Socks & underwear
- Rocks
- Toy/Pillow stuffing
- Balls
- Damaged or incorrectly sized toys
- Food packaging
"Some foreign body ingestion claims submitted by PIA Pet Insurance policyholders have exceeded $15,000 in the past 12 months, underscoring the potentially significant cost of emergency veterinary treatment," said Pet Insurance Australia spokesperson, Nadia Crighton.
"I've personally seen cases of young dogs ingesting knives, and even entire blankets, stones, whole tennis balls, and various medications. Nothing is off limits to the curious mouth of a young dog."
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Why puppies are the worst offenders
Puppies are the biggest culprits when it comes to stealing objects they shouldn't, which unfortunately, is just in their nature.
"During the critical socialisation period between approximately three and 12 weeks of age, puppies are learning about their environment, developing social skills and becoming increasingly curious about the world around them," Crighton says.
"Their instinct to mouth, chew and investigate objects is a normal part of their development."
It's worth noting puppyhood happens to be one of the best times to take out a pet insurance policy.
Not only does it ensure they're covered against silly mishaps from a young age, it can also help ensure they'll be covered for any pre-existing conditions that may appear later in life.
Foreign body ingestion is generally covered under accidents in a pet insurance policy.
You can take out an accident only or comprehensive policy through Finder, with dog insurance starting from as little as $14.66 a fortnight.
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