A woman has issued a desperate plea ahead of Christmas to warn other dog owners about the alleged dangers of popular canine treats – after her pooch had a terrifying experience.
Imogen Rumsby purchased a chewy bone treat for her 18-month-old Labrador Piper to chew on while they went on a walk, buying it from a local supermarket, but after a couple of days, she spotted the pup was off of her food.
The 23-year-old rushed her to the vet for emergency surgery when she started to vomit and had blood in her feces.
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Terrifyingly, vets found an “enormous” blockage in the dog’s stomach – which they believe was caused by rawhide, an ingredient in the bone chew that she had eaten.
Rawhide chews break apart more easily than other products, and chunks can become lodged in a dog’s digestive tract.
In Piper’s case, vets believe it left her fighting for her life just a few days after ingesting the seemingly innocent treat.
“It breaks my heart that one ingredient could do this,” Imogen, an insurance worker from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, told Need To Know.
“I am so lucky to have Piper here with me today.
“She lives to tell her story, but too many people have lost their dogs to rawhide.”
The owner had no idea of the dangers the chew could potentially pose to her pup before giving it to her.
Imogen first became concerned two days after giving her the treat back in July, noticing Piper not showing interest in food.
She took her to the vet, who gave her an anti-sickness injection and tablets to take.
But when Piper didn’t return to normal and started to also vomit and diarrhea, Imogen knew something more sinister was at play.
Less than a week after first ingesting the bone, Piper was rushed into emergency surgery, where vets found the blockage.
Imogen said: “After a good few hours of waiting, the vet called and told me that Piper has an enormous amount of food stuck in her stomach – this is known as a gastrointestinal blockage.
“The cause? Rawhide.
“We got Piper back the following day.”
Luckily, the blockage was removed and the pup was able to recover – and, four months on is back to her “normal crazy self”.
But the incident has left Imogen shaken, and desperate to warn other owners.
She said: “We recently posted a video on TikTok to raise awareness of the dangers of rawhide.
“The response was incredible.
“Over 1.7million people saw this video and so many people thanked us for raising awareness, as many had no idea what this awful substance could do to their dogs.
“However, too many people also commented sharing their stories, many of these dogs survived, but far too many have crossed over the rainbow bridge.
“Dogs are like family, no one deserves to lose their best friend.
“I am now advocating to share awareness of this horrible product.
“If we save just one dog by spreading this awareness, then Piper and I are happy.
“We urge people, particularly at this time of year when treats are advertised as colourful and appealing, to check the ingredients in these treats.
“By doing this one simple thing, you could save your dog’s life.”
Imogen is now advocating for either a ban on the selling of rawhide in dog treats or hopes to “at the very least” get a warning added to the packaging.
Her words were echoed by the RSPCA, who last Christmas shared a post warning owners about rawhide.
The post said: “With Christmas fast approaching, we wanted to talk about rawhide dog treats/toys.
“Although they might look very festive, rawhide can be quite dangerous to your dog.
“Rawhide is essentially the skin of animals, most commonly cattle or pork.
“The skin is soaked and treated with many chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide and bleach to remove hair and fat, remove leather odours, and help with preservation.
“Colourings, and sometimes flavours, are added which is where the bright colours come from that catch your eye in a pet shop.
“We would advise you to avoid buying and giving these treats for many reasons as they can cause a lot of serious medical problems in dogs such as choking and intestinal blockages.
“In most cases, intestinal blockages can only be repaired by surgical removal which is a great risk for your dog.
“Keep your pets safe this Christmas and give alternatives as treats rather than rawhide.”
Jam Press has contacted RSPCA for further comment.
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