A Poodle's Sand-wich
Jul. 30, 2010
In the summer, there’s no better place than the beach for dogs to run, swim, and play fetch with their owners. Living in Southern California, I’ve visited plenty of “dog beaches,” and other than the occasional aggressive dog, I’ve never had any problems, concerns, or $3,600 emergency veterinary bills. Unfortunately, VPI policyholders Kay and Bob Hammond of Grand Rapids, Mich., can’t say the same. An unusual claim submitted recently for their standard poodle Beau, serves as an important reminder of pet safety at the beach.
The last week in May, the Hammonds and Beau were spending time at a cottage on Lake Michigan. Beau was enjoying his favorite game of chasing a tennis ball. As the temperature started to drop, Kay stopped throwing the ball into the lake and instead continued to play fetch with Beau on the beach.
- Distended stomach
- Panting
- Pacing
- Vomiting
- Unable to defecate, or straining
- General malaise
If you think your dog may have ingested a large amount of sand and is exhibiting some of these warning signs, you should take them to your veterinarian and have them checked out.
Within two weeks of the surgery, Beau was back to normal and chasing tennis balls again. However, he’s only been playing fetch in the back yard, and the next time the Hammond’s go to the beach the ball is only going in the water, not on the sand!
Bryan Howland
Social Media Specialist
Kay Hammond said: Nice article, Bryan. We, and Beau, thank you for telling our cautionary tale. Kay Hammond
Post a Comment