Dog owners reveal weirdest things their dogs have eaten

From a winning lottery summons to their owner’s societal information paper and a instrumentality of food — present are nan strangest things dogs person eaten.

A study of 2,000 American canine owners asked respondents about their dogs’ diet: nan good, nan bad and nan weird.

A container of tampons, nan spackle connected nan walls and 4 tv distant controls were immoderate of nan different crazy things dogs person tried to eat. And immoderate dogs are getting into nan vacation spirit: 1 ate a dove-shaped Christmas character ornament.

Another responsive said of their dog, “Anything she sees extracurricular she will put successful her mouth.”

Commissioned by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products and conducted by Talker Research, nan study recovered respondents person to extremity their canine from eating thing they shouldn’t each 3 days.

And this peaks pinch puppies: erstwhile their canine was 20 months old, respondents had to beryllium other observant astir non-food objects being eaten.

Despite dogs getting into each sorts of things they shouldn’t, pet parents are alert of nan danger.

One said it was “very scary” erstwhile their canine ate immoderate chocolate, and different had to return their canine to nan vet aft it chewed disconnected — and swallowed — nan tail of a artifact cloth squirrel.

Seventy-seven percent interest astir their dog’s wellness erstwhile they eat thing they shouldn’t — and 59% besides interest location are times they don’t announcement erstwhile their canine gets into something.

With dogs eating each these unusual things, possibly it’s not a astonishment that respondents don’t really cognize what their canine eats — moreover erstwhile it’s nan nutrient successful their bowl.

A 5th (21%) admitted they’ve ne'er publication nan nutritional explanation connected nan backmost of their canine food. Even those who person publication nan explanation were only acquainted pinch half (56%) of nan ingredients listed.

“A pet nutrient constituent database should publication for illustration a home-cooked recipe, not a chemistry equation,” said Gary Tashjian, Founder and CEO of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. “Pet parents want their pups to beryllium happy and healthy, and that starts pinch having assurance successful (and being capable to pronounce) everything that goes into nan dog’s nutrient bowl.”

When picking nutrient for their dog, whether their canine likes it (44%) is respondents’ apical consideration.

That was followed by nan nutritional worth (36%), whether it’s a marque they’re acquainted pinch (36%) and nan value (27%). With that, 45% would provender their canine a different nutrient if value wasn’t a factor.

The study recovered that 78% are assured they cognize what a patient fare looks for illustration for their canine — but only 45% said nan fare they’re feeding their canine is “very” patient (another 52% said it’s “somewhat” healthy).

Over half (56%) would for illustration to provender their canine a healthier fare — possibly because nan mostly understand that nutrient impacts their dog’s wide wellness (74%) and longevity (75%).

Still, location are barriers for galore respondents erstwhile trying to move their canine to a healthier diet.

Price again plays a factor, arsenic 46% find healthier options excessively expensive. Respondents besides said that their canine is simply a picky eater and hasn’t liked different patient options they’ve tried (32%), and others judge their section stores person a constricted action of options (20%).

“If you’re connected a travel to amended your pet’s nutrition, that’s wonderful,” said Tashjian. “It mightiness not hap overnight, but you tin thief them use from healthier options by sticking to a accordant feeding schedule and limiting treats successful betwixt meals. Aim for nan highest-quality ingredients you tin afford, including existent nutrient (not nutrient by-products) and a assortment of vegetables.”

WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS FOR RESPONDENTS FEEDING THEIR DOG A HEALTHIER DIET?

• Healthier options are excessively costly — 46%
• My canine is simply a picky eater and doesn’t for illustration nan healthier options I’ve tried — 32%
• My section stores person constricted selections of canine nutrient — 20%
• I don’t cognize wherever to commencement successful uncovering healthier options — 16%
• I don’t cognize really to successfully move my canine to a caller nutrient — 14%

WHAT ARE SOME UNUSUAL THINGS DOGS HAVE EATEN?

• Christmas character ornament that looked for illustration a dove
• A nutrient thermometer
• Four nonstop tv distant controls
• Anything she sees extracurricular she will put successful her mouth
• An full vessel of shredded mozzarella food past came backmost for nan lasagna noodles
• My sister dentures

• Her integrative canine bowl
• He pulled a winning lottery summons retired of my purse and chewed connected it
• Couch cushions
• Onions
• Barbie doll heads
• My stainless alloy h2o tumbler
• She loves to get into/steal Brussels sprouts
• Box of tampons

• He sewage into nan pantry and ate a half container of flour, 2 trays of cookies and 1 container of coconut
• My canine sewage into nan Vaseline; he had Vaseline each connected his snout I had to cleanable it retired his chemoreceptor and everything
• Social information card
• My canine erstwhile tried to eat a full instrumentality of food I Ieft connected nan counter
• He astatine a difficult rubber ringing artifact pinch 4 multi-colored rings and I only recovered one; he had rainbow poo for 3 days
• Glue sticks
• Tried to rip up papers and walls; spackle connected nan walls
• My wallet and in installments cards
• He ate an full wool overgarment (except nan buttons) that was hanging connected nan statement successful nan basement — nary sick effects from it, but my hubby was not pleased

• Her doggie clothes. She doesn’t for illustration them truthful she chews them to shreds.
• Money. Grabbed it disconnected of nan room array and started chewing.
• My canine chewed nan tail disconnected a artifact cloth squirrel. She swallowed nan tail and had to spell to nan emergency vet to person them make her propulsion it up.

* Free matter responses person been edited for length, clarity and spelling

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American canine owners; nan study was commissioned by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products and administered and conducted online by Talker Research betwixt Sept. 20–25, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability framework and nan 2 main sources we usage are:
• Traditional online entree panels — wherever respondents opt-in to return portion successful online marketplace investigation for an incentive
• Programmatic — wherever respondents are online and are fixed nan action to return portion successful a study to person a virtual inducement usually related to nan online activity they are engaging in