From a winning lottery ticket to their owner’s social security card and a stick of butter – here are the weirdest things dogs have eaten.
A survey of 2,000 American dog owners asked respondents about their dogs’ diets: the good, the bad and the weird.
A box of tampons, tissues on the walls and four TV remotes were some of the other crazy things dogs have tried to eat. And some dogs are getting into the holiday spirit: one ate a dove-shaped Christmas tree ornament.
Another respondent said of their dog, “Anything she sees outside, she’ll put in her mouth.”
Commissioned by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products and conducted by Talker Research, the survey found that respondents have to stop their dog from eating something they shouldn’t eat every three days.
And this culminates with puppies: when their dog was 20 months old, respondents had to be extra careful about non-food objects being eaten.
Despite dogs getting into all sorts of things they shouldn’t, pet parents are aware of the danger.
One said it was “pretty scary” when their dog ate some chocolate and another had to take their dog to the vet after it chewed on – and swallowed – the tail of a toy fabric squirrel.
Seventy-seven percent worry about their dog’s health when they eat something they shouldn’t – and 59% also worry that there are times they don’t notice when their dog gets into something.
With dogs eating all these strange things, it’s perhaps not surprising that respondents don’t actually know what their dog is eating – even when it’s in their bowl.
A fifth (21%) admitted to never reading the nutrition label on the back of their dog food. Even those who read the label were only familiar with half (56%) of the ingredients listed.
“A pet food ingredients list should read like a home-cooked recipe, not a chemical equation,” said Gary Tashjian, Founder and CEO of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. “Pet parents want their little ones to be happy and healthy, and that starts with trusting (and being able to pronounce) everything that goes into the dog’s food bowl.”
When choosing food for their dog, whether their dog likes it (44%) is respondents’ top consideration.
This was followed by nutritional value (36%), whether it is a brand they are familiar with (36%) and price (27%). With that, 45% would feed their dog a different food if price wasn’t a factor.
The survey found that 78% are confident they know what a healthy diet looks like for their dog – but only 45% said the diet they are feeding their dog is “very” healthy (another 52% said it is “somewhat” healthy).
Over half (56%) would like to feed their dog a healthier diet – perhaps because most understand that food affects their dog’s overall health (74%) and lifespan (75%).
However, there are obstacles for many respondents when trying to transition their dog to a healthier diet.
Price again plays a factor, as 46% find healthier options too expensive. Respondents also said their dog is a picky eater and has not liked other healthy options they have tried (32%), and others believe their local stores have a limited selection of options (20% ).
“If you’re on a journey to improve your pet’s nutrition, that’s great,” Tashjian said. “It may not happen overnight, but you can help them take advantage of healthier options by sticking to a consistent feeding schedule and limiting snacks between meals. Aim for the highest quality ingredients you can afford, including real meat (not meat by-products) and a variety of vegetables.”
WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES TO PEOPLE FEEDING THEIR DOGS A HEALTHIER DIET?
• Healthier options are too expensive — 46%
• My dog is a picky eater and doesn’t like the healthiest options I’ve tried — 32%
• My local stores have limited dog food selections — 20%
• Don’t know where to start to find healthier options — 16%
• I don’t know how to successfully transition my dog to a new food — 14%
WHAT ARE SOME UNUSUAL THINGS DOGS HAVE EAT?
• Christmas tree ornament that looked like a dove
• A meat thermometer
• Four direct TV remote controls
• Anything he sees outside he will put in his mouth
• An entire bowl of shredded mozzarella cheese was then returned for the lasagna noodles
• My sister’s dentures
• Her plastic dog bowl
• He took a winning lottery ticket out of my purse and chewed it
• Sofa cushions
• Onion
• Barbie doll heads
• My stainless steel water cup
• She likes to break into/steal Brussels sprouts
• Box of tampons
• Went into the pantry and ate half a bag of flour, two trays of cookies and a bag of coconut.
• My dog got into Vaseline; he had vaseline all over his nose, i had to clean his nose and everything
• Social security card
• My dog once tried to eat a whole stick of butter that I left on the counter
• He in a hard rubber ring toy with four colorful rings and I only found one; he had rainbow poo for three days
• Adhesive sticks
• They tried to tear papers and walls; scratches on the walls
• My wallet and credit cards
• He ate an entire woolen jacket (except the buttons) that was hanging in a row in the basement – no ill effects from it, but my husband was not pleased
• Her dog clothes. She doesn’t like them, so she chews them to pieces.
• Money. He took it off the kitchen table and started chewing.
• My dog chewed the tail of a toy fabric squirrel. She swallowed her tail and had to go to the emergency vet to have her throw it away.
* Free text responses have been edited for length, clarity and spelling
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American dog owners; the survey was commissioned by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between September. 20–25, 2024.
We source from a non-probability framework and the two main sources we use are:
• Traditional online access panels — where respondents choose to participate in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic – where respondents are online and given the opportunity to participate in a survey to receive a virtual incentive that is usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
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Image Source : nypost.com