We’ve all seen those viral videos or photos with dogs who’ve gotten a hold of a baby’s pacifier.
They are ridiculously cute and make us smile but it can be extremely dangerous for the dog.
Pacifiers can create a choking hazard for dogs of all sizes. They also aren’t made for dog teeth which makes them easier for dogs to chew up.
If a dog accidentally swallows a pacifier, the pieces can cause internal blockages and other problems.
Recently, a Boston veterinary hospital ended up finding 19 baby pacifiers in a dog’s stomach.
Yes, you read that right…19. The family brought their dog to the hospital after he stopped eating. The 3-year-old dog named Mortimer started getting nauseous before meals. The family first noticed it back in April, but didn’t think too much about it until the problem persisted.
Owner Emily Shanahan brought her dog to the vet after he began vomiting.
“At the time he was diagnosed with an unrelated vomiting syndrome that we hoped would get better with medicine,” Shanahan told FOX 10.
Unfortunately, Mortimer did not get better. Mortimer began to get worse over the next few months. Shanahan, who is a doctor herself, said her dog stopped following her around the house and would nap upstairs away from his family.
This was all very unusual information for him. She then took her dog to Angell Animal Medical Center where Mortimer was given an X-ray.
That’s where they discovered a pile of pacifiers in his tummy.
The vets believe that Mortimer had been stealing pacifiers from Shanahan’s two children over the course of several months.
“I was shocked because even though I have two small children at home I’d never imagined he was eating their pacifiers,” Shanahan said.
Thankfully, the vets were able to remove the pacifiers using a medical scope which meant Mortimer didn’t have to have surgery.
Mortimer’s vets said that the family was lucky they caught the issue on time. They also said that they’ve had lots of dogs come in with odd things in their bellies.
Some of their patients have swallowed guitar strings, wristwatches, safety pins, diamond rings, perfume bottles, and other weird objects.
“Mortimer isn’t the first dog to land in this situation and he won’t be the last,” said Brum. “But we’re just so glad he’s recovered and back home with his family.”
Now that Mortimer doesn’t have 19 pacifiers in his belly, he’s feeling better again.
“We absolutely love this dog and would do anything for him,” Shanahan said.
Apparently, dogs’ are attracted to pacifiers for several reasons.
Dogs like the sweet milk smell that lingers on pacifiers after baby’s suck on them. They associate sweetness with something that has a higher carb content and thus will give them energy. It’s also a way for them to seek comfort, just like a human baby.
“There are others who feel that it is both a behavioral and instinctual attraction. Puppies, as you probably already know, are very oral explorers. Not only with their environment, but also that they continue to attempt to suckle on their mothers after being weaned. This continued attempt at suckling may be looking for comfort for whatever reason,” Wag! reports.
One thing is for sure, dogs need to be watched just as much as children.
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