Destructo Dane Page
My 14 mo old fawn male, (Deke) likes to eat fuzzy toys and tear arms off of teddy bears and swallow them, etc.,--and more than once I have had to assist those same items on their way OUT of the dog..... - once I figured that out - his toys became things he couldn't eat like that.
About 10 days ago he went outside and on the way grabbed one of the little puppies fuzzy toys - I saw him get it, but the phone rang and I ran to the phone and forgot about the toy grabber until later. Then I started hunting for the toy while cleaning up the yard ---- usually I found the pieces or
the entire fuzzy whatever in there.....I looked for a week and then I thought maybe he didn't actually eat it - maybe he put it somewhere outside...
He was slowing down on his eating during this time, but it's hot and I have a bitch in season so I figured it was normal., then I noticed that besides not eating right, he was not playing with his rope, or his rubber ball or his smashed walmart easter egg - etc., - then I thought about the fuzzy
toy - which is a 4 inch by 2 inch sized bone shaped toy, green/yellow fuzzy material, with a squeaker in it.--I decided to take him in and have an ultrasound done the following monday,
I had him in a room by himself, and when I went to let him outside I found a lump of guck on the carpet, smelling like something I hadn't ever smelled before, and when I took that lump apart, there was the entire toy - ..He had swallowed it intact - and obviously with the smell, the stomach was trying to digest it and finally up it came.....
I find it a miracle that it didn't get stuck in his throat on the way down, and that it sat in his stomach for about 10 days without him bloating......
I started him on pep-cid and antibotics immediately.-- as I figured there had to be a lot of weird bacteria in his gut from the smell of things....Within 2 hours I gave him a small meal, which he devoured, and then he began to play again.....
So I think I dodged a big bullet with this episode.....
I have several places in my house that I never repair on purpose to show prospective buyers what happens......the beaver dane who resculptured the wood work and door trim, the 5 yr old mama dog who decided she had a taste for wall board and redecorated her room; the little holes torn out of the kitchen carpet that I so cleaverly filled in with little pieces of rug from behind something --.....;-- the toys that are now like road kill with no innards (not much outards either - if that is a word); - etc.
I make sure people understand these are giant babies, who until about 11 weeks have needle teeth that bite no matter how wonderful their temperament is, and who play destro-dog until well into their teen months.
about the wallpaper and flooring....I forgot - had that happen too......A puppy met me at the door to the kitchen (baby gate) - with linoleum in her mouth - wagging and happy to see me -
behind her was a starburst pattern of distruction and a piece had landed in my sink across the room where she tossed it playing with it.... What couldI do at that point? NOTHING....i just said boy did you have a great time.....luckily I had extra of the flooring and I had someone fix it who
was real creative ...... After that she was on a rug of some sort in two expens put together while I was at work - I had to keep her away from the walls too.--- now I have that area carpeted which works better for me.
I had one eat my mattress. my floor length drapes were torn in half once -making me the first person to have sill length --I was a fashion icon and didn't know it! ......on and on and on.....
So I tell these stories to new people and actually succeed in talking some people out of purchasing one from anybody......It's like having a herd of small horses living in your house and you have to be prepared.
I'm so used to it now it's just second nature .....and slime and slobber on the walls? Ah heck - it just texture....
FRAN's DANES
