How To Avoid The Butter Wrapper Caper

ficionado — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:30:22 GMT

How To Avoid The Butter Wrapper Caper

My friend Tracey owns a pug named Belle. Tracey was completely enamored by her perfectly pugnacious Pug. Although the name Belle means beauty, this Pug has some less than lovely eating habits…some might even call this Pug’s dietary mannerisms repugnant.

Common knowledge to any Pug owner is that Pugs own their owners. From the throne in their castle to all the subjects in their kingdom, this breed can be quite possessive of what they reign over -Belle is no exception. Belle expects to be endeared by every human, although she is only loyal to Tracey and her daughter, Kat. She has heart of a lion and demands all and any size canine foe to submit to her. Any dog that disagrees will incur her wrath. This has labeled her a bit of a scrapper in the neighborhood.

The taste palates of a Pug can be quite eclectic at times. For example, I am aware from my own experience that many small breeds, when pampered by being fed people food, become the most frustrating and finicky eaters; however, when it comes to a Pug anything goes. A Pug will not miss a meal -unless it is on death’s doorstep and even then I am sure a snack is considered. To prove just how indiscriminating a peckish Pug can be, Belle has been known to have a hankering to snack on horse dung when it is available. She always eats her kibble as if she hasn’t been fed for days.

Tracey had admitted, “On occasion a few situations Belle has slyly taken of vantage of when someone absent mindedly leaves food unguarded she steals people food and any morsels are fair game in her mind”. When Tracey has caught Belle in the midst of her guilty act her expression seemingly conveys, “You left it for me didn’t you? Oops! I miss understood.” Belle’s communicative expression is enhanced by her expressive face and bulgy eyes, which look as if they’re about to brim over with sorrowful tears. As Tracey looks in1to Belle’s apologetic gaze, it’s always inevitable that she sympathizes.

One weekend Tracey helped her fiancé with spring gardening while she and Belle visited. Belle, meanwhile, roamed freely as a guest throughout the house. She found some kitchen garbage that had been left unattended, which she proceeded to rifle through feverishly, like a miner panning for gold nuggets. Much to Belle’s delight, she had found a supreme reward-an entire greasy foil wrapper that once contained a pound of butter. Belle ravished the wrapper instantly. This caper was unknown to Tracey at the time of the crime, she admitted.

Belle began to have complications. Tracey noticed that something was most definitely wrong, when Belle vomited several times, displayed constant panting, restlessness and wobbliness. Tracey contacted her veterinarian Dr. Michele St Pierre of Waterloo area Animal Hospital.

Dr. Michele St. Pierre proceeded to examine Belle which included having done a series of x-rays of Belle’s abdominal area as well as an oral swallow of Barium. “The Barium shows up on x-ray as a contrast medium outlining the foreign object as the source of the problem in Belle’s stomach to intestinal tract”, explained Dr. Michele St. Pierre.

During surgery Dr. Michele St. Pierre had found several flat pieces of the foil wrapper which she said, “acts as stoppers” that plugged the entrance to the intestinal tract. Waxed, plastic or foil paper doesn’t break down and are known to causes blockages.

Remarkably it only takes about three days for the Intestinal Mucosal Lining to heal after surgery and a few days eating prescribe diet and ten days later sutures were removed.

Dr. Michele St. Pierre has treated about ten similar cases to Belle’s internal blockage a year and there has been a hundred percent survival rate due to prompt veterinarian care.

In past blockage cases Dr. Michele Pierre says, “She has removed gl***, children toys, branches, coins, rocks, bones, golf balls.” “Basically consider dogs are like toddlers they oral fixate on objects that help them to explore the world around them”. Pet owners need to survey their home from your young dogs’ perspective and be aware of what is in your pets’ reach.

Needless to say, Tracey and her daughter were distressed at the possibility of Belle dying. The love Tracey and Kat had for Belle outweighed any concern of the monetary cost of the surgery, a procedure that was necessary to save Belle’s life. Today, all is well and Belle's appetite is still ravenous. Tracey and her daughter now thoughtfully practice a safer food, food packaging and garbage policy since Belle still has the desire for snacking on whatever is in her reach. Even though she endured a terrible episode of a sick stomach and experienced a sore recovery from the surgery, Willie Coyote and crafty Belle have the same track mind in regards to food.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

SOME ITEMS TO BEWARE OF AROUND THE HOUSEHOLD

S.O.S PADS
CHILDREN TOYS
BONES
SMALL BALLS
SOILED FOOD WRAPPING
SOILED BANDAGES AND DEPOSED WOMENLY PRODUCTS
COINS

KITCHEN WASTE KEPT IN A CONTAINER WITH LID IN A CLOSED

CUPBOARD

BATHROOM WASTE REMOVED OR PLACED OUT OF PETS REACH
NEVER LEAVE STEAL WOOL PADS UNATTENDED ESPECIALLY AFTER CLEANING A BAR BE QUE

Written by Susan George

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How To Avoid The Butter Wrapper Caper