Monday, March 16, 2009

Dear Sandy,

I recently bought a puppy, and he seems to enjoy putting everything in his mouth. While I know all about supplying him with lots of toys to chew on, I still worry about him getting into things he shouldn't. Is there something I can do to be prepared? BP, Clearwater, FL

Yes, there is definitely something you can do to at least alleviate the danger. Go to a pharmacy and buy a box of cotton balls. You want the real thing, not synthetic. Also buy a quart of half and half and put it in the freezer.

Should your puppy eat something she shouldn't, defrost the half and half and soak the cotton balls in the liquid. Dogs under 10 lbs should eat 2 balls, Dogs 10 to 50 lbs should eat 3 to 5 balls, and larger dogs should eat 5 to 7.

I have used this remedy twice and each time the dog ate the soaked cotton balls easily. As the cotton works its way through the digestive tract it will find all the sharp pieces and wrap itself around them. Even the tiniest shards will be caught and wrapped in the cotton fibers and the cotton will protect the intestines from damage.

My dogs' stools were really weird for a couple of days and I was careful to check for fresh blood or a tarry appearance to the stool. If either of these symptoms had occurred, I would have rushed my dogs to the vet. But my two brats were fine.

Best, Sandy

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