Weird world of pet issues

Razors, rocks and a stitched-up kitten

A DOG swallowing a razor blade, a prickly incident involving a cat and a ball of yarn, and strange holiday snacks are just some of the absurd animal anomalies keeping vets extremely busy over summer.

Sandy Bay Holistic Veterinary Centre owner Dr David Boersma has helped creatures from mighty wedge-tailed eagles to cuddly kittens, with summer being particularly busy.

“A few pets certainly tried to eat Christmas cake,” Dr Boersma said.

“One dog ate a bar of chocolate, and it took several doses of morphine to sick it all up.”

The veterinarian observed more grass seeds stuck in paws and other places over warmer months. “We got a grass seed out of a small dog’s nose,” he said.

At the After Hours Veterinary Emergency Centre, veterinarian Dr Edie Bishop said the warmer months were flat-out with odd presentations.

A pug named Kevin swallowed several rocks, and another Staffordshire terrier chewed a razor blade.

Dr Bishop has seen multiple dogs a day that had eaten raisin-filled Christmas puddings and cakes, ham wrappers, kebab skewers from barbecues, corn cobs and big bones.

“It always surprises me what dogs will eat,” she said.

“They drink a lot of sea water in summer.”

Some accidents were unavoidable, but people can take steps to keep pets out of trouble. Sandy Bay’s Dr Boersma suggested keeping chocolates and risky foods such as raw minced chicken above dog height.

He advised staying on the beaten track and keeping dogs on a lead to avoid devastating snake or tick bites.

“Dogs try to protect their owners, so they’ll run into the bush and try to attack the snake when the snake is actually trying to disappear,” Dr Boersma said.

He recommended keeping water bowls on the perimeter of properties to avoid snakes looking for water coming closer to your home.

“Keep dogs confined to the yard, keep grass short, and remove rubbish snakes can hide in,” Dr Boersma said.