What will your Pet eat?
Pets will eat all kinds of bad things. Goldens are extremely orally fixated. In other words, they can chew up and swallow everything on this list and more. They will eat almost anything including poisons (antifreeze/coolant is one of the worste) and they'll chew poisonous plants.
Socks left on the floor (especially child sizes and ankle socks) are absolutely the #1 threat to a Golden Retriever. They love them. Here's the Top Ten list of things pets will will swallow according to the VPI Pet Insurance Company:
Socks
Underwear
Pantyhose
Rocks
Balls
Chew Toys
Corn cobs
Bones
Hair ties/ribbons
Sticks
We'll add batteries (AA, AAA, etc.), remote controls, holiday decorations, toilet paper and the cardboard spool to this list. Our friend's Golden ate a roll of TP which lodged in the dog's intestine and formed a blockage. Emergency surgery was required to save the dog at a cost in excess of $3,800.00.
Keep pool chemicals, household cleaners and poisons properly stored as if you are protecting a very young child. These dogs are exactly like kids except they are athletes weighing 55 to 85 pounds that can jump, climb kitchen counters and dig to find things.
Monitor your Golden when he/she has toys, sticks and chews. If the ball is punctured or the bone in getting too short, take them away before they become small enough to swallow.
A note on Pet Insurance. There are many Pet Health plans available. Like your own health insurance; plan coverages, benefits, deductables, exclusions and premium costs vary greatly. At the time of this writing a simple "Accident Plan" (covers eating things and injuries - not medical conditions) costs about $10/mo. Plans for comprehensive health coverage are around $25 to $35/mo.
Here's some links if your curious. We do not make recommendations or have a preferred provider. Like any health plan, the decision to opt-out or opt-in to any specific type of coverage is personal. Listed in no particular order:
VPI Pet Insurance www.vetpetinsurance.com
Pets Best Insurance www.petsbest.com
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance www.aspcapetinsurance.com
Petplan www.GOpetplan.com
Trupanion www.trupanion.com
American Kennel C lub - AKC www.akcpethealthcare.com
There are many others...
CareCredit is also available and accepted by most veterinarians. It is not pet insurance. It's a credit card. But in the event of an emrgency you can get quick approval while you are at the Vet's office. Credit approval required. Check them out at www.carecredit.com/vetmed .
