My dog ate half of a Babybel wax casing tonight... I'm really worried, do you think it's dangerous? Last week she ate an eye off a soft toy and was really poorly—it was like gastro with blood... Of course, I saw the vet who treated her, and now here we go again... She eats everything left lying around; it's becoming a real struggle. Does anyone have any advice on how to train her to stop eating everything she finds? Thanks in advance for your replies.
Translated from French
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There’s the info on Babybels😁. I eat loads of them (not that I’m trying to advertise!😂) and obviously, it’s the sort of accident that can happen with children too. Babybel wax is specifically designed to be non-toxic if swallowed; that said, it’s not meant to be eaten and you have to be careful with the little pull tab, which can pose a real risk.
As for the rest, I think the best thing to do is not to leave potentially dangerous things lying around. Be careful with soft toys because I don’t know about nowadays, but when I was little, some soft toys (like the "Monchhichi" ones) were filled with tiny sugary beads about 2 millimetres wide—just like homeopathic pellets—which can definitely encourage pets to rip them to pieces.
You can work on the "leave it" command using treats.
Hold a treat in your hand and give the "leave it" command. Move your hand towards her; if she tries to grab it, close your fist. Keep doing this until she stays still in front of the treat without trying to take it, then reward her with a treat from your other hand at that moment.
Next, try it with a treat on the floor. Keep your foot nearby and, if she goes for it, quickly cover the treat with your foot.
This will be really helpful for whenever you accidentally drop something.
As for the incident with the soft toy, that’s a different matter... dogs are shredders, so you shouldn't let her play with toys that aren't specifically designed for dogs. Soft toys made for dogs won't have plastic eyes.
Regarding the tummy upset, if the bones you're talking about are those beige things made of goodness-knows-what kind of hide, they aren't very good for them... even if they're marketed for dogs, they're absolute crap (sorry for the language, but there’s no other word for it) and yes, they can make them ill.
Instead, go for natural treats like a pig’s ear (though don't give a whole one at once to a Chihuahua...), small bits of dried meat, or little pieces of tripe.
Hi everyone, my little princess is 8 months old... she eats absolutely everything she finds. She’s chewed a soft toy's eye in half – the round bit and another part like a plastic screw – and I'm worried it might be hurting her. She also did it with chew bones, which I’ve stopped giving her now. Does anyone have any tips on how to train her out of this behaviour?
Babybel wax isn't toxic and should manage to pass through his system. You should still make sure it doesn't cause a blockage, so keep a close eye on how often he's pooing.
Mind you, if he had a bout of gastro from a soft toy's eye, which makes no sense at all... I'm worried he might be a bit poorly anyway...
How old is your Chi?
Puppies eat everything all the time; they grow out of it a bit as they get older, but that's just dogs for you. You still have to keep an eye on them and teach them the 'leave it' command.
