Poodle Makes Quick Snack of Baby Bottles and Wet Diaper

Put pets and small children under one roof and the question becomes when, not if, someone is going to eat something they shouldn’t. In Jaime Springer’s case, that someone was Roscoe, a 3-year-old standard poodle who ingested two plastic baby bottles and a wet diaper.

“We came home from shopping one afternoon to find chewed up bits of plastic and pieces of diaper all over the house,” said Springer of Great Falls, Mont. “Roscoe is huge—about 93 pounds—so it wasn’t exactly a challenge for him to pull the bottles out of the sink, but we’re still not exactly sure how he got the diaper. We have a trash can for diapers and the rotating lid is designed to seal the diapers off in a trash bag. Sometimes, if it gets too full, a used diaper will pop out when you turn the lid. That must have been what happened.”

Roscoe seemed fine at first, but his loss of appetite, followed by severe coughing and vomiting motivated Springer to bring him to the veterinarian. An X-ray revealed severe irritation in Roscoe’s stomach, but no outstanding pieces of plastic or diaper in his gastrointestinal tract. The veterinarian prescribed an antibiotic and some medication to soothe Roscoe’s stomach. In just a few days, the young poodle started showing signs of improvement.

“We thought we were being careful by putting the bottles underneath a metal cover in the sink and using a separate trash can for the diapers, but we underestimated Roscoe’s determination,” said Springer. “You can’t leave anything lying around or out in the open with a dog in the house. A lot of the baby’s items have a strong smell and I think Roscoe likes the smell. I put the bottles in the dishwasher now.”