“C” Is for “Cookie,” and That’s Good Enough for Hungry Labrador

A little over-eating always happens during the holidays: a second helping of turkey here, a larger than normal slice of pie there. Five pounds of cookies in a single sitting, however, is too much for anyone – man or dog.

But that’s just what a 2-year-old Labrador retriever named Gus did when he managed to down one-eighth of his weight in cookies recently while his owners were away. “My wife and I had some guests staying with us from out of town over Christmas,” explained Gus’ owner, Ken Boll of Cottage Grove, Wis. “We had trays of cookies and fudge on the counter for them to enjoy, and we just kept replenishing everything throughout the weekend, so the trays were always full.” Ken wasn’t concerned about Gus getting into the cookies as the Lab hadn’t shown much interest in the treats, and the various trays and tins were covered with lids or plastic wrap.

“We came back from an afternoon Packers game, and everything was gone,” Ken said. “And there’s Gus standing in the kitchen, wagging his tail, happy as can be.” Gus had not only managed to reach and eat every cookie on the counter, but he had also consumed a plate of fudge, the plastic wrap that had been covering the fudge, and had even started chewing on a metal cookie tin. “He left the chocolate covered blueberries,” Ken said. “He must not have liked those.”

Uncertain of how much chocolate had been in the cookies and fudge Gus had eaten, Ken took no chances and paid a late-night visit to an emergency veterinarian. The veterinarian weighed Gus before and after inducing vomiting to determine the amount of holiday snacks that had been gobbled up. “It was five pounds,” Ken said. “The veterinarian got tubs of the stuff out of him.”

Ken said he’s thankful that Gus never appeared to be in any discomfort before or after seeing the veterinarian and that his furry friend bounced back right away from the experience. “You can’t plan for everything,” Ken said. “The next time you leave the house, make sure that everything is out of reach.”