Bernese
Health & Safety

Whenever I see a recommendation to give a dog a rag/towel/sock as a toy, I feel compelled to repeat this story.

I nearly lost my Beaumont at six months old because I allowed him to play with the wrong toy. Beaumont and my Rotty liked to play tug-o-war with an old towel. I thought it was cute seeing the big dog and the puppy playing happily together.

The next day, Beaumont started to look uncomfortable, didn't want to go for a walk, began throwing up his food, and eventually was not even able to keep water down. I was very concerned and took him to the the emergency clinic that evening. He was waving his tail and looking quite happy when we went in to see the Vet (typical Berner). She palpated him, checked his gums, took his temperature (it was normal), and sent me home with Pepto Bismo because she thought he only had an upset stomach. He couldn't keep water down, what was I suppose to do with Pepto Bismo? When I tried to give it to him, I ended up with pink stuff sprayed all over the wall.

I took him to my own Vet first thing the next morning; x-rays were taken, nothing showed up. A blockage was finally diagnosed using a barium x-ray. Surgery was performed that afternoon. He had swallowed part of a towel. This strip of towel was shredded and as it moved from the stomach into the intestine, it cause the intestine to telescope back on itself (technical term: intussusception). It is like pulling a string to close a sac, the material around the string bunches up. Because of the delay getting the correct diagnosis, the towel had begun to tear into the intestine causing parts to begin to die. He lost a foot and a half of bowel as a result and was given 50% chance of recovering. He was kept in hospital for three days after surgery on IV and antibiotics. Fortunately, he recovered very quickly following the surgery and has never had any trouble since that time (he turned eight years old in August 98).

Since my experience with Beaumont and the towel, I have heard of several cases where Bernese (ranging in age from 6 months-3 years) have had surgery for intussusception cause by swallowing various articles. Socks seems to be a the most common.

I would be very cautious allowing a puppy to play with anything that was made from material that can be shredder or swallowed whole.