If you have ever had a puppy you know they are curious and you know they looooove to chew. Which can be a dangerous combination. They will chew everything from shoes, paper, socks, food wrappers and just about anything from a garbage can. Their urge to chew can be explained by teething, as new teeth grow in, or because your puppy just has a natural tendency to chew on things. It  is during these younger years that we have to be careful of the things that are in our homes that pose a potential danger to them.  Somethings we can understand why they chew them other things just aren't that understandable. Electric cords happen to be one of those things we ask ourselves, WHY?. Why, would a puppy want to chew something that doesn't smell good, taste good or isn't even something that draws there attention.

Electrocution from chewing on an electrical cord is the single most common type of electrical injury for household pets. These types of injuries can result in burns to the surrounding areas (e.g., mouth, hair), or because the current alters the electrical conduction in the heart, muscles, and other tissues. Possible complications of electric cord bite injuries are fluid accumulation in the lungs and high blood pressure in the arteries near the lungs.  Additionally, there have been reports of animals developing cataracts – an eye abnormality - after such injuries.1.

I hope my video blog has been helpful, but most of all I hope that by you watching my video it will prevent one more puppy from falling victim to electrocution.

To Your Pet's Good Health,

Dr. Barry

Resources:

1. https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/cardiovascular/c_dg_electric_cord_bite