I have heard many times that Labrador Retrievers will eat anything. A vet explained once how she had removed two corn cobs from the same lab in a six-month period. While my five-year-old Lab, Boomer, hasn't gone that far, he has eaten some unusual things. For example, socks and underwear are the most common, and on occasion rocks, chewed weeds, and sticks have been passed. These items usually require some assistance from me. I must look strange bending over and pulling out bra straps from his rear end.
Boomer's latest consumption could have taken his life without action. He ate a quarter to half a dispenser of mouse poisoning. We were visiting friends at a remote house in the mountains of North Carolina. As part of their move, an attempt was underway to rid the house of bugs and rodents. They thought all the poison had been picked up but Boomer found the only remaining box. It was buried behind a toilet and under a stack of mixed stuff.
We noticed he had wandered off and sent out a search party. He was discovered quickly and fought to keep his black box with the green sticky pellets.
The local emergency vet was closed, but suggested we drive mountain roads to a staffed emergency vet. Instead, we contacted the poison manufacturer via the internet and they advised we induce vomiting within 25 minutes. Another vet, who was a family friend, was contacted. She confirmed that vomiting needed to be induced quickly.
We used 7 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide and milk for taste. Within 5 minutes the vomiting began. It was full of solid and dissolved green poison pellets.
It was a success. Next morning we found a vet who injected vitamin K and prescribed 4 weeks of vitamin K tablets.
We saved Boomer and today he is still looking for exotic eats.
After all, Labs eat anything.
