Many Brittanys love to chew on corn cobs…they taste salt, butter, and bits of corn and are fun to chew. However, please don’t let them!
Real dangers exist and corn cobs are not recommended for pets.
Corn cobs can cause intestinal obstruction, a serious and potentially fatal medical condition. Additionally, some dogs are sensitive to corn and can suffer intestinal effects from their sensitivity in addition to the physical obstruction.
Most people are aware of the dangers of pancreatitis when feeding pets a diet of table scraps that are high in fat, especially pets who do not consume table scraps on a regular basis. Feeding pets corn on the cob may seem like a healthy low-fat alternative, but giving it to your Brittany is not recommended.
It is smart to keep all corn cobs away from your dog, safely secured in the trash. Brittanys can be creative when they want something in the trash, so make sure that the garbage is emptied or otherwise protected from your Brittany.
If you suspect your Brittany has eaten a cob or any other food or foreign material it shouldn’t have, call your vet right away. The sooner, the better.
Sig
ns of Intestinal or Partial Obstruction With Corn Cobs
If you aren’t sure whether your Brittany has eaten a corn cob, watch out for these symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Dry heaves
- Diarrhea (or straining)
- Lack of appetite
- Painful abdomen
- Lethargy
If you see any of these symptoms, contact your vet, who will be able to advise you on the best course of action—be it to watch and wait or to schedule an immediate examination.
“I wasn’t sure I wanted to post my sad news but I think because summer is here it might help others. I have been a Brittany owner for many years. They are notorious for getting into the garbage. Unfortunately my Opie managed to knock it off the counter and eat the contents. Vomiting and discomfort throughout the night. It wasn’t until the next day when he kept stretching his body out and continuing to eat the grass in the yard that I made the connection. He had eaten a Corn Cob.
We went to the ER. Opie was 13.5 yrs old. The Corn Cob had lodged in the intestine. About 4in long. At that point I knew I had to decide. He was failing in other ways and I had already prepared myself that he might not make it through the summer. It was inevitable. He was my rescue I had for 9 yrs. Corn Cobs are non-digestible!”
– Heart broken in IL
“I lost my beloved “Omen” to a corn cob disaster in 2007. Corn Cobs are LETHAL…..and it’s a lesson that still spooks my husband and I to this day. You made the right call. Had Opie survived the surgery, the damage that corn cobs do to the intestinal tract is not reversible!”
– Brittany Lover