What the Dog(s) Ate: Wrenches, Hair Ties & Bras. Oh My.

Did you know there is an annual award for pet x-rays? Well there is! Yes, it's time for the annual Pet X-Ray Contest 2012 Winners! (Also - keep reading for another chance to win a paperback of What the Dog Ate!)

This is a Kona-approved contest!

The Veterinarian Practice News web site puts out an annual call for x-ray submissions, and this year Gary Sloniker, DVM, of Wisconsin, was announced as the grand prize winner. He submitted an x-ray of a Lab puppy (Kona says, "Of course. You were expecting maybe a chihuahua?") who ate a fishing pole. You can view his x-ray and all of the others here. (Note that most of the pics are just the actual x-ray or "after" pics of what was pulled out. There's only one pic that might be wee a bit much if you are squeamish, but even that one is not too bad.)

The first runner-up was a mastiff that ate an 8-in ratchet wrench. Yes, a ratchet wrench. Yum. (I mean, come on - even Kona wouldn't eat one of those!) The second runner-up was another mastiff (a warning to you mastiff owners??) who swallowed his 8-inch by 3-inch rubber bone toy, plus a handful (pawful?) of rocks chaser.

There were many honorable mentions including dogs that ate: guitar string, ~50 elastic hair ties, 12 baby pacifiers, a sewing needle, a pin cushion with about 40 pins, 30 nails plus a rabies tag, and - not unlike in What the Dog Ate - a bra. We can only hope it belonged to the owner.

This is one of my favorite entries: a "46-pound English bulldog swallowed a 9-inch screwdriver. Dog did very well after cranial laparotomy and gastrotomy. However, after he woke up, he promptly ate his intravenous injection port."

One of my favorite actual x-rays though is of a golden retriever that was pregnant with 11 puppies. Make that, pregnant with 11 puppies and 5 large rocks. See all the little puppy skeletons on the x-ray? How cute/creepy are they?! (Don't worry - Mama and puppies were all just fine afterwards.)

Do you see all the little skeleton puppies in there?

I'm not sure what the vet won, but gosh - maybe I should see if the web site wants to team up for some cross-promo. They could give away a copy of my book to the winners. :)

In Other Book News
In other book news, Dakota's Den recently posted a really wonderful review of What the Dog Ate. Thanks again to Caren for the review!

And... if you want to win a paperback copy, there's a giveaway on right now over at the All Things Dog Blog. Visit the site and leave a comment to be entered to win one of three copies. You can also enter by tweeting #WhatTheDogAte. Full details are available at the link. You have until Thursday the 27th to enter. Thanks to Carrie for hosting the giveaway!

So, if your dog eats anything weird, be sure to let your vet know that he/she can enter the contest next year!