Dog Swallowed TV Remote Control?

A couple months ago we received a claim with the following diagnosis information: “Swallowed TV Remote Control (see attached photo)… please contact if you need additional information.” My first thought was, I’ve got to see that picture. My second thought was, yes, I am going to need additional information. I’ve seen a lot of strange foreign body claims, but never one for an ingested remote control.

Dennis Lacaze of Houston, Texas, said his dog Buster, who he rescued as a puppy after finding it wandering in his neighborhood, has always had a taste for electronics. In addition, the German shepherd and Great Dane mix was larger than any of the other dogs Dennis had owned and could easily reach areas that previous dogs could not—the top of the coffeetable, or kitchen counter.

In the beginning, Buster would usually just bring Dennis his cell phone, without any damage. However, one day Dennis found that Buster haddecided to try and eat the television remote control. There were sharp plastic pieces everywhere and Dennis had no idea if Buster had swallowed any. Fortunately, the majority of the remote control remained intact and had not been ingested. Dennis took Buster to the animal hospital where X-rays showed there were no pieces in Buster’s stomach and luckily no further treatment was needed—although the visit ended up costing Dennis more than $550 (and a remote control).

Dennis feels the whole episode was a great learning experience for him—and for Buster. They now make sure to keep items such as remotes and cell phones safely in drawers or out of Buster’s considerable reach. Additionally, Buster now has his own toy box where he can keep his “chewables.”

Since rescuing and getting Buster pet insurance a little more than a year ago, Dennis has spent more than $3,000 on veterinary bills. Buster is now a little over a year old and doing great after a recent bout of pneumonia. Dennis recommends VPI to all his friends who have pets, saying he is very happy with the peace of mind pet insurance gives him.