Little Paws Find Big Trouble

Chibi is a 4-pound Yorkshire terrier whose tiny puppy-paws span the size of a quarter. But as pet parent Jamie Olson of Woodinville, Wash., recently discovered, small paws are not exempt from big trouble. 

“I was about to give Chibi a bath and I stepped out of the room to grab her soap,” said Jamie. “I was only gone for a moment when I heard her screeching from the tub. I went running back into the bathroom and saw Chibi, crying and tugging at her paw.”

Jamie quickly realized that the pads of her pup’s paw had become wedged in the holes of the bathtub drain. She attempted to calm her shaken pooch and gave the paw a delicate tug, but Chibi’s trapped toes refused to budge. “I didn’t know what to do, I just wanted to get her out of there,” said Jamie. “She was stuck for about 10 minutes while I frantically searched for a screwdriver.”

Jamie carefully unscrewed the drain and rushed Chibi to her veterinarian, with the grate still attached to her paw. Although it was during the office’s normal business hours, Chibi’s incident was considered an emergency, and she was able to see a veterinarian right away. The emergency veterinarian sedated Chibi and removed the drain without causing any damage to her paw. 

Chibi’s tiny paw next to a quarter

“Animals get their feet stuck in drains and floor vents pretty frequently, especially their nails and toes,” said Dr. Silene Young, director of veterinary marketing for VPI. “But I have never seen anyone bring a pet in with an object still attached to its paw.” According to Dr. Young, if your pet encounters a similar situation, it’s OK to gently manipulate the paw and to use soap or lotion to try to wiggle it free. It’s important to consider the size of your pet, however, and to evaluate their pain and comfort level throughout the process. “Jamie definitely did the right thing. Yorkies are very frail, so too much tugging could have lead to a bigger injury,” said Dr. Young.

According to Jamie, Chibi’s recovery was quick and painless, and she was back to herself in no time. Jamie was relieved and grateful that the situation was not more severe, and that she had VPI pet insurance to help with the unexpected cost of care. “I like having pet insurance because it means I don’t have to worry about taking care of Chibi if something happens to her,” said Jamie. “It gives me peace of mind knowing that I wouldn’t have to pay for the expense on my own.”