Standard Poodle Has a Close Shave After Eating Razor

Nobody who has owned a dog is surprised when they hear about a dog eating a sock, shoe, stick, bone, rock, etc. I’ve seen my own dog eat dirt clods, puzzle pieces, and BBQ wood chips, so there isn’t much out there that surprises me when it comes to things dogs will eat. One thing that did catch my eye was a recent claim we received for a dog that ate a razor blade.

I asked a co-worker about the claim, and he said razors are actually semi-regular items that dogs eat. I looked through some older claims reports and sure enough, it seems that every few months we receive a claim for a dog that ate razors. The most recent dog to do so is Jake, a 3-year-old standard poodle. He was treated last month for ingestion of a “foreign object” after eating a disposable razor on the morning his owners, Sharon and Paul O’Konski, were leaving for Portugal.

While packing to leave for their trip, Sharon heard Jake chewing on something that sounded loud and crunchy. When she went to look she saw a red spot of blood on his face and she took the razor out of his mouth to find only the handle remaining.

Luckily, a neighbor was able to take Jake to the animal hospital so Sharon and Paul could make their flight. While at the airport, Sharon was in constant contact with the veterinarian who told her Jake had to be sedated to remove a “tightly wedged piece of metal (razor piece) from between the teeth”. Jake also had smaller metal razor pieces in his stomach. The procedure to remove the piece from his mouth went smoothly and the smaller pieces in the stomach passed naturally. The neighbor brought Jake home to the pet sitter who took him back for a follow up X-ray that showed all the razor pieces had passed without a problem.

Jake is doing fine now and Sharon is even more diligent to keep anything potentially dangerous out of Jake’s reach. She had always kept her trash cans covered to prevent Jake from getting into them, but up until this incident he was never one to chew or eat objects. Sharon says Jake is picking up the habit from their new dog, Luke.

As for why a dog would eat a razor, I asked Dr. Silene Young, director of professional services here at VPI if she had any insight. She said the biggest reason is dogs love to chew on plastic, and the plastic of disposable razors fits that bill perfectly. Also, because dogs are attracted to their owner’s scent (which is also why your dog may like your socks so much) they may be attracted to a razor that has been used.

In order to prevent an unexpected trip to the animal hospital, along with a hefty veterinary bill for razor ingestion, be sure to keep your trash cans covered tightly and razors out of your pet’s reach.