Trouble is Spelled: R-O-S-I-E

Here at VPI, we love when our policyholders share stories about their four-legged children. After reading about some of our unusual claims here on Hambone Nation, Nancy Sherrada of Plano, Texas, contacted us regarding a recent incident with her boxer puppy that took her by surprise. Check out Nancy’s story below and be sure to let us know the next time your pet does something Hambone worthy!

Two months ago, Nancy and her husband rescued a 3-month-old boxer puppy from their local shelter. The couple already had two male boxers at home and felt that their new addition Rosie would be a perfect fit. But their images of boxer bliss quickly evaporated as Rosie settled into her new environment. “We immediately fell in love with her, but when we brought her home she was a bit aggressive with our other dogs, Dallas and Texas,” said Nancy. “It wasn’t long before Rosie became the leader of the household. She’s definitely the troublemaker of the bunch.”

According to Nancy, Rosie often initiates situations the other dogs wouldn’t normally get into. Last month, for example, Rosie brought a small bag of fertilizer into the living room from the garage, which all three dogs proceeded to snack on. “I had to rush my Three Amigos to the hospital to purge their stomachs,” said Nancy. “I know Rosie was the instigator because the boys don’t get into anything in the garage and she was the one who consumed most of the fertilizer.”

A few days after the fertilizer incident, Rosie began to cough while eating her breakfast. The cough only lasted a moment before the boxer went back to eating, so Nancy figured that some of her food had gone down wrong. Just to be safe, Nancy decided to mention the cough to her veterinarian later that day when she took Rosie in for a check-up. “The veterinarian opened her mouth wide and found a 4-inch stick impaled in her soft palate,” said Nancy. “I was absolutely shocked when she pulled it out.” Rosie was then put under anesthesia so her veterinarian could ensure that there were no splinters left in the dog’s mouth.

I spoke with VPI’s Director of Veterinary Marketing Dr. Silene Young regarding Rosie’s incident to learn about the frequency of this type of claim. “Dogs chew on everything, so it’s not uncommon that objects become lodged in their soft palate or the back of their throat,” said Dr. Young. “Unless the dog is exhibiting some type of unusual behavior, many owners don’t even realize that their pet has a foreign body stuck in its mouth. The longer something like a stick stays lodged in there, the more prone it is to splinters and infection.”

To prevent incidents like this from occurring, Dr. Young encourages pet parents to keep sticks away from their dogs as much as possible and recommends using dog toys for games like fetch. Nancy has heeded this advice by clearing her backyard from any debris that could be harmful to Dallas, Texas and Rosie and is warning fellow pet lovers to do the same. “When I tell people what happened with Rosie, everybody asks how much it cost,” said Nancy. “I always let them know about VPI Pet Insurance and how much it helps with the expenses. Nobody seems to think they need it because their pets are generally healthy, but you never know what’s going to happen.” At only 6 months old, Rosie is definitely proof of that.