America’s Most Unusual Pet Claims

The 2012 VPI Hambone Award (so named after a dog who consumed an entire ham while being trapped inside a refrigerator) was awarded this year to a curious pug that ingested (and passed) over 100 rocks. Here are some other unusual pet claims from VPI:

• One rambunctious Labrador puppy got so excited, it rammed a 55-gallon tortoise aquarium with its chest, shattering the tank and giving the pup a laceration that needed to be surgically stapled shut. (No word on how the turtles fared in the incident.)
• An English cocker spaniel's stomach needed to be pumped after it was caught devouring a bowl of highly toxic (to dogs, at least) raisins and almonds. But trouble didn't stop there, as his owners later realized an almond was lodged in the back of his sinuses, requiring surgery to remove.
• A pot-bellied pig's owners came home to find he had swallowed ibuprofen, acetaminophen, omeprazole and beta blockers. The pig began to vomit and concern rose for the health of its heart, kidneys and liver. After being treated for drug toxicity, he made a full recovery.
• Owners were panicked when their dachshund-terrier mix had become buried under the dirt after wrangling with a skunk. After hours of searching, firefighters found the pooch barely breathing and reeking of skunk, but safe.
• Curiosity almost killed one cat after she swallowed a sewing needle, causing it to penetrate her throat and make direct contact with her brain, resulting in violent seizures.