Dogs eating spotted lanternflies have nothing on these NJ pooches

Since the spotted lanternflies arrived in New Jersey there’s been a subplot to this dark saga. One in which dogs are snacking on the colorful lanternflies like they’re Tostitos Scoops.

Now anecdotally some dog owners are saying when their canine companion has gorged on so many spotted lanternflies like our Big Joe Henry, their pet has gotten extremely ill. But veterinary experts are saying the most that will usually happen is gastric distress from which they’ll fully recover.

What’s more, they say most dogs that snack on just a few spotted lanternflies will experience absolutely nothing, the same nothing they’ll experience from chowing on any other bug in small numbers.

OK, so are spotted lanternflies really the worst thing your dog could eat? I once had an insane Golden Retriever who ate half a leathery rug and had to be rushed to a vet. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty the next few days. He was eventually fine.

So we asked Deminski & Doyle listeners what dumb things their dogs ate. Here are some examples.

Extension cord

Mike called in to say his brother's dog not only ate chlorine tablets out by the pool, it also ate several feet of an extension cord. Now you'd think this would require surgery, right? Nope. Solved, eh, naturally.

Billiard ball

Kathy's part Rottweiler did something pretty hard to get your head around. The dog swallowed a billiard ball. Didn't chew it and break it into pieces. Swallowed the entire thing whole. The vet said to wait a few days. On day 5 the dog puked it up. Ouch!

A Benjamin

Chris called to say he had been paid for a side job in three one hundred dollar bills. His dog apparently wanted a cut. It ate one of the Benjamins.

Engagement ring

David's SIL not once but twice had her engagement ring taken off her dresser by her dog and swallowed whole both times. You'd think rooting for it after nature called once would be bad enough. You'd think twice would be grounds for either divorce or a new ring.

Panties

Bill called in to say his Boxer had the confusing habit of going after his wife's panties. Also his daughter's. Also their socks. Wouldn't chew them. The dog would swallow them whole and they'd, eh, reappear on the lawn. Is this dog a fetishist?

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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