Oh, this is so terrible! RIP Rocco. We are so sorry this wonderful family lost their dog in such a tragic way and ask that all who see their post share their story so other pet parents are warned. This is a PSA for all pet owners.
This is what happens continuously to dogs (or cats) and it's really awful as this can happen before you turn your head around. The dog or cat puts its head inside a bag of chips or another snack, and the bag tightens when the pet inhales. The pet can suffocate to death in under five minutes.
I also hadn't heard of National Suffocation Awareness Week. I like that a movement was created to bring awareness to something so horrible. This can happen to any of our dogs.
The reason we're writing is we saw this post in a Facebook forum and we wanted to share this message so other pet parents understand that this can happen.
"Last Friday- Rocco (now 2 years old but very much still a puppy), jumped up on a table, put his head in a mylar potato chip bag to eat the remaining chips. This created a vacuum seal that suffocated Rocco...it happened very fast (3-5 minutes), and shockingly quiet. I believe that once he'd eaten the chips, most of the oxygen was gone Rocco wasn't able to make a peep. Our daughters Molly, Emma as well as Cooper all upstairs less than 100 feet as it happened."
At the end they have a call to action for companies that sell their products in plastic bags:
"Please, please encourage them to put a warning label on the bags until everyone is aware of the inherent danger to our beloved furry family members."
It takes as few as 3-5 minutes for a dog or cat rummaging through a bag for crumbs to asphyxiate. This is a PSA for all pet owners, RIP Rocco.
The problem is that so few pet owners are aware there is a risk at all — it's easy to find videos of pets trying to remove bags from their heads that many people think are just cute or funny. All dog owners should always throw away snack bags immediately after they're empty. These food bags are extremely dangerous and pet suffocation is a very real thing. This can apply to pet food bags, cereal bags, treat bags, companies like Frito Lay should add a warning label!
Do you know anyone that's happened to? It's too horrible. Please leave us a comment below!
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