The Pet Hazard Decking Your Halls: truInsights into Foreign Body Ingestion & Holiday Decor

SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tis the season for holiday decor. But all those haunted Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving centerpieces and Christmas ornaments present a hidden danger pet parents need to watch out for.

In 2023 alone, pet medical insurance company Trupanion (Nasdaq: TRUP) received more than 24,000 foreign body ingestion claims. Foreign body ingestion (FBI) is a painful, sometimes deadly, and costly condition that happens when a pet eats something they can’t pass through their gastrointestinal system without veterinary help.

“Keep a close eye on your pets during the holiday season,” says veterinarian and Trupanion General Manager, Dr. Stephen Rose, BVSc (Hons1) M Infotech CVA ACVCHM. “And if you suspect your pet ate something they shouldn’t have, don't risk it—reach out to your veterinarian to have them examined to be sure. It’s better to be safe than sorry in these instances.”

Foreign Body Ingestion: By the Numbers

In 2023, Trupanion paid 24,305 foreign body ingestion claims. The average claim was $878, while the highest claim was $27,403.

Amongst Trupanion’s current population of insured pets, 7% of dogs and 3% of cats have had an FBI claim. Puppies and kittens have the most FBI claims of any age group by far. Pets under 1 year of age claim 322% more than adults and senior pets. Adult pets claim 34% more than senior pets.

Top 5 Dog Breeds Claiming

• Doberman Pinscher
• Maltese
• Boston Terrier
• Shih Tzu
• German Pointer
  

Top 5 Cat Breeds Claiming

• Persian
• Bengal
• Russian Blue
• Sphynx
• Siberian
  

The Science & Medicine of Foreign Body Ingestion

When a pet eats a foreign object that they can't pass through their gastrointestinal system, it can become lodged anywhere along the GI Tract and cause a variety of symptoms from vomiting and diarrhea to obstruction, organ damage, and even death.

Early signs and symptoms of foreign body ingestion are vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, refusal of food or loss of appetite, whining, restlessness, pain in the belly, straining to defecate or being unable to fully vacate the bowels.

If these symptoms are observed, it’s recommended that the pet is seen by a veterinarian as quickly as possible so that they can be evaluated for foreign body ingestion.

During the examination, the vet may perform diagnostic imaging such as x-rays to see if a foreign object can be seen, or use a substance called Barium which when swallowed, illuminates on the radiographs to show if there is a blockage somewhere along the GI tract, and can help track the foreign material.

Surgery is often needed to safely remove foreign objects from the GI tract to prevent further damage. The vet may also support with IV fluids, prescribing pain and/or nausea medications, inducing vomiting, performing bloodwork to check organ function, as well as observation while the pet passes the object.

Prognosis is based on many factors such as what the pet ingested, how long the object has been stuck in the GI tract, where in the tract the object is stuck, and how healthy the pet is otherwise.

Early intervention is always better. If too much time passes before treatment, the pet's health may continue to decline, and if the blockage is an intestinal or stomach obstruction, the blood flow to organs can be affected, which can result in permanent damage or necrosis of those tissues. In these cases, just a few hours can mean the difference between life or death.

Keeping Your Pets Safe During the Holidays

Common items that pets ingest that result in foreign body ingestion include clothing (often socks and underwear), sticks, bones, corn cobs, champagne corks, food packaging and wrappers, dental floss, hair elastics, and toy stuffing or squeakers.

During the holidays, the big ones to watch out for are decorations like tinsel, garlands, ribbons, and string. In fact, there is a specific type of very dangerous foreign body ingestion called a Linear Foreign Body, where things like strings or ribbons get lodged anywhere from the tongue down the esophagus and into the stomach and intestines. These linear foreign objects can cause the intestines to bunch and slice through the tissues as the body tries to expel them.

“Keep a close eye on your pets during the holiday season,” says veterinarian and Trupanion General Manager, Dr. Stephen Rose, BVSc (Hons1) M Infotech CVA ACVCHM. “There’s a lot going on—a lot of distractions for pet parents, and a lot of objects around the house this time of year that look like toys to our pets, so it’s vital to remain vigilant. On special occasions, ensure you’re cleaning up wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons after opening gifts, and when entertaining, keep pets contained and out of the kitchen so they don't have access to food and bones, and to prevent guests from feeding them things they shouldn't eat. And if you suspect your pet ate something they shouldn’t have, don't risk it—reach out to your veterinarian to have them examined to be sure. It’s better to be safe than sorry in these instances.”

More Foreign Body Ingestion Safety Tips

• Provide gates and pens to control what areas pet have access to
• Check toys regularly to ensure they’re still intact
• Dispose of toys that are coming apart to prevent ingestion of stuffing, strings and squeakers
• Keep laundry room doors closed to prevent access to laundry baskets and detergent pods
• Keep bathroom and bedroom doors closed to prevent access to garbage cans and other debris
  

About truInsights

truInsights is a data focused initiative introduced by Trupanion and designed to deliver valuable health-related data and insights to pet parents, veterinarians and pet lovers alike. With over 20 years of pet health data, Trupanion has explored its veterinary invoice data from nearly two million pets and provides details on data trends, as well as prevention tips for keeping our pets safe.

About Trupanion

Trupanion is a leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Puerto Rico and Australia with over 1,000,000 pets currently enrolled. For over two decades, Trupanion has given pet owners peace of mind so they can focus on their pet's recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. With its patented process, Trupanion is the only North American provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol "TRUP". The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Trupanion policies are issued, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company and, in Canada, by Accelerant Insurance Company of Canada. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. Policies are sold and administered by Trupanion Managers USA, Inc. (CA license No. 0G22803, NPN 9588590). For more information, please visit trupanion.com.

Contacts:

Media: Trupanion Corporate Communications

Corporate.communications@trupanion.com