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By Liz O'Connell
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A dog owner has restarted training after having to dish out thousands of dollars for vet bills following a specific stick-eating incident.
A golden retriever named Goob has a history of chewing. The owner, known on TikTok as @insta.goob, told Newsweek that her dog has always been a heavy eater and constantly wants something in his mouth.
"It was a culmination of playing with sticks," she said. "He chews on them a lot when we go to the park but has typically been able to pass any that he has swallowed."
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During this specific incident, he managed to vomit most of the sticks; however, one was lodged in a way that wouldn't let it pass, she explained. She noticed something was wrong when he became lethargic after vomiting. He got sick a few more times and she brought him to the emergency vet, unsure of what was happening.
The vet took some X-rays of her dog, which showed he had a blockage. Surgery to remove an object from a dog averages from $2,000 to $10,000. But this owner had to dish out over $12,000.
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Part of the hefty price tag came from the surgery Goob received to remove the stick, but the owner brought him back three more times that same week because he got pancreatitis and infection.
She explained in her January 27 TikTok video that despite having pet insurance, not everything was covered. She had to spread out the payments over several credit cards, and now she's sitting in "crippling debt."
She wrote in the comment section of the video, which had over 555,000 views, that the price was worth it. "They're our babies!" she said.
And, thankfully, Goob was safe and quickly received the treatment. Chewing on sticks is very dangerous, as it is a choking hazard and, as it did for Goob, can cause intestinal blockage.
The owner described the whole situation as awful, but it was a wake-up call. She decided it was time to retrain Goob. She didn't want him, and her, to go through another scary, heart-stopping moment.
"He just finished an obedience class and we're starting with a trainer at the end of the month!" she said.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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