My Dog Loves Butter
This morning, my 65-pound dog ate a whole stick of butter off of the counter-top. Again. The ½ cup of butter is not part of his regular, intentional diet but I’m forgetful and he is bad so it happens enough for me to know to leave the door to the backyard open for the next 24 hours. The tricky part about butter is all the fat that is so deliciously and smoothly packed into the stick. For some dogs, the butter consumption doesn’t even cause a soft spot in their poop. For others, it causes a lovely day of frequent, urgent trips outside for runny stools. Some dogs vomit, which is what I feel like doing after trying to imagine myself eating that much butter. My family smears it on thick but no slice of toast or pile of pancakes can take a whole stick with grace.
Besides the vomiting and diarrhea, my concern is the butter’s fat content’s ability to set off the pancreas, a sensitive, reactive organ involved in the management of the foods we eat. If the pancreas is upset by fatty foods, it can develop pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas). Pancreatitis can be a serious condition that is quite painful and can require intense medical support. So while you might be in tune with how your pet reacts to certain illegal foods he consumes, pay attention and have your pet examined if they aren’t recovering as usual.
--Dr. Olson
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Dr. Olson practices small animal medicine in Denver, CO and is a regular contributor to Wag Reflex.
Brandie Ahlgren on October 13, 2008 at 07:02 PM
I had the exact same thing happen...full stick of butter there on the counter... left for what seemed like only a minute... came back...butter gone...wrapper and all. Poof, gone!
JonW on October 28, 2008 at 07:26 PM
I still remember coming home from the grocery store many years ago to my old German Shephard - Anja. I unpacked the groceries and made a couple of trips out to my car to get everything in. Once I had everything put away I realized that the two pounds of butter I bought were missing. I rechecked the car, double checked the fridge, and finally came to the conclusion that the store hadn't packed it into my grocery bags. I actually had the store manager on the phone when Anja upchucked her first pile of buttery smelling goodness. The first of many, I should add. She had eaten the cardboard wrapper, as well.