Crafts and Pets: a warning

[coccyx]

I want everyone here to learn this very important lesson.  Late last night, my kitty Vince accidentally swallowed a threaded sewing needle that had fallen on the floor probably several weeks ago.  The emergency vet found it embedded in his esophagus, and was unable to remove it.  I rushed him to vet after vet today, and no one was able to do anything but take more xrays, suggest yet another specialist, and give him more pain meds.

With full surgery he only had a 50/50 chance of survival, at a cost of over $2500.  I had to make the decision to let him go peacefully and painlessly before the needle found its way into his heart or lungs.  There was no third option.

It's amazing how something so small so carelessly overlooked can devastate, and how quickly it can happen.  So please please please look over your crafting stashes and put anything that can possibly harm your pet securely out of reach, keep your pets out of the area while you're working with potentially harmful materials, and clean up after yourself thoroughly.  I don't want anyone else to ever have to go through losing their best friend over one tiny sewing needle.

If anyone else has any experience with other craft supplies that can be harmful to your pets, especially the kind people wouldn't think of as harmful, please share them here.  There is no reason for anyone else's pet to be injured or killed by our hobbies.

[lacilemon]

thank you very much for the warning. I am deeply sorry for your loss and my thoughts are with you.

[dishwasher182]

thats so sad i'm sorry
any string or thread is dangerous too, it can get caught in the intestines and cause damage as well.
I'm always afraid of my dogs in my crafting room--i always keep them away jsut to be safe...
basically any pins/needles/thread/yarn is all bad!

[MacesMeMe]

Oh my gosh I am so sorry to hear that. I wish you lived here by me and the cornell vet school, totally awesome. They saved our Boston's eye when every vet wanted to just take it out.

Thanks for the warning though, my craft area is right next to the doggie beds, never thought of them licking up pins......I will have to vaccum every time now!

[Eliea]

My dog loves anything metal so This sort of thing is second nature at this point. I keep my pincushions at the far back of the sewing table up against the wall so she can't steal them. all wire and such is put in plastic storage bins.
I'm so sorry for your loss and your warning is very important. Thank you for sharing no matter how hard it was. *hugs*

[jungrrl]

*sigh* This is very, very difficult for me to talk about still but just so other people know it can happen....

My cat died from eating a scrap strip of vinyl.

[Eliea]

*sigh* This is very, very difficult for me to talk about still but just so other people know it can happen....

My cat died from eating a scrap strip of vinyl.

I had no idea cats would eat that sort of thing! Thank you for sharing! Vinyl was going to be one of my next projects. I really appreciate you sharing as I have 4 cats and you never know what they will be interested in. *hugs*

[jungrrl]

It was sort of a semi circular thing and he really loved flipping things of that shape around and playing with them.. yea..

[coccyx]

Thank you for sharing that, I didn't realize something like vinyl could do serious damage either.  Why is it the naughty cats have the greatest personalities?  Vince broke most of my drinking glasses knocking them off the counters.  I'd always figured it would be a piece of glass that would end him, not some stupid little needle I missed picking up, so I was always careful not to leave any glasses out.

[doyouloveanapple]

I am very very sorry to hear about your loss. It is really hard to anticipate these sorts of things. I make felt. Well I should say I did make felt, until I got my new kitten and had to spend nearly a week at the vet. He had eaten about 10 grams of wool roving from a box of my supplies. He's siamese and apparently they enjoy the taste of wool. I was very thankful that he eventually passed the wool "on his own," but I'm definatly not risking this again.

*hug*