MANHATTAN Corn on the cob is a treat that many people enjoy each summer. But a Kansas State University veterinarian says dont share that cob with your dog.
While eating kernels of corn generally does not pose a health risk for most dogs, the corncob can be a problem if the dog ingests it, said Susan Nelson, veterinarian and clinical professor at the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dogs are attracted to corncobs due to the good-tasting corn kernels and the cob itself, Nelson said. The cob is something they love to chew on, and while some dogs may chew it up into tiny pieces, others attempt to swallow it whole or swallow large pieces of the cob.
Swallowing the cob or pieces of the cob often causes a life-threatening obstruction of a dogs gastrointestinal tract, Nelson said. Corncobs also are not digestible, so if there is an obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract, abdominal surgery is usually needed to remove it.
If smaller pieces of cob are in the stomach, they can sometimes be endoscopically removed, Nelson said. But if dogs do not have the cob or pieces of cob causing the obstruction removed, it is usually fatal. Dogs that are brought to a veterinarian after they have been showing symptoms will also sometimes not survive, even with surgery.
Nelson recommends keeping corncobs away from dogs and to remember they are adept at prying things open.
Remember, dogs can be very good at opening doors, lids, etc.
