By Marie Haaland // SWNS
NEWS COPY W/ VIDEO + INFOGRAPHIC
From a winning lottery ticket to their owner’s social security card and a stick of butter — here are the strangest things dogs have eaten.
A survey of 2,000 American dog owners asked respondents about their dogs’ diet: the good, the bad and the weird.
A box of tampons, the spackle on the walls and four television remote controls were some of the other crazy things dogs have tried to eat. And some dogs are getting into the holiday spirit: one ate a dove-shaped Christmas tree ornament.
Another respondent said of their dog, “Anything she sees outside she will put in her mouth.”
Commissioned by Darwin’s Natural Pet Products and conducted by Talker Research, the survey found respondents have to stop their dog from eating something they shouldn’t every three days.
And this peaks with puppies: when their dog was 20 months old, respondents had to be extra careful about non-food objects being eaten.
Despite dogs getting into all sorts of things they shouldn’t, pet parents are aware of the danger.
One said it was “very scary” when their dog ate some chocolate, and another had to take their dog to the vet after it chewed off — and swallowed — the tail of a toy fabric squirrel.
Seventy-seven percent worry about their dog’s health when they eat something they shouldn’t — and 59% also worry there are times they don’t notice when their dog gets into something.
With dogs eating all these strange things, perhaps it’s not a surprise that respondents don’t actually know what their dog eats — even when it’s the food in their bowl.
A fifth (21%) admitted they’ve never read the nutritional label on the back of their dog food. Even those who have read the label were only familiar with half (56%) of the ingredients listed.
“A pet food ingredient list should read like a home-cooked recipe, not a chemistry equation,” said Gary Tashjian, Founder and CEO of Darwin’s Natural Pet Products. “Pet parents want their pups to be happy and healthy, and that starts with having confidence in (and being able to pronounce) everything that goes into the dog’s food bowl.”
When picking food for their dog, whether their dog likes it (44%) is respondents’ top consideration.
That was followed by the nutritional value (36%), whether it’s a brand they’re familiar with (36%) and the price (27%). With that, 45% would feed their dog a different food if price wasn’t a factor.
The survey found that 78% are confident they know what a healthy diet looks like for their dog — but only 45% said the diet they’re feeding their dog is “very” healthy (another 52% said it’s “somewhat” healthy).
Over half (56%) would like to feed their dog a healthier diet — perhaps because the majority understand that food impacts their dog’s overall health (74%) and longevity (75%).
Still, there are barriers for many respondents when trying to switch their dog to a healthier diet.
Price again plays a factor, as 46% find healthier options too expensive. Respondents also said that their dog is a picky eater and hasn’t liked other healthy options they’ve tried (32%), and others believe their local stores have a limited selection of options (20%).
“If you’re on a journey to improve your pet’s nutrition, that’s wonderful,” said Tashjian. “It might not happen overnight, but you can help them benefit from healthier options by sticking to a consistent feeding schedule and limiting treats in between meals. Aim for the highest-quality ingredients you can afford, including real meat (not meat by-products) and a variety of vegetables.”
WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS FOR RESPONDENTS FEEDING THEIR DOG A HEALTHIER DIET?
- Healthier options are too expensive — 46%
- My dog is a picky eater and doesn’t like the healthier options I’ve tried — 32%
- My local stores have limited selections of dog food — 20%
- I don’t know where to start in finding healthier options — 16%
- I don’t know how to successfully switch my dog to a new food — 14%
WHAT ARE SOME UNUSUAL THINGS DOGS HAVE EATEN?
- Christmas tree ornament that looked like a dove
- A meat thermometer
- Four direct television remote controls
- Anything she sees outside she will put in her mouth
- An entire bowl of shredded mozzarella cheese then came back for the lasagna noodles
- My sister dentures
- Her plastic dog bowl
- He pulled a winning lottery ticket out of my purse and chewed on it
- Couch cushions
- Onions
- Barbie doll heads
- My stainless steel water tumbler
- She loves to get into/steal Brussels sprouts
- Box of tampons
- He got into the pantry and ate a half bag of flour, two trays of cookies and one bag of coconut
- My dog got into the Vaseline; he had Vaseline all on his snout I had to clean it out his nose and everything
- Social security card
- My dog once tried to eat a whole stick of butter I Ieft on the counter
- He at a hard rubber ring toy with four multi-colored rings and I only found one; he had rainbow poo for three days
- Glue sticks
- Tried to rip up papers and walls; spackle on the walls
- My wallet and credit cards
- He ate an entire wool jacket (except the buttons) that was hanging on the line in the basement — no ill effects from it, but my husband was not pleased
- Her doggie clothes. She doesn’t like them so she chews them to shreds.
- Money. Grabbed it off of the kitchen table and started chewing.
- My dog chewed the tail off a toy fabric squirrel. She swallowed the tail and had to go to the emergency vet to have them make her throw it up.
* Free text responses have been edited for length, clarity and spelling
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American dog owners; the survey was commissioned by Darwin's Natural Pet Products and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Sept. 20–25, 2024.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
- Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
- Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
- Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
- Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
- Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
- Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.