Gizmo is really a good dog most of the time. He’s a 15 years old Sheltie who long ago outlived most of the other dogs of his breed. He spends most of his days napping and dreaming. His arthritis prevents much running and playing, and we don’t think he hears or sees too well either.

Here lately, he really has us worried as he won’t eat. He just doesn’t seem to like his dog food any more. People food is another story. He is the world’s biggest moocher when anyone is trying to eat. But the vet said, “No people food,” as it isn’t good for him.

The other day I was fixing dinner. I warmed up some corn on the cob in the microwave by wrapping it in plastic wrap. When I unwrapped it, the wrap accidentally fell on the floor. The moocher is always around when there is food present. Before I could pick it up, he grabbed it.

I tried to get it away from him, but he ran. I yelled for my honey to stop him, but before he could tackle him and pry open his mouth, the plastic wrap was gone. The dog swallowed it.

Oh, no! What to do? The dog ate Saran Wrap. I couldn’t believe it! He will not eat his dog food but he will eat Saran Wrap? The corn didn’t even have butter on it.

Fortunately, he had an appointment at the vet the next day anyhow. He seemed perfectly fine and a little proud of himself for fooling people and mooching something he wasn’t supposed to have.

We Goggled “Dog ate Saran Wrap” on the Internet to see how dangerous it was. Surprisingly, he is not the only dog that has a taste for plastic. A lot of dogs apparently do this. Usually, however, the plastic is wrapped around food like fried chicken, and the plastic is simply incidental to the snack.

We seem to have the only dog that eats plastic wrap by itself, without butter.

Basically, there are three things that can happen, none of them pleasant to talk about. But since we are this far in the story, I might as well tell you. The dog can throw it up, it can pass through, or it can wad up and cause a blockage that has to be removed surgically.

“Watch the dog to see if it acts sick or lethargic,” advised the Internet. Oh great, this dog always acts that way. At his age, he is not exactly a bundle of energy. I felt really bad. Giz had made through thick and thin to live to a ripe old age and now I had probably killed him by letting him eat plastic wrap.

Apparently, Saran Wrap didn’t agree with the dog because by the next morning, he coughed it up and the crisis was over. Thank goodness. At his age we were not sure if he could go through a surgery.

My daughter took him to the veterinarian the next day and told him what had happened. The vet normally would not laugh at something so potentially serious, but since things were okay now, he could see the humor. He could not understand why a dog would eat Saran Wrap and turn up his nose at dog food either.

Anyhow, there is a happy ending. The vet prescribed a special food that is for dogs that have been sick. It is high calorie and palatable. The dog loves it and gobbles it down as if it is people food. In fact, when we give it to him, we have to stand guard as the cats come around and try to eat it too.

Now when he mooches, we just give him his own special food and he thinks he is getting a treat — one even better than Saran Wrap.

Copyright 2010 Sheila Moss