A mischievous beagle named Scooter has become the unlikely star of a very sticky drama after scoffing an entire 1.1kg bag of jelly snakes and landing herself in emergency care.
The sweet-toothed suspect was taken to Animal Emergency Service Jindalee along with her sister Jada after their owners made a startling household discovery: a family-sized bag of lollies had been left “suspiciously empty”.
In a social media post that quickly delighted followers, Animal Emergency Service Jindalee wrote: “Scooter came in to see us at AES Jindalee after consuming an entire 1kg+ bag of snakes! Scooter said the experience was 10/10 and she would do it again in a heartbeat”.
According to Veterinary Nurse Manager Kate Wesche, Scooter and Jada, both three-year-old beagles, arrived at the clinic on Monday 27th around 8pm. At first, there was some uncertainty over whether both dogs had dabbled in the lolly stash, but Scooter was carrying what might politely be called compelling evidence.
Scooter was the obvious prime suspect, having tipped the scales at 1.1kg heavier than usual, though it was initially unclear whether her sister Jada had also dipped into the lollies.
After a clinical exam by Dr Cordelia Edwards, both dogs were given medication to make them vomit as a precaution. Beneath the colourful absurdity of the scene was real concern about what exactly had been consumed.
“The primary concern for Scooter and Jada to be seen and made vomit is the amount of sugars or artificial sweeteners (Xylitol) that can be in sweets. Xylitol can be very toxic to dogs causing seizures and affecting the liver,” Wesche said.
Thankfully, these particular lollies did not contain xylitol, although that did not mean Scooter was entirely off the hook.
“Luckily these were The Natural Confectionery Company Snakes which don’t contain Xylitol, but the amount of natural sugar they would have consumed can still cause sever gastrointestinal upset,” Wesche said.
The mystery was soon solved in dramatic fashion.
“Scooter was confirmed to be the culprit after bringing up almost the whole 1.1kg of jelly snakes, with clearly no regrets in her decision. Poor sister Jada had only eaten a single jelly snake!” Wesche said.
After a short stay for observation, both dogs were given a clean bill of health and sent home, where they are reportedly doing well.
Wesche said beagles are notorious for eating things they should not, although even clinic staff were impressed by Scooter’s commitment.
“Beagles are common culprits for eating things that they shouldn’t, but 1.1kg of jelly snakes is definitely a first,” she said.
Social media users were quick to back up that assessment, with one commenting that their “Half Beagle” had been rushed to emergency on multiple occasions over 11 years after getting into “half a bottle of ibuprofen, an entire bottle of her 75lbs bother’s gabapentin, an entire bag of Reese’s, and a full one gallon bag of raisins and cashews”.
For Scooter, the good news is that she has recovered nicely. The bad news, at least from her point of view, is that her access to jelly snakes is almost certainly now under very close supervision.
